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Frank Viola | Beyond Evangelical
Official Blog of Author & Speaker Frank Viola. Digging below the surface and moving beyond the shallows in today's Christianity.
Seeing Christ in Films: Part II
How about “The Little Mermaid?” The King of all becomes a worm to save his child from the evil witch.
Frank,
I really appreciate this series. I’m a huge movie fan, and the hobby is so much more enriching when I look for Christ hidden in story. Great stuff.
Great article of Hollywood finally discovering God, something I have been thinking about for the last few weeks, a great conversation starter! A few more movies I feel you could have added which really stand out include: Eagle Eye and Tron: Legacy, and more obvious ones: The Passion of the Christ, Luther, Evan Almighty and Amazing Grace.
Faith and God plays such a large role in today’s society that it is not surprising that it finds its way into films. Movies offer us a creative and imaginative language that can bridge the gap between the church and the world, and thereby provide a refreshing take on old and often incorrect mindsets and commonly held views.
Who knows how many people get touched by God because of the creativity and imagination of movies today, which draw them back to Him who loved us before we loved Him (Rom 5:8)
Hugh
Sydney AUS
Haha! After watching Inception, I find myself praying, “Lord, plant an idea in my mind so subtle that I will think it’s mine. An idea that will change everything.” Funny. 🙂
Take a look at Tron (the new one) lots of Christian overtones, Jeff Bridges is the Creator (actually they are 3 creators), there is trouble because of his creation (his double, devil type), his Son his to enter the scene to save the day. At the end the father sacrifices his life to save his son…
Check it out,
Lenny
Another article I appreciate. Thanks!
Just yesterday I was remembering how deeply I was moved by James Cameron’s film ‘Avatar’ – with the title (closing) song sung by Leona Lewis, ‘I See You’ (which has a key line with potential resonance for christians – ‘I see me through your (Your!) eyes’ – with the transforming effect of that… ‘Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did.’… also Jesus renaming Cephas Peter, and later restoring him to stand in his faith and love.)
The film itself struck me for its portrayal of a race, the Navi’i, living in harmony with a world and its other creatures… not totally Edenic, true, since death already was there, but portrayed as a realm where people could link with nature body-and-spirit. It seemed to touch on God’s heart for Creation.
We know that in Christ (alone) there will come a “making [of] all things new”.
It also showed in both Jake Sully and Neytiri – and other Navi’i – a bridging of false gulfs to reach a true accord in pursuit of righteousness. Self-sacrifice, courage, forgiveness, humility and mercy were all shown, the best in contrast to the worst (exploitative, manipulative, callous) elements of human behaviour.
One Christian organization published a vehement criticism of this film, denouncing it as pagan/heathen/New-Age for positing a God-in-Nature whose name, on the world Pandora, was feminine. I think a more nuanced view is to recognize that fiction has inherent limits and that cinematic works, especially of science fiction or fantasy, generally are not seeking or claiming to portray actual reality in all aspects; rather, they entertain, amidst which they can offer partial illumination, often obliquely. One has to apply the imagination to sift out true validity.
To me, this film was beautiful and so revealed Christ.
Good list and interesting parallels. My favorite God allegory in film is Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Wonka builds an incredible universe, is obviously delighted with his creation, and is simply looking for someone who will truly appreciate it. Most humans are grasping and only want what they can get out of it. Charlie is drawn by observing the universe to know and appreciate the maker. And even Charlie is at the end found unworthy because of his inability to follow the law. But grace is extended to him, in large part because of his humility.
Oh, and Umpa Loompas? Angels, obviously.
Rick Michels
Lynnwood, WA
Excellent insights on Inception, Frank. Hadn’t thought of that. Great film indeed.
One I thought of is Almost Famous. When the guy who supposedly loves the girl basically throws her away, the main character demonstrates real love and saves her life. He does so even though they are never in a “romantic” relationship, as he desires. (In other words, he doesn’t do it just because of what he’s getting out of it.)
Nice movies. I recently saw a one called: “The Legend of the Shadowless Sword”. It´s a Chinese movie from 2005. To me it vividly reveals how “we live by the faith of the Son of God”.
It´s about a female warrior who seeks out a prince in exile. His father and all his brothers have been killed so he´s the only rightful heir of the crown. The gang that killed the royal family, however, want him dead aswell. The prince himself does not want to become a king, he just wants to survive and keep living his present life of selling stolen goods.
What speaks to me is the way the female warrior treats him with utter respect and protects him with her life as if he already was king inspite of him not acting like one. Her faith in him eventually helps him find his core and rise up to be the hero he is destined to be.
Likewise, the Lord knows our deepest core and treats us like we are holy, blameless and glorious children of His even though we don´t act in accorance with our true identity. But His faith in Himself in us or in us as a new creation in Him, helps us find who we are in Him and learn to live out of His life within us.
In addition, it´s a beautiful film, especially if you like kung fu 🙂