Wise Blood

The film Wise Blood (1979) is based on Flannery O'Connor's 1952 novel of the same name. The story is a darkly comic and disturbing exploration of religious beliefs, set in the rural American South.

The narrative centers on Hazel Motes, a discharged serviceman who rejects his fundamentalist upbringing. He travels to a Tennessee city to preach his own version of "anti-religion," establishing the "Church Without Christ." Motes is depicted as a tragic and often ludicrous figure, surrounded by other eccentric characters. These include Enoch Emery, a follower who worships a museum mummy, and Asa Hawks, a preacher who claims to have blinded himself as a testament to his faith. The novel, and by extension the film, is known for its witty characterizations, ironic symbolism, and use of Southern dialect.12