Religion--a taboo subject in our society. Most mainstream media try to avoid any religious icons or references. Generally, religious content in film and television has been watered down to nothing more than a feel-good moral theme. However, add an unrealistic, other-worldly element--say, alien encounters--to a movie, and suddenly religious icons and themes become much more prevalent.
The religious content isn't displayed in the movie promotions, but once in the theater most science fiction films' reliance on religious, usually Christian iconography is hard to miss. Two popular Sci-fi movies, Signs and the more recent Knowing, are examples of different approaches to religious discussion in the genre.
Signs, released in 2002, portrays the experience of a pastor (Mel Gibson) who loses his faith and gives up the ministry when his wife died. While he is grappling with his grief and doubt, a hostile alien force attacks the Earth. When the supposed gibberish his wife said before she died becomes the means of saving his family, Gibson's character regains his faith. Although God and religion are never overtly mentioned, the religious theme is clear: nothing is coincidence or chance; a higher power, be it fate or some kind of deity, controls everything. The movie was engaging and thought provoking, and it was generally well-received by the public.
Knowing, released in March 2009, approaches religious discussion in a different style. The film begins with almost no religious references. However, as the movie progresses and the plot becomes more ridiculous Christian iconography and themes run rampant. Beings who come down in alien ships to preserve a select few children from the destruction of a corrupt world look mysteriously like angels, and just before the Earth is destroyed Armageddon-style by a wave of fire Cage reunites with his estranged Christian father and accepts his fate with a degree of faith. The message is similar to that of Signs: if we believe in the power of a higher being, we do not need to fear. Again, God is never specifically identified as the source of the "strangers" that take the children or the fire that destroys the Earth, but the religious icons and implications are hard to miss. Unlike Signs, the movie was ridiculous and predictable and received mostly poor reviews.
After examining these films, my question is, does inserting religious icons and themes into sci-fi movies make people more open to religious ideas and discussion? Or does pairing Christianity with Extra Terrestrials make it seem as mystical, ridiculous, and unbelievable as the aliens that represent it? I also wonder how much religious saturation audiences will accept--the religious content in Signs was much more subdued and it was much better received by the public than Knowing with its obvious Christian icons.
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I think there are other factors than have been considered. Many films use religion to help carry the story. I think the connection between extraterrestrials and religion is because of the plot the writers chose, not because there is a connection between the two.
ReplyDeleteI believe religion in subtle forms is used in movies to give life and personality to the characters and reference their situation in life.
The movie, A Walk To Remember uses religion in this context, much like in Signs the Father is a religious leader whos wife has died. This gives reference to viewers of the kind of person the main character is. I think the situation is more a stereotyping issue than an alien and religious issue.
I think that movies like this can use religion to tie in an audience as well as make the movie more believable. By having a religious theme in a movie, especially one with a far out story of aliens, it give the general audience something to recognize or relate to. Even if the particular audience isn't religious, chances are they have been around religious people and practices.
ReplyDeleteFor people who are religious, having a religious theme or character in a movie can be a strong theme to relate to. Even if there are some crazy parts in the movie, I feel like a person is more likely to watch it if they can relate to the religious part.
As far as religion and aliens being connected, I don't think they are. I think there is a mystery behind both of them but I don't think people go to a movie to see how the two connect.
I think that you pose an interesting question, and I like where your thinking led you. However, it is my opinion that inserting religious icons and themes to sci-fi movies does not make people more open or less open to religion. I think that when people decide that they are going to watch a sci-fi movie like "Knowing", that they are not really thinking about religion or how it relates to the movie that they are watching. I think that they are just hunkering down for a good hour and a half to be entertained. And then when its over, they will get up and think "that was a good movie", or "that was a terrible movie", and probably never think of it again.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to religion being blatantly obvious in movies, I dont think people really mind it. Like Rebecca said, most people are aware of religion and its practices, even if they dont necessarily believe in them themselves. Religion is something that our country was founded on, and I think its hard to totally ignore it when it comes to tv, movies, and books. Even Disney movies have a "feel good" moment at the end, and this is mostly because these movies deal in some way with religion/morals. So, in conclusion I think religion is hard to avoid when it comes to the media, and I dont think that people really mind when they encounter it, and that they are probably even expecting it.
When it comes to movies like Signs and Knowing, which deal with the ultimate end, people like to have some kind of hope to hold on to when thinking about the end of the earth. Generally, people do not like to think about the earth being destroyed and when that topic is discussed in movies I think the producers want to give the audience some kind of hope-- which normally falls in the realm of an afterlife or a higher being that is protecting them.
ReplyDeleteNot all of the viewers are Christian so a God is not placed directly in the script, but in many cases the acceptance of the characters fate, i.e. death, shows faith in what will happen to them. The subtle references to religion and belief give comfort to the viewers either consciously or unconsciously
I think when it comes to movies (and all movies that is) that people will perceive messages differently, dependent on what culture or lifestyle the fall into. Especially when it comes to movies that bring forth the ideas of extraterrestrial life and religion together do we think hard about what we believe. I know that when I saw the movie Signs, I thought to myself "what would I have done in that situation." As being a religious person, I of course did not think that turning to God in a situation like that or seeing his hand in it would be ridiculous. But if I were someone who did not believe in a higher being, I might associate the whole idea even more with craziness in that it is being correlated with alien life. And so, I feel that these movies may reinforce beliefs, push others away, or may just make a feel good movie dependent on what one already believes.
ReplyDeleteI feel like since most of the religious themes in Signs were about a person and his character- Mel Gibson - it was better received, because it was a person and not necessarily talking about God himself. I also think that while we watch movies, our brains are somewhat glazed over and we just go through the motions. Movies are such a relaxing experience and we don't think too much while we watch. If the religious themes are obvious, of course we notice them, but when they are talking about a character in a movie- the reverend - we don't criticize it as much.
ReplyDeleteIt becomes an interesting thing when movies introduce both aliens and religion to popular culture....these are two concepts/ideas that are often quite "alien" to our society today. I think that it is very difficult to present both ideas in a movie without diminishing either or making religion seem silly.
ReplyDeleteWhen I watched "Knowing" I got the impression that religion was used as a support for weak individuals...because ultimately in the end, everyone dies except a few select children. The process for selection seemed to be completely random. Because religious imagery from the Old Testament was used in the film, it gave me the impression that the prophets of old somehow got it a part of the truth out there.... but that the majority of the message was so jumbled that it inspired the hope of millions in a religion that was, in the end, pointless. Why warn people if nothing can be done? So long story short, I believe that "Knowing" was trying to convey the false hope and disillusionment that comes when you have faith in something... only to be let down by your faith or God.
Signs also conveyed a religious message. For me this movie begged the question, "Where does God fit in when Aliens come to destroy the world God created?" Ultimately it is the faith and foresight the father receives that saves his family/world, but still questions are unanswered.
I believe that "Signs" did a better job presenting religious themes than "Knowing" did. I believe that both movies prompt healthy religious discussion, but I do feel that pairing extraterrestrials with God does make both ideas seem silly/unnecessary. The impact that these movies will have on society through their media influence will either bring people to a stronger faith or entrench people further into atheistic ideologies. I don't believe that too much religious saturation in movies is harmful; I do believe that for many individually the basic tenants of the faith won't be fully understood and seem silly to the masses. My thoughts...