There are plenty of movies out there which show religious settings and have religion in them, but my question is, do screenwriters portray a sense of their own beliefs in their films, or do they make us think that there is some type of religion in their films, without doing it on purpose?
For example in The Lord of the Rings and Chronicles of Narnia there is an obvious correlation with religion, because they were both written by religious writers and then became movies. But the two movies I want to look at are Gladiator and Field of Dreams. The writer of Gladiator, David Franzoni, who also wrote the screenplay for King Arthur makes an attempt to tie in a sense of a christian afterlife in a movie which deals with pagan Rome. Throughout the movie Russel Crowe, Maximus, has dreams of an afterlife where he meets his wife and son, who were murdered at the beginning of the movie. At the end of the movie Crowe is talking with Djimon Hounsou, Juba, about how he will see his wife and child again. I guess even in a pagan tradition people believe that they can live with their families in an afterlife.
In the movie Field of Dreams the screenwriter Phil Alden Robinson who also wrote The Sum of all Fears and Band of Brothers, takes a different approach and doesn't make it as obvious, but as you watch the film you can't think that the film portrays some type of afterlife. It is a movie where there are plenty of metaphors, but to me I can't help but think that it tries to show that there is a close tie between those who are living and those who have already passed. And when Kevin Costner, Ray, meets up with his dad who is dead, it makes you think "is there really supposed to be some correlation here with family and the afterlife?"
I obviously recognize that these religious hints in these movies come from the religious screenwriters, but I'm curious if it reflects their own beliefs, and are they doing it on purpose to show us that the whole film was about that religious point, or is it just simply an insight for us to think about?
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There are religious concepts and there is organized religion. While the two are very separated notions, it is sometimes easy to confuse the two. Religious concepts are the thoughts and ideas that, while they have no direct ties to any organized religion, speculate on things unknown (the nature of God, the afterlife, etc.)
ReplyDeleteWhen we see a film such as Field of Dreams, the writer uses religious concepts to give his character depth, and a personality that resonates with the audience. Writers are able to effectively use religious concepts without alienating their audience, because concepts ring true to most people, without forcing a religion upon them.
The idea of religious concepts in cinema can be seen in various forms and in a plethora of movies. Directors and Producers realize how many people believe in some form of higher power and some form of afterlife, in whatever that may be. Directors also know that it is a subject that people struggle to fully grasp. Because of these things, directors can present religious concepts and not offend the audience. In addition, these ploys add depth to characters and also to the plot, making the audience think even more deeply about the movie. Directors want viewers to leave the movie theater really thinking their movie and message, even if it is not the interpretation of the director. Viewers are more likely to watch the movie again and buy it if they are intrigued by the plot; at least I am. In summary, I don't think directors are displaying their full religious insights, just the ones they know will make their audience think and increase the bottom line.
ReplyDeleteWhen I interned at the Church News over the summer, I had a chance to do a story on the BYU Animation program. Brent Adams, the director for the Center of Animation, said he has been told repeatedly by major animation studios that they are attracted to BYU students as future employees largely because of their standards. One studio HR person told Adams that animation "attracts a lot of creeps" and that more people need to come to studios with faith-based ideas.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me that at least some in Hollywood recognize that the scales have been tipped a bit too far with regards to content with less-than-universal appeal, and are trying to counter it by bringing more people of faith in to work for them.