The Force is with you...always
| Just a quick opening blog to say hi. I just wondered what movies people thought had cool spiritual undertones (but are not overtly religion-based). For me, of course, it's Star Wars. Yes, I know it's an obvious one, but I like a lot of its messages - Yoda's scolding of Luke Skywalker in The Empire Strikes Back is a classic - "Try not. Do, or do not. There is no try"! And I still get goosebumps when Ben Kenobi's voice from the "other side" says to Luke, "The force will be with you..always". My other favourite is Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. For me throughout the trilogy Sam Gamgee is the real hero, and his speech to Frodo in Minis Tirith telling him that there is still good in the world to fight for, accompanied by the stirring score by Howard Shore, never fails to move me. What other cinematic offerings have moved you spiritually? |
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john f. said ... (October 27, 2004 11:24 PM)
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Ronan said ... (October 28, 2004 8:21 AM)
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John C. said ... (October 28, 2004 9:06 AM)
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Ronan said ... (October 30, 2004 6:51 PM)
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Anonymous said ... (November 07, 2004 10:25 PM)
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Anonymous said ... (February 04, 2005 1:23 PM)
post a commentThis might sound cheesy, but in addition to the movies you mentioned (on which I agree with you fully, by the way), I would add Spiderman. With great power comes great responsibility, and all that. Plus, Parker is not so superhumanly good like Superman, or empoweringly rich like Batman; rather, he has to keep a day job just to pay the rent, he lives in the ghetto, and amid his adversity he has to choose on a daily basis to do what is right. In addition to being spiritually uplifting from an LDS standpoint, it is actually very Kantian: Parker is a moral figure because he does what is morally right without any personal inclination to do so.
I have more, but I'm watchin law and order at the same time as writing this so I can't think.
The film that has most given me pause religiously was Osama. It's a film about a girl under the Taliban who pretends to be a boy in order to work.
It is an amazing, shocking piece of filmmaking. For me it was an example of the danger of religious fanatacism. Whilst an extreme case, the Taliban remind me of the inevitability of "unrighteous dominion" among men and that we must always guard against it.
Go out and see this film.
A movie that always does it for me is The Mission with Jeremy Irons and Robert DeNiro. A powerful movie with a better soundtrack. Powerful exploration of redemption, christian ethics in an amoral atmosphere. A bit preachy to be honest, but beautiful and moving. Also, I am not ashamed to say that the end of Monster's Inc gets me a bit weepy, in a gospel sense.
OK, back to Star Wars. I just watched the end of Jedi and teared up at the appearance of the Anakin, Yoda and Ben "ghosts" at the end. Nice.
But I'm wondering, is there a Jedi purgatory or Jedi Saviour, or Jedi reincarnation in order for Anakin to find forgiveness for his multitude of sins....?
(Not wondering too much, BTW)
OK, back to Spiderman ;) Am I the only one who caught the not-so-subtle Crucifixion imagery when Spidey is trying to keep the train from falling off the bridge?
Posted by Rob
Good point, it is easy to miss the inspiration in the every day around us, including movies.
Posted by Stephen M (Ethesis)