THE HATEFUL EIGHT (2015) Movie Review
Where an act of kindness may lead.
Set in post-civil war Wyoming where racism thrives and emotions run high, a brutal blizzard traps eight strangers in a small cabin. All of them come from different backgrounds, all of them with an agenda, and none of them trustworthy. How will they survive the night?
Acts 20:35 - "And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (NLT)
The Hateful Eight is a story that begins with an act of kindness. Bounty hunter John Ruth, ruthless and not trusting, opens his private carriage to two stranded stranger staring in the face of death if left vulnerable to a looming blizzard. One is Major Marquis Warren, a Northern soldier and fellow bounty hunter, and the other is Chris Mannix, a southern renegade. John Ruth saves their lives and gives them shelter. Despite their differences, they keep peace out of gratitude.
Together, they encounter the greatest mystery of their lives. After taking shelter in a small cabin with four other strangers they must uncover who among them plans to free the criminal in John Ruth’s custody. Someone is hiding something nefarious even though not a one of them is innocent. Yet, innocent people die in that cabin, murdered in cold blood.
The major difference between the protagonists and antagonists is respect for the law. The three law men stand for something good. It’s because they stand for the law that they are able to accomplish something good in that cabin. They seek out the villains, bring justice to innocents wronged, and eradicate a dark cloud on society. The only way to succeed in through unity.
1 John 3:18 - "Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions." (NLT)
In a powerful and inspired ending, the black Northerner and the racist Southerner unite in their quest for truth. They seek honor the man who showed them kindness. They give him justice. All their differences forgotten. All that remains is truth and unity.
The story begins with an unlikely act of kindness and ends in impossible unity.
How far would you go in the pursuit of truth, to honor a friends, or to repay an act of kindness?
2 Corinthians 13:11 - "...Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you." (NLT)
