Hi, Dana here, today I am going to talk about how to spot the Christian themes in regular movies.
So, if you don’t want to get brainwashed … you need to listen to this!
As I said in my previous vlog, when we sit down to watch a film, we are not just sitting down to shut off our minds. Even if we are not consciously aware of our brain working, we are bearing witness to the filmmakers world views. No matter many times you watch Gossip Girl because you love the riveting scandals and of course coverting Blake Lively’s hair, you are however also learning that if you have money and looks you can get away with anything.
Feature Films and series, what lens are they are using to present their world view?
For me personally, I am a Christian and I have been bought up listing to the stories from the greatest storyteller in history, Jesus. He would tell Parables to convey a message and teach a lesson. And we still do the same today! Even in Hollywood.
I like playing a fun game with myself at the movies, I call it… “Spot the Jesus themes.”
As far as movie themes go, there’s really just two. LIFE TRANSCENDENT & LIFE UNDER THE SUN. Both hold enough weight on their own and I love both styles, but it’s the LIFE TRANSCENDENT narratives where you see the under dog overcome a darkness and save the day. Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter.. Same story.. Different characters.
I thought I would break down 3 blockbuster films for you and draw out what I see as Christian messaging. You may interpret it as something else, and that’s totally fine. When we are drawn into a story we definitely bring our own history with us. For all you non Christians listening, this is not a conversion Vlog, I simply want to point something out. Make sure you’re aware that you could be getting brain washed.
Film #1, A Quiet Place.
Love this film.
A thriller set in a post-apocalyptic world where aliens have invaded and are dedicated to hunting anything that makes a sound. So what does this teach us about christianity?
Well, Good old fashioned family values for one thing, which is not overtly Christian but still, it’s nice to see a strong husband and wife bond and a bond between parents and children. Their family unit is tried but still tight. Their family bond is an obvious theme throughout the film. And of course the ending, spoiler alert, when the father becomes the actual christ like figure, which is a common technique in storytelling where the hero sacrifices his own life to save his family. Does this sound like a biblical story to you.
Another film with a Christ like figures and just an overall entire story of Jesus, well.. If Jesus was a gorgeous man named Jason Mamoa.
Aquaman!
This story follows an unlikely hero Arthur Curry, son of a light house keeper living on earth but with royal heritage of another world. He must fight and defeat his half brother to save the world, die and come back to life, to then return to his rightful home at Atlantis. Sound familiar? If not, read any of the Gospels in the Bible and you’ll see.
Last film,
Contact
with Jodie Foster.
Science Fiction is a great Genre as it allows us to deal with heavy questions such as the shape of ultimate reality, the meaning of life, and the place of humans in the universe. WOW! My brain hurts already! It is a genre that is undeniably suited to dealing with big questions of faith. And unlike a lot of scifi films this one really touches on issues such as the existence of God, the meaning of faith, and the relationship between science and religion.
This isn’t a science versus religion film either, rather Hollywood presents popular attitudes towards religion and religious figures, none of them are a heroic, but still tries to bring them together in a hopeful positive cooperation between the two. However, in the end Faith is not granted the ability to stand on its own feet. The film resolves the question of ‘is there a god?’ to that of the same as ‘are there aliens out there?”, which may work for some audiences but not others. Still the film draws interesting parallels between faith and a belief in something outside of ones current knowledge base. Contact sure does raise some interesting questions that are worthy of a friendly debate.
So there you have it, next time you’re at the movies see if you can spot the Christ figure, or other Christian messages.
Obviously I have only touched on one particular lens in which filmmakers have been sharing their opinions.
Remember, People love Stories, and movies create a wonderful opportunity for teaching, illustrating and enriching lives through exploration and discussion.
I hope I have inspired you to watch movies through a different lens, I would love to hear your own findings so please send me an email.
Dana@dananewell.com
Faith and Film Theological Themes at the Cinema – Byran T Stone
Hollywood Worldviews – Brain Godawa
Explorations in Theology and Film – Clive Marsh & Gaye Ortiz
How Movies Helped Save my Soul – Gareth Higgins
https://www.christianpost.com/voices/finding-christ-in-a-horror-film-review-a-quiet-place.html
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