Fresh
Many will be moved by Protagonist and its reminders that we are all struggling to find versions of ourselves to live up to.
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune
Protagonist
What do a bank robber, a terrorist, a kung fu student, and a gay evangelist have in common? They're all just like you.
2007 · 1h 30m · R
Documentary
Directed by
Jessica Yu
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Protagonist
Overview
Jessica Yu's documentary explores the relationship between human life and Euripidean dramatic structure by weaving together the stories of four men: German terrorist, a bank robber, an "ex-gay" evangelist, and a martial arts student.
Director and cast
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
83%
Tomatometer
Fresh
At first, the technique seems gimmicky, but finally it's as compelling a perspective as any to understand how these men passed through agony to some sort of peace.
Walter V. Addiego, San Francisco Chronicle
Fresh
Yu's film may be challenging to synopsize, but it's thoroughly engrossing and wildly surprising.
Carina Chocano, Los Angeles Times
Rotten
None of the talking heads is as interesting as [director] Yu thinks they are; and it's difficult to build sympathy for any of them.
V.A. Musetto, New York Post
Rotten
While [director] Yu's experimental approach brings valuable insight to the human condition, the interviews themselves too rarely measure up to her ambitious structure.
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News
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