ironhorse_iv Review of Devil's Playground

Devil's Playground (2002)

Rare look into Amish's culture rite of passage.

[7/10 · 29 March 2013]

Most people understanding of the Amish, might come from the movie 'Witness' or Weird Al 'Amish Paradise'. Then there are those who mistake the Amish for other groups such as Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints or the Quakers. They are not the same as Amish. This movie directed by Lucy Walker is a great inside of the culture that drives the occasional buggy by the side of the road. It's rare and lucky of them to get access to the Amish community, and how they found their subjects and how they organized the stories and information they gathered. It makes me wonder how this film was even possible. Lucy Walker neither criticizes, romanticizes nor patronizes her subject which is good in a way, but I would have love to see harder questioning about what I can seeing here. I had no idea that such a rigid, conservative culture could also possess such a wide open and liberal component to their lifestyle. The cover of the DVD of an Amish woman lighting up a cigarette speaks so much about what rumspringa 'running around' is about without speaking a word. The title, Devil's playground refers in Amish vernacular as the 'English' or outside world. During rumspringa, several Amish youths have the right to enter the English World to experience whatever they want in life that even the vices such as drinking, illegal drugs, or pre-marital sex for a period of time until they must decide to become Amish by baptize or leave their community. If they are baptized, then leave the church, they will be shunned by family and friends. There has to be a strong religious connection if one is to be baptized. Amish adults must be able or willing to die for their faith if challenge and follow the Ordnung (Order). The film follows a few Amish teenagers in LaGrange County, Indiana who enter the English world and experience such debaucheries. The central figure in the movie is Faron, a preacher's son and a methamphetamine drug dealer whose life spirals out of control. Not all teens are like this. Others seek just to drive cars, wear modern clothes and cut and style their hair in more fashionable styles for a few days before they cannot do it anymore. There is yet another one who leaves behind her family so she can go to college. I would love to see more children. The teens interviews are all strong as they are in many ways like deeply religious small town kids anywhere: confused and self-obsessed, but basically decent, and given to projecting a theological dimension onto the normal pains of growing up. Beneath the strange clothing is a familiar conflict between piety and sin. I could only imagine the emotional strain and guilt that these kids go through throughout their lives, and especially during rumspringa. It takes a very strong mind to break through what you've already been conditioned to think up to the age of 16. The interviews with Amish adults are the most interesting about the film in my opinion. I learn that the Amish are not opposed to technology per se, just technology that they consider disruptive to their way of life such as television. The adult's attitude towards sex, is very surprisingly laid back as long as it leads to an Amish marriage and Amish children. The adults interviewed for this film come across as relaxed and candid rather than a crazy religious extremist. They act like they are sad about the outside world, rather than mad. By choosing never to engage the modern world, they have feel little need to either judge it or defend themselves. The movie also foreshadows a large different between the adults and the children. There is a huge inner change going on in the Amish community. More and more Amish are working in factories, getting money and starting to drive cars. The film states out that about 90% of Amish teens do eventually commit to their religion for life, but it doesn't tell how much they are changing the religion within. I think this is the reason why this documentary was able to gain access in the Amish community. There seems to be a great change within the Amish. Now to the faults of the film, it seems have skipped over some details about being Amish such as what happen if a teenager girl get pregnant during the rumspringa. Are they kick out or able to join the group? Nor does the documentary tells why they must choice to baptize so quickly. If you die before you choose the church, what happens to your soul? The movie is a good example of how natural teenage phase out of the identity crisis. I just hope that there is someone who will listen and help each child work out their own plan. Give it a watch if interested in Amish culture.