Movies: The Forgiven

Based on Lawrence Osborne’s novel, John Michael McDonagh’s film incorporates themes of debauchery, excess, narcissism, abuse, law breaking, and culture and class clashes – a true

smorgasbord of lived-experiences among the morally corrupt privileged.

We are introduced to a set of characters established as upper class Westerners congregating at a

lavish home in Morocco, in the middle of nowhere for a long weekend of partying. These characters

are from various countries including England, America, Australia and France. Though in a foreign

country of vast desert landscapes in stark contrast to their home countries, they choose to keep

themselves confined to the house and a secluded nearby waterhole, rejecting the opportunity to

experience another country and culture, away from locals to languish in fine dining, drinking and

partying. For one unfortunate member of the group though, their best laid plans are disrupted when

he commits vehicular manslaughter.

Ralph Fiennes plays David, a high profile doctor and confessed alcoholic. It is apparent that he and

his wife Jo, played by Jessica Chastain, are amidst marital strife, with snide remarks thrown amongst

disdainful bickering. On route to their friend’s party, they hit and kill a local boy, continuing on to the

home and only eventually do they agree to report the death. David takes responsibility, admitting

driving intoxicated when the accident occurred, whilst they await the arrival of the police and

eventually the father of the dead boy, during which time they remain unshaken enough to carry on

as normal. Though it is clear David admits culpability and expresses remorse, he is at first hesitant to journey with the boy’s father for a proper burial, fearing for his own safety. What emerges from his agreeing to travel though, becomes an opportunity to atone for his actions.

Meanwhile, the remaining guests indulge in luxurious, high-end delights of food, drink, partying,

extramarital sex and other luxuries to be treated as mere throwaway experiences, whilst also fitting

in some drunken arguments among the clash of mixed nationals. Moroccan staff look on,

judgementally so, as David endures a long, unnerving drive to the home of the boy he killed.

We are made privy to the experiences of David and the remaining party guests, which both observe

some ugly home truths they would all rather not address, but for David, his previous short sighted,

narrowminded views of lower class foreigners do begin to flip, and thus offer him some redemption.

He will return to the others it seems, fully prepared, albeit redundantly so, to accept his failures.

The Forgiven, though not without dramatic tension, serves as an effective commentary on how

individuals can lose sight of their morals and what wealth, privilege, opportunity and extravagant

lifestyles can turn a human being into. Contrastingly, elite Westerners are thrown with poor,

humbled Moroccans, though what one may lack in riches and status, they gain in values. However,

we are also challenged by the concept of vengeance and forgiveness and whilst David may be able to

redeem himself, his actions may have caused those once of the moral high ground to now be tainted

by the allure of revenge.