Hope ◆ The Dreams of Two Homeless Men
Chunichi Shimbun, Morning Edition, December 22, 2006
The Saint of Fort Washington
(1993, USA)
The public was shocked by a recent incident in which a group of teenagers attacked and injured homeless people. The film I would like to introduce this week, The Saint of Fort Washington, is a moving story about human dignity and the friendship between two homeless men.
Jerry (Danny Glover) is a Black Vietnam veteran. After a failed business venture and the breakup of his family, he finds himself living on the streets of New York. Suffering from an old war injury to his leg, he makes a living by washing car windows for tips whenever traffic comes to a standstill.
At a homeless shelter, Jerry befriends Matthew (Matt Dillon), a young white man. Matthew had once been a student hoping to become a photographer, but after developing schizophrenia, he was abandoned by his parents. He can no longer take photographs in the usual way. Whenever he comes across a scene that moves him, he simply raises a camera—without any film in it—and presses the shutter. Jerry begins to feel a deep, almost fatherly affection for the lonely young man.
The shelter is a place where violence is an everyday occurrence. As Jerry tries to protect Matthew and help him through his increasingly fragile state of mind, the two begin working together washing car windows. They save their money and dream of getting an apartment and starting a small business of their own.
But after a confrontation with a group of young Black men, they are forced to leave the shelter. As they drift from one place to another, something miraculous happens. When Matthew gently rubs Jerry's injured leg, the pain suddenly disappears, almost as if by magic. The aching hands of an elderly shoeshiner are also miraculously healed by Matthew's touch.
“You're a saint who protects the homeless,” Jerry tells him, deeply grateful. He then performs a kind of baptism for Matthew. The next morning, Matthew begins taking photographs of the beauty he sees in homeless people.
With the support of his friends, Matthew gradually regains his hope for the future. But tragedy awaits them. A government policy designed to force homeless people into a huge shelter ultimately brings about a heartbreaking ending. Left alone, Jerry carries the memory of his “saint” in his heart and vows to go on living as best he can.
The film leaves us with a powerful message: No matter how difficult our circumstances may be, we remain beautiful human beings as long as we hold on to hope, freedom, and dignity.
It is a heartbreaking film, yet one that leaves a deep and lasting impression.
