Broken Saints

It's a funny thing that in this day and age of internet society through which it was able to take root and grow, the first I ever heard of "Broken Saints" was by old fashioned window shopping. This alone, I think, means that I have missed out on a gigantic part of what made the series so enticing to many; not only that it was completely free but that it stood as a testament to the Internet's fulfilled promise of a global community and prosperous mass medium for independent artists. This was not the first internet series I have purchased on DVD; Rooster Teeth's "Red vs. Blue", an online Machinema production created by independent Texan film-makers, remains one of the most delightful discoveries of my life. However, "Broken Saints" is the first independent internet project I have bought entirely on spec, and this goes towards proving that there is more to the series' appeal than its initial medium.

Brooke Burgess' flash creation is one of the most unique works of art I have ever encountered. Consisting of 24 episodes of increasing length (beginning at 10 minutes and eventually running for over an hour), the series uses a fusion of comic narration, flash animation, music and, in the case of the remastered DVD version, voice acting to propel its story, the premise for which is inherently twisted. As the slow reveal is a major part of the series' deep intrigue, I will try to reveal nothing further than might be read in a blurb: On the unsuspecting cusp of a new technological age, four complete and diverse strangers begin to simultaneously receive violent spiritual turbulences; seizures, visions, crises of faith, inexplicable emotions. Strange, disturbing events in each of their lives drive them desperate for answers, and the harder they search for absolution, the closer they come to each other and the higher the stakes climb.

Now what I am about to say is something that really confused me at first: as a story, I didn't like "Broken Saints" all that much. It uses a very David Lynch style kind of linear narration (borderline nonsensical), and although all the vague poetry and metaphors are probably all made clear in the end, this happens in an overly preachy and bombastic sort of way. As a fierce atheist, I actually quite like bold agnosticism in a film, which is probably why I cared enough for the plot to see it through to the end (uncertainty of a higher being is held brilliantly throughout most of the series). But by the end I couldn't help but feel that the collective twelve hours I had spent watching the series had been a ploy to impose some kind of Faith on me. Hey, maybe I'm just interpreting the whole thing in a defensive way.

But what drove me to nonetheless give this series full marks and resolve to watch the whole thing again is really a deep respect for the creators: Brooke Burgess, Andrew West and Ian Kirby. These guys may hold a slightly different opinion to me on a spiritual level (I happened to agree with their politics, though), but they sure know how to argue their point. The sensory impact of "Broken Saints" is quite remarkable; the artwork and music cues (by Tobias Tinker, check him out on Myspace) are some of the most haunting and beautiful I have seen. The genius of this is that it keeps you interested long enough for other things to grab hold; empathy for the characters, intrigue into story development, and all that.

This is why, eventually, you never really hold much against a series like this. "Broken Saints" is a pretty broad web of appeal; if it loses your interest in one regard, it will catch it somewhere else. You don't like the alien culture of Shandala's Fijian islands and Oran's Saudi Arabian deserts then maybe Raimi's dark, post-modern America and filthy mouth will make you feel more at home. You don't like the preachy, new age gospel of the believers, then maybe you'll buy the more understated search for purpose; not necessarily God, just purpose. You don't like the politics, then just enjoy the art. You don't love the art, then respect the history of the project. In the end, whether you've been converted to a higher perception of life or just entertained for a few empty nights, the closing credits of "Broken Saints" will see you, however subconsciously, respecting one of the most finely argued contentions of artistic creation the world has ever seen. Word is Bond ;).

This is unlike anything I ever experienced. A new medium if you will. By the time you realize the depth of the story and characters it is too late for you too turn away. You will be hooked and changed forever. I have never felt compelled to write any words for a film or such but the fact that this production was done so under ( out of ) the Hollywood radar and succeeds on so many levels makes it a compelling success. Give it a shot. There is a darkness that holds this piece together in the beginning but it ultimately redeemed. Anyone feeling the pangs of coping in our auto-destruct, auto-pilot society will feel that they are not alone, indeed they have a friend and a voice who understands. The voice overs are brilliant .. try to pick out the Smoking Man from X-files. I would really love to experience this in theaters.. especially the ending in the cathedral.. check out the old flash web site for a taste I guess.. give yourself some time. This isn't a Hollywood adrenaline fix but rather the real deal Peace

Quintessentially brilliant. Broken Saints is a profoundly thought provoking work of art, a rarity in recent times, yet this more than compensates for the lack of intellectually challenging, mind moulding and deep philosophical moments in the medium world of film. Utterly encapsulating.

Merging styles from varying art forms, notably Japanese anime and fusing it with a free-flowing comic book/graphic novel style it is utterly unique. Not all may appreciate its subtle movements and intense patient build up, in fact some may find it devastatingly annoying, but then, these are the people that would be missing out. Yet it's format is the least of things that make this series so undeniably fascinating.

The plot and storyline drive this series, for in a ten hour plus epic, whereby there isn't an overly active presence on the screen, the narrative is paramount, and it certainly is. Building slowly over the first handful of episodes (disc 1 for those with the DVD set) we are introduced to our Saints, as slowly their plight is introduced to us. I think most people developed a natural affinity with Raimi, straight off the bat, yet as each characters story develops we ingratiate ourselves with them in ways that at first seemed implausible, and this is the brilliance of the series. It challenges us in ways we never thought possible. It tackles misconceptions, stereotypes and ignorant views, it liberates your mind in a manner of The Matrixs first installment to the nth degree, and I always enjoy and wait with anticipation to see what quotational gem appears at the beginning and end of each episode, really driving home its philosophical impact and connotations.

There's so much to go into with this series, but be patient with it. Once it gets going it truly is impossible to stop selecting "next episode", you must put your judgemental attitude to one side not only when it comes to content, but to style as well. For those that do, it's just what you've been waiting for. I would wish to say "I hope you enjoy it", but that would be detrimental to a series which is impossible not to get sucked into. Watch with the Lights Out, Your Jaw Locked And Prepare To Know The Truth.

I must admit, the first time I laid eyes on Broken Saints on Newgrounds.com, I was struck by the visual beauty and artistic tone of Broken Saints. However, my first impression was that the writers sacrificed an interesting and solid storyline for the artistic writing. Thus, I only viewed about the first 5 chapters.

About 6 months later, I viewed Broken Saints again, this time in its entirety, and found that this was not the case. Broken Saints contains one of the most profound, well-written, well-planned, and masterfully executed story lines that I've ever seen. It also contains well-written characters that are developed, identifiable, and three-dimensional.

Although the first 5 chapters are slow (because these are the chapters that establish and introduce the 4 main characters), the story quickly becomes interesting and by midway through the story (Chapter 12), I was hooked and absolutely needed to see the next chapter.

I must emphasize that this series is incredibly well thought out. Events are foreshadowed from the very beginning, characters change, and mysteries become untangled as the chapters move on.

Fans of The X-Files, Alias, and Lost would probably enjoy this series about faith, fate, and global conspiracies. I've certainly enjoyed the series enough to have bought the DVD (which includes wonderful voice acting). This is a must see and believe me, after Chapter 24 ends, you'll end up in awe and amazement.

What can I first say? It's fantastic? It's amazing? It is the one of the most spectacular stories I have ever seen? This would all be suitable, except seeing is always better than hearing the gossip. I have not said enough about how truly great Broken Saints is. True, I could be making it sound greater than it really is, but that is different for each person. Some people may think I'm full of crap, some people may completely agree, and hopefully some think I bought the DVD, and anyone who enjoys comics, epics, anime,or just plain good story telling ... this is definitely a keeper in your DVD collection. Broken Saints has got it all: A genuinely new style, an epic storyline, good memorable quotes and scenes, one of the best scores to a film I have ever heard, great artwork and technical direction, great writing, good moral to the story, and great characters.

Also when watching Broken Saints it will just give you goosebumps all over. You get that deep awesome (awesome as in awe inspiring, not simply meaning cool) feeling when watching the "freak out" scenes. "Freak out" moments, as I call them, is when one of the characters starts seeing weird and bizarre things. Wheather they are hallucinating or dreaming or just being attacked by someone (that happens a couple of times).

Broken Saints is also good for its creator. Brooke Burgess, writer and director of Broken Saints, is a definitely a good role model. He made the site completely free for anyone to watch, he did not resort to using advertisers and pop-ups to get money for his site (since it would ruin the mood that Broken Saints conveys). After Broken Saints was made big by many awards and made for DVD Brooke had many offers from Warner Bros., Universal, and Fox to convert Broken Saints into a feature film, but one of his characters would have to be changed. An Iraqi mercenary, who is very Muslim and hates Americans. This of course, many big American producers will not like, but they have a load of money. Still, their bribes could not break Brooke's integrity. Also I have e-mailed Brooke once, giving him my thanks and appreciation (since, you can already tell, I am a huge Broken Saints fan). He replied to the email personally a couple of days later and was really nice. Now come on, is there anything wrong here? NO!

Broken Saints: A great story, with a creator who is not an a-hole! Hurray! So go to

Go to BrokenSaints.com ... so weep and bare witness, for the end is nigh!