I enjoy the films of Kevin Smith. I enjoy his dialogue and characters, and find his movies to be terribly funny, regardless of the lowbrow humour contained within. He proved, with Chasing Amy, that he was capable of writing an intelligent film, without sacrificing the characters and dialogue we'd come to expect from his films. Chasing Amy is now considered by many to be a genuinely important film in the approach Kevin Smith took to deal with the subject matter. It is also considered by many to be his best film.

I fell in love with Dogma when I first saw it during its theatrical run. I enjoyed the humor, but the subject matter was somewhat lost on me, as I was quite unfamiliar with much of the religious material. Many of the film references were also above my head, as my love for film was, at that point, nowhere near the level it is at now. But there was something about the film I appreciated; perhaps it was the fact that Smith was (somewhat) satirizing something as taboo as organized religion. Or, perhaps I just found it funny… I don't recall. It was something though…

I view the film now, however, and I can appreciate it for what it is, a very well written and well-thought out film, which uses its religious context to craft an incredibly interesting story which is wrapped in a number of comedic situations only Kevin Smith could write. I believe the word satire is too strong a word to use in relation to Dogma, as I don't believe it was ever Kevin Smith's intention to directly poke fun at religion, but more to use organized religion as a springboard to tell a uniquely comedic story.

…And unique it is. No other film comes to mind that deals with subjects such as fallen angels, the avenging of God against sinners, and similar subjects in such a comedic manner. The introductory scene involving the two banished angels Loki and Bartleby (Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, respectively) contains some wonderful dialogue in which Loki discusses the metaphorical meaning of Lewis Caroll's ‘The Walrus and the Carpenter.' He relates it in a completely believable manner to organized religion and the destruction of our inner-being. There is no way I could do the dialogue justice, so I won't try. This sequence, however, sets the tone for the rest of the film, as it makes us aware of Smith's intention to entertain through his usual creative dialogue, albeit based around a much more serious subject.

I won't lie to you - Dogma will offend some people. There's no two ways about it. I only ask that you view Dogma for what it is. A movie, that's all. It may paint the picture a little differently than you would like to see it, but, at the risk of sounding like an asshole, if you are too ignorant to accept the fact that someone may have views that differ from yours, you have bigger issues than enjoying a film like Dogma. Get over it. You may not enjoy it, but at least ‘don't' enjoy it for the right reasons. It is without question, Kevin Smith's best and most polished film, and holds a certain significance within the world of film. If it causes you took look differently at organized religion, so be it. If not, I hope you laugh, a lot.