From Christianity Today: So, what's a "redeeming" film? The definition varies, but for our list below, we mean movies that include stories of redemption—sometimes blatantly, sometimes less so. Several of them literally have a character that represents a redeemer; all of them have characters who experience redemption to some degree—some quite clearly, some more subtly. Some are "feel-good" movies that leave a smile on your face; some are a bit more uncomfortable to watch. But the redemptive element is there in all of these films.
Number 7 is the only flick on the list that I have seen to date.. so I was intrigued by these comments on the movie:3. Gran Torino
4. Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who
5. Rachel Getting Married
6. Fireproof
7. The Dark Knight
8. Shotgun Stories
9. Slumdog Millionaire
10. Man on Wire
"Under the surface—perhaps unknown even to the filmmakers—is that this film shows Batman as a Christ-figure who self-sacrificially takes the sins of others onto himself, knowing it is the only way to save others and bring hope. Batman becomes an outcast so that the people of Gotham would have hope."I'm interested in any feedback you might have on the redemptive qualities of these 10 movies. Please let me know which movie(s) you saw and if you agree with CT.
Interesting thoughts on Batman.
ReplyDeleteI have not seen the Dark Knight, but my older boys did. They loved it, but also said it was the most twisted movie ever. I'm not sure I want to see it after hearing that. I also wonder about the idea that playing the evil joker was what pushed Heath Ledger (sp?) over the edge. If playing the part was that disturbing, should anyone see it? And can it be called redeeming if it cost the life of an actor?
ReplyDeleteI saw Dark Knight. My thought is that more than anything, through the character of the Joker, it illustrates the depth, origin, and universality of the dark behaviour of human nature. It also suggests, and I think rightly, that the common human perception of righteousness is nothing more than an illusion. I don't know that batman is himself a redeemer figure, I see him more as a tenacious warrior. His empowerment towards that end is more revealing to me.
ReplyDeleteI have not seen any of the movies listed. But they are starting a Couples Biblestudy called Fireproofing your Marriage, and are using clips from the movie in their study. Hope to see that movie soon.
ReplyDeleteThe other comments are most interesting..... :)
LOL:Wanda
I LOVED the Dark Knight and I did see Batman as a Christ figure (but I see Jack Bauer in 24 as a Christ figure, too). I also liked the role of the Joker who basically thought he was just exposing true human nature by putting people into circumstances and expecting the worst of them. The fact that he could not break the Dark Knight and the fact that Batman was willing to take Gotham's wrath to "save" their belief in humanity was a nice touch, also. It's one of my favorite movies of all time.
ReplyDeleteMy two favorite films on this list were Wall:E and Slumdog Millionaire. Don't let the plot surrounding Who Wants To Be a Millionaire steer you away from seeing this film. I hate Who Wants to Be a Millionaire but I loved this film. It lived up to all the hype and it deserved best picture at the Golden Globes. A must see.
ReplyDeleteBatman? Redeeming?
ReplyDeleteWhooo. Got to disagree in a huge way there. The movie was positively destructive. Granted, any viewer can paint anything they want onto such a dark canvas, but that puppy's black.
In the end, Batman is reduced to using ugliness to achieve a bare, 51% victory. It doesn't sound at all like a Christ figure to me.
But then I'm no pomo.
Thx all for the feedback. Gotta agree with codepoke about the Batman movie. My daughter put it in perspective when she complained about comic book super hero movies that children cannot see.
ReplyDeleteSo.. I am wondering.. what is the audience for these redeeming movies.. do the 'R' rated redeeming ones reach the right audiences?
Wall-e was totally redemptive - and I loved it because it's not the perpetraters who redeem, but the benefactors of their error who do so.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with Codepoke about Batman - the character himself was not redemptive. However, the boat scenario when the criminal does the unexpected - that was one of my favorite scene's in any movie, and in my opinion that scene alone puts the movie rightfully in the redemptive category. Watching Keith in that movie convinced me he was actually schizophrenic and he stopped meds or something to "get into character."