Drummer Boy

“Drummer Boy” is the latest Angel Studio film. It is also a unique mix of multiple genres. It is part historical drama about a drummer in the American Revolution, part brother against brother family drama, part musical, and even a little bit of Cyrano de Bergerac thrown in.

As one would expect from something with so much on its plate and only two hours to make it delicious, the dinner is very good, but you feel like the chef is hurrying you to eat everything so he can send out the next course. This is “Drummer Boy.” It is good at what it does, but it doesn’t feel like you get quite enough of it. The songs, for example, are good, but short. The songs seem to get cut off in the middle so the story can progress. I guess it would be fair to say that I was left wanting a little more, but that is a good thing. Better be left wanting more than feeling like you had too much.

The story itself is about two brother who wind up fighting on different sides of the American Revolution. The elder joins the Red Coats while the younger, who has bad legs from an accident as a child, attempts to join the revolution. Since he is not able to pass the physical, he is accepted only as a drummer (the one who keeps soldiers in step and sounds advances, etc.).

In addition are several side stories including a love story between the older boy (Jeremiah Clem) and a spoiled young woman… or is it? This is where Cyrano de Bergerac comes into play. A servant girl (played by India Brown) begins to write letters to Jeremiah with whom she is secretly in love without using her name.

A final side story is that of the Drummer Boy (Benjamin Clem) and his commander (Major John Ambrose played by Iain Glen—“Game of Thrones”). The Major sees something in the Drummer Boy that he is afraid he may lose in the war—his innocence. He likens his situation to that of King David and explains to Benjamin that even though David was a great man of God he was not allowed to build the temple because he was “a man of blood.” Solomon would build the temple. He urges little Benjamin to never become a man of blood. As a Drummer Boy he could serve without drawing blood.

Now I won’t give away any spoilers, but the climax involves a confrontation of the two brothers on the battlefield. The British commander orders Jeremiah to fire but he refuses. What ensues is both beautiful but cheesy. The audience knows that real life would have ended in a blood bath, but instead we see life as it should be if more men loved Christ. Since we already have a little bit of Cyrano de Bergerac, how about I add a quote from Don Quixote “to see life as it should be and not as it is.”

Now as an Angel film there is little objectionable material save violence. Inasmuch as it is a Revolutionary War film there is some violence, but it is done in the old school manner. We see some blood on men’s uniforms where they were shot or wounded, and a slave’s back shows lash marks, but the rest of violence is bloodless like an older war film from the 50s. Caution for young children is advised.

There is nothing woke in the movie, but it is fair to add that the issue of slavery in the colonies is addressed, albeit a bit anachronistically. For example, the servant girl is shown at the end of the film “heading north” to escape. Since they apparently lived near New York I can only assume that they were headed to Canada, but Canada was a part of Britain at that time and were all slave states under the King. Only some of the northern colonies were free of slavery due to the abolitionism of the Quakers and others. Nevertheless, the issue of slavery is dealt with in light of the equality of all men.

Finally, in terms of explicitly Christian content there are quotations from the Bible about the equality of all under Christ, and the Major’s analogy to King David highlights a spiritual aspect of the film. The worldview is predominantly Christian in the context of a flawed sinful world.

Ultimately, “Drummer Boy” is one of the better films from this year. It is not perfect, but it is unique, solid, and entertaining. It will be added to my collection of films.

• Violence: Moderate
• Vulgar/Crude language: Minor
• Drugs/Alcohol: Minor
• Wokeism: Minor
• Profane language: None
• Nudity: None
• Sex: None
• Occult: None

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.