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The Backwater Gospel

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  • Alternate Character Interpretation: The Undertaker isn't there for any one individual, nor is he there for the entire population—he's there for the town in and of itself, which was slowly dying due to stagnation.
  • Funny Moments: Given the nature of the film, there is almost absolutely nothing amusing in it, except for a few moments:
    • The Tramp bringing the Minister up to his Rage Breaking Point by annoying him with his song after scaring everyone out of the church, causing him to throw his cross out of the window, which spins around and falls off the cliff with Toon Physics.
    • After the gruesome, nightmarish fight in the rain that leaves no survivors during the climax of the film, we're treated to a shot of the undertaker preparing to bury all the corpses... On a beautiful, sunny day with a rainbow hanging over the town.
  • Genius Bonus: Before the Tramp is killed, the Minister tells the mob to "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone!" This line was taken from the "Jesus and the woman taken in adultery" passage in John 7:53–8:11 of the New Testament, where a group of Pharisees tell Jesus that a woman they brought along with them should be stoned to death for adultery. Jesus then tells them to "Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her," which causes the Pharisees to leave after realizing that none of them is without sin. What do the townsfolk do instead? They all each cast a stone at the same time. They're so brainwashed by the Minister's "teachings" that they believe they've all led sinless lives and are given the go-ahead to kill an innocent man because of it. The Minister took a message of peace from Jesus Christ Himself and warped it into one of violence.
  • Moral Event Horizon: The Minister indefinitely crosses it when he orders the townsfolk to stone the Tramp to death, savoring the view of Bubba about to crush his skull with a boulder with a Psychotic Smirk.
  • Tear Jerker:
    • The Tramp honestly did nothing wrong. And the look of complete fear on the Tramp's face when the entire town runs him down is heart-wrenching.
    • Bubba's horrified reaction when he realizes he murdered the Tramp for nothing.
  • Visual Effects of Awesome: Boy, howdy, yes. The 3D graphics are positively striking and gritty to produce a remarkable atmosphere. Plus, the animation itself is all very well-done. Particularly awesome are the Undertaker's wings the first and last times they appear.

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