Sound of Freedom, starring Jim Caviezel

This is a disturbing, powerful, and important film. It is also well made. Good acting. Great direction. Good music. Unlikely to be up for academy awards, though. I’m guessing too much conviction. I recommend everyone go see this movie. This movie is a good step forward in highlighting the social blight of sex trafficking. Though this film is about traffickers in Columbia, the predominant clients of children for sex are Americans.

This is a film about Tim Ballard, a former Homeland Security investigator who spent his career arresting pedophiles. It’s a true story and it’s the story of how Mr. Ballard became involved in rescuing trafficked children. He is the founder of Operation Underground Railroad, an organization dedicated to rescuing trafficked children around the world.

Jim Caviezel plays Tim Ballard, and as always, his performance is superb. Mira Sorvino is his wife, though her part is small. The movie is set mostly in Columbia, with some scenes in Mexico, some in Honduras, and some in the United States.

What is both fascinating and disturbing is that the two children we’re introduced to at the beginning who are stolen and trafficked live in Honduras but end up in different countries. The movie highlights the extensive network of human trafficking, or modern-day slavery. The amount of money being made is outrageous, which is why movies like this are important. One line that Caviezel had about how much more lucrative sex trafficking is than drugs was that cocaine is sold and then used. But children can be sold five times a day for ten years. If anyone still thinks human beings by nature are not depraved, go see the movie and see if your opinion changes. This is not something that happens to a small group of people. Millions of children are trafficked each year, which means tens of millions, maybe even hundreds of millions of times adults are paying to have sex with children. We live in a messed up, depraved world. And only God can help us to overcome that depravity.

This is a tough subject and one that could have been extremely graphic. However, the filmmakers did a great job of getting the message across, showing how awful the situations are, but in a tasteful, non-graphic way. The language is toned down. Occasional profanity, but understandable.

Please go see this movie. And if you’re so inclined pay it forward. Below is a link where you can buy movie tickets for others who may not be able to buy them. The movie should be in theaters for a couple months. Take your kids, as it’s important they understand the gravity of human trafficking. However, I’d suggest teenagers and above. For younger kids, start talking to them, helping them understand the dangers of sex trafficking. If you’re unclear how to look for it, how to talk about it, how to help fight it, go online and check out Tim Ballard’s organization. Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.).

And when you go see this film, stay for a few minutes after the first set of credits. Jim Caviezel gives an important message to the audience.

Pay it forward with tickets to Sound of Freedom.