Movie Review: Young Washington

I recently watched the movie Young Washington directed by Jon Erwin and distributed by Angel Studios. It is worth noting the context of this film upfront. Erwin is an American Christian film director who is part of the Erwin Brothers with his brother, Andrew. Angel Studios is a publicly traded film distributor based in Utah that allows paid members to vote on what films they will release. They were formerly the distributors of the popular series The Chosen, which follows the life of Jesus Christ. (I saw an exclusive film in that franchise while visiting the Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC.) While not as heavy-handed as A Great Awakening, a film about the friendship between George Whitefield and Benjamin Franklin which I reviewed several weeks ago, the beautifully shot movie does take liberties with historical events to support a specific point of view, not unlike most movies.

The film begins en media res with an ill 22-year-old George Washington staggering from a military wagon to find the British Army under siege and his fellow Virginians abandoned by the other soldiers. The film then jumps back in time to the funeral of young Washington’s father and the apparent discovery that he has a much older half-brother, Lawrence, who becomes his father-figure. While no longer able to receive formal schooling, Washington learns everything a member of the Virginian landed gentry need to know, from reading ancient books to riding a horse. While smarter, taller, and more athletic than the rest of the population (and handsomer, of course; young heartthrob Washington does not survive smallpox in this movie’s version of reality), Washington soon realizes he will never be treated as an equal to those with noble titles. His wise half-brother tells him not to worry, “Even a pawn can take a king.” Characters will repeat this phrase throughout the rest of the film.

While young Washington initially battles only the niceties of upper class Virginian society, allowing the viewer to enjoy accurate costume design, great shots of architecture, and more romance than 18^th century parents would have allowed, his ambition soon finds him surveying the Ohio wilderness. Granted, this happens after an off-putting and seemingly out-of-place tavern scene, although it is relatively tame considering the movie was rated PG-13. With the drunken revelry over, viewers again could enjoy beautiful views, this time of Ohioan forests and rivers. Unfortunately, young Washington and his companion Christopher Gist, along with their large egos, met up with Half-King and his fellow Haudenosaunee, also known as Iroquois. Half-King has a vendetta against the French, as his father was allegedly boiled and eaten by them (citation needed), and he takes Washington and Gist to see the French fort newly constructed on what the British claimed to be their land.

One thing leads to another, and Washington volunteers as major of a Virginian regiment to prove himself as worthy as any noble Brit. He is soon promoted to lieutenant colonel upon the death of the last man in the position. Due to his total lack of experience, he fails to control his troops when engaging with the French, which leads to Half-King killing the commander Jumonville and a disastrous surrender at a temporary fortification called Fort Necessity. These events were bad enough to start the French and Indian War, also known as the Seven Years’ War.

Washington initially quits the military and then returns as an aide rather than an officer, working with his nemesis Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Gage. Unfortunately, Washington catches dysentery and ends up in the medical wagon despite a pending battle. Now back to the scene that began the film, young Washington becomes an action hero, rising from his sick bed to ride horses into battle, shoot enemies with accuracy unheard of in 18^th century weaponry, rally the Virginians, and quietly shame Gage for pretending that General Bannock had ordered a retreat. Perhaps the most baffling scene comes after the battle, when Half-King leads young Washington to meet with Native American soldiers who want to see the Very Special White Man that dodged their bullets. At least the costumes and indigenous languages were accurate.

The ideological motivations of the film are subtle but noticeable. Washington seems completely justified in referring to the Ohioan wilderness as “our land”, and his failures were presented as a mix of character building with providential destiny. The pattern of fictionalized rudeness follows the format of other progressive, faith-based, historically-mostly-accurate films: members of the upper class nobility are more overtly rude to members of the upper class gentry than they would have been in actuality, while they are significantly less rude to people of color when such characters do appear. The status of the Washington family as slaveowners was openly acknowledged in the film, although the relatively politically correct phrasing used by characters to describe the situation felt like a twenty-first century invention. Young Washington even offers to help enslaved ice carvers carry their ice as he attempts to break into his half-brother’s house to join a party.

Overall, the film had high entertainment value and decent accuracy in its visuals. For those who like action films but not blood, this is an ideal watch. In fact, the cleanliness of the battle scenes, besides theatrical mud, could serve as a metaphor for the entire script: messy parts are carefully erased with just enough drama and chaos to claim partial accuracy. Finally, if you are excited for the “special announcement” at the end of the film, don’t get your hopes up. It’s a “pay if forward” messages and a call to become a member, jarring but in-line with the mission of the organization. This is a decent movie for a high school youth group, families with older children, and military enthusiasts who want a taste of the underexplored French and Indian War.