Mo(God)vies

You'd think that since most of the world believes in God, or a higher power, that there would be more movies about Him. Especially looking at the state of the world as it is today; pending war, drugs, murder--overall mayhem.

If you look at how many pictures there are about war and terrrorist acts these days you realize that movies definitly reflect the times. But, the box office is seriously lacking in the "God" subject matter. Why?

I don't think that people in the US would be offended by God as a topic, since most of America is either Christian, Catholic or Jewish. You would assume, knowing this, that people would flock to the theater to see something about God.
But no, the box office seems to prosper when movies come out about demons, terrorists, sex, drugs and violence.

I have a book that chronicles families all over the world, and what material things they possess. After a brief explanation of each culture in this book, is a picture of a family posing outside surrounded by everything they own. In the American culture section of the book it is explained that Americans value on thing above all else: The Bible.
So in relation to movies, why aren't there more about God, peace and love? Are we all hypocrites?

__________________
I have been formatted to fit this screen.

r66-The member who always asks WHY?

Well, there are lots of films about love, but not as many about peace; because just plain ol' peace is boring. It's good, but not exciting. When you have peace, you focus on other areas of your life, like relationships. In that sense, I think you could say romances are rather like peace movies; they're what people think about and do when they have peace and freedom. They don't worry about food and safety; they worry about love, family, and friends.

Concerning God: most people believe, yes, but most strongly dislike being preached to, and I imagine it's difficult to make a movie about God or religion directly which does not come off as preachy. It's also such a serious subject that I'm guessing it's very easy to screw up. Films like Stigmata, End of Days, and What Dreams May Come have very intriguing concepts, but ultimately fall flat. It's difficult to contain such a broad, important subject within a movie, and still do it justice.

In my opinion, at least. It's definitely an interesting question. Great thread.

This looks promising.

Attachments

 

Since when did catholics stop being christians?

Speaking as someone coming from a secularized country, I don't agree with you. I think american films are filled with allusions about God and religon. You don't notice it because you're living inside of it, sort of.

__________________
The novelist does not long to see the lion eat grass. He realizes that one and the same God created the wolf and the lamb, then smiled, "seeing that his work was good".

--------

They had temporarily escaped the factories, the warehouses, the slaughterhouses, the car washes - they'd be back in captivity the next day but now they were out - they were wild with freedom. They weren't thinking about the slavery of poverty. Or the slavery of welfare and food stamps. The rest of us would be all right until the poor learned how to make atom bombs in their basements.

Ohhh, that's why. I get it.

Sheez

__________________
"Today, war is too important to be left to politicians. They have neither the time, the training, nor the inclination for strategic thought. I can no longer sit back and allow Communist infiltration, Communist indoctrination, Communist subversion and the international Communist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids."

Well, what's your opinion about it and why am I dead wrong, eyeroller?

You're mistaken because what you see as allusions to God and religion are likely just allusions to morality, heroism, and other things of that sort. Of course, these things are inherent in God and inherent in us, so it's natural to mistake them for allusions to God. God's existence dictates that we would find Him in all things anyway, so it's rather hard to avoid most of the time, I'd say. It's remarkable how many stories can be seen as a retelling of Christ's own story.

Anyway, if it can be said that we don't see it because we're living in a religious country, it can also be said that you see it as lrager than it is, seeing as how you come from a "secularized country."

What came first -- Christ's story or somebody else's story?

If I knew the answer to that, definitively, I'd be a very, very wise man.

I don't know if I see it larger than it is. I just see that it's different from european, or at least swedish, movies. And the presence of God (philosophically speaking - not "in person" of course) in american films IS larger than in swedish films. That's just how it is. By the way, constitutionally speaking, USA is not less secularized than Sweden, on the contrary, it's probably the most secularized country in the world, I think. But it's clear that God and religion has a much larger place in american society than here. That's what I meant when I said that Sweden was secularized compared to USA.

There is a reason to why Ingmar Bergman, the son of a priest, didn't hit it off in Sweden at first, but instead he made a big name of himself as a director in countries like USA and Italy. The theme about the existence of God is always present to some degree in all of his films. Most people in Sweden don't care very much about that stuff. (The swedish critics actually hated him at first. Then he started winning some awards in Cannes and at the Oscars and all of a sudden he was accepted...)

Maybe I misunderstood the question here. I didn't understand that r3port3r66 was talking about movies that was explicitly about God. Of course there isn't a movie called "God" even if there are plenty about Jesus and other biblical figures. But I'm pretty sure about what I meant, Yoda, and I'm also sure about that I'm not mistaken about what I see. Then, of course, you can argue with me aobut whether it's different in american films compared to films from the rest of the West World.

What is "Artificial Intelligence: A.I." about would you say?

The concept of God is here an argument in a scientific discussion within the movie. Up to then I was really hooked from the start of the movie, but when he said that I went "Oh, why did he have to bring that into the discussion??? Damn you, Spielberg!!!". For me - and I'm saying FOR ME - it was taking the easy way out. It gives no answers to any ethic questions, according to me. But I'm sure a lot of persons that has thought about God a lot during their lives thought that was a very valid and justified rethorical question that the scientist in the movie asked. But, in any case, that is an allusion to God, a signal about that the movie is working within a context or discourse where the question about God's existence and place in our society today is always present and important.

And this is more common in american films than in swedish (and also danish or english or german) films. At least, that is how I've experienced it....

"The Apostle" is also, to me, a film that is about faith but on a more unfocused level also about God, even if it could have been the exact same movie if Duvall was depicting a politician or something. But the theme specifically about an apostle had never worked in, say, a swedish film, because we don't have that wide spread religious culture shown in the movie anywhere around here.

And the story about Christ: A rebel that stands up against the powers to be but is killed and becomes a marture. I think that story was old allready during the time when Jesus lived. But if a film in some way reminds you about the greatness of Jesus - that's just fine by me. And it is true, a lot of films are based on that theme.

Damn, I'm sorry... I didn't realize the post was that long. I told my self to keep them down from now on, but I got carried away, I guess. Hope you don't fall asleep before you've finished it.

well in my opinion i'm glad they dont' make more movies about God. no movie could ever do justice to His name.

__________________
The wold is full of kings and queens
Who blind our eyes and steal our dreams
it's heaven and hell

theshape82 is right, it's just too hard to do justice to the figure of God. I really disagree that there is a whole bunch of allusions about religion and God in our movies. If you are so ready to say that, back it up with some titles that are ABOUT God or religion. The Last Super? That's about all I can think of. There might be references to religon in some movies, but that's just like making references to politics or sports, for most people in this country, it's just part of life and you have to put that on the big screen to make the movie realistic. That doesn't mean there are allusions to religion or God in all our movies. Are there aren't that many religious movies made in the U.S., it's too easy to piss people off, I think. If I'm wrong, show me the proof, I really would like to know.

__________________
Support your local movie theater.

Why do I have to back up movies that refers to religion or God with movies that are specifically ABOUT God? What's your point?

If you want proof then you'd need to quantify your requirements.

Like Yoda says, movies about love can be related to acting in accordance with God. "Contact" is loosely based on the concept of discovering God. "Oh God", that series was lighthearted...but carried a message. "The Last Temptation of Christ" certainly had a God element or two. What about "Moses" or "The Prince of Egypt." Any movie that has angel/heavenly elements "Michael", "Dogma" .... jeez I can sit here all day and do this.

I hear that Mel Gibson plans to direct a movie starring Jim Caviezel as Jesus.

__________________
Mr M Rides Again

MoFo Survivor - r3port3r66 wins!!!!!!

'Tis true. It's called The Passion, I believe, and I've heard vague rumors of it being in Arabic (subtitled for the Arabic-impaired, of course).

I have also heard this rumor. (Not that it's supposed to be in Arabic though). But there was a big stir about it and a whole bunch of people who take religion way too seriously started freaking out. I say go for it Mel!

The Passion is in Aramaic and Latin. Gibson wants to release the film without subtitles, so as that he can tell the story visually, as though the words were unimportant. If this doesn't work out with test audiences [and it won't] he'll add subtitles.

As yet The Passion is without a distributor...

__________________
www.esotericrabbit.com