This month I would like to open some discussions on the subject of movies. I believe in our culture the movie/tv industry plays a large role in people's lives. One single television show can capture a viewer for a whole season, or more. And one movie can be the topic around the dinner table for months.
In recent years I am very puzzled with the infatuation of all the 'witchcraft' & 'vampire' themes that are out there. I know it's been around a long time - but it seems to have taken a shift. Now the warlocks and vampires are the good guys? Honestly, I don't even understand the attraction to 'horror' flicks. Many Christian families I know and love are thrilled with all these Harry Potter & Twilight movies. Many love the 'dark' characters who somehow have become the 'stars' of the film industries.
On a brief word study I did on the word, 'light', it seems that this is a place or example of who or what we are suppose to be or follow after, instead of pursuing things reserved for darkness. I found several scriptures supporting this belief. (just a few off the top: John 8:12, Matt 5:14, Job 12:22, Psm 18:28) Even God in the beginning of Genesis saw the need to separate the light from the darkness. Now, I know in some of these cases we are talking about physical light and dark, but I believe there is something more here.
Don't misunderstand me, I love a good action or romance film like the next gal, however how did we come to a place where our classic good against evil...and good wins (the important part, lol) get to a place where we don't even know which characters are the good ones or the evil ones. The Lord of the Rings is a good example. My family love these movies and there is much 'evil' in it. But the writer doesn't blur the line between who is good and who is evil. From the beginning it is clear who is the 'good' and who is the 'evil' and the importance that the good is suppose to win, and does, according to the finale of the movies. Great, classic story line. But, more and more movies 'blur' that line and it is getting harder to see the 'light' and 'dark' sides.
Lastly, if we read in 2 Tim 1:7 that God has not given us a spirit of fear.....then why do so many seek after 'fear' as a form of entertainment?
Hmmm, ok, I'm ready for opposition - I think (lol)
Awesome topic! I'm sure it'll strike home for many people. I think that many people seek "fear" because it's a stimulus of some kind. Surprisingly, fear brings other feelings with it. If you were to study psychology you would learn of something called Mis-attribution of Emotion. It creates feelings of arousal of any kind. It's common to feel "love" for someone if you happened to be with them at a time you were scared because you feel some emotion and mistake it for what it truly is. It can make you feel excited which is something people look for. That's what amusement parks are all about. ha
ReplyDeleteAs for witchcraft/vampires... I'm guilty. ha I'm a major Harry Potter fan and own every Harry Potter and Twilight book. Obviously, people are going to have different tastes in literature/movies, media in general. I understand what you are saying though. For example, if you've seen the movie Italian Job, nobody wants the cops to catch them. The cops then become the "bad guys" and those who would be considered "bad" in our society are "good". I think that people just look for escapes. Something that is different from their lives as a means to release tension. I know if I'm really stressed and I find time to just relax and read a book even if it is a very intense book I feel a release of tension once I stop. In media dealing with witchcraft I've never noticed a problem with mixing the bad and good sides up. You always know who is bad and who is good. Reading of something that's so unattainable and quizzical is just interesting and exciting. As long as there are morals involved I find it to be acceptable. If there are no morals and it's inappropriate I very much so do not approve. hah
This forays into the realm of interpretative fiction and Escape fiction. Escape fiction will be most of the things you've listed, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and (Ugh) Twilight. The good guys are clearly good and the bad guys are clearly bad. In the end the good guys will blow up the bad guys doom fortress or whatever, and all will be well. They arent deep and they are meant only to be entertaining.
ReplyDeleteInterpretive fiction however, is where the lines start to blur. Good guys and bad guys become harder to immediately determine and the endings will be ambiguous or even bad. This is because Interpretative fiction is supposed to be more like real life. In RL the bad guys do win, and people are more complicated than just good or evil. We are beginning to see more stuff like this because (I hope) People are becoming smarter, and as such, they are demanding more sophisticated material.
Thanks Xerxes. That's very true. Even if characters are "magical" but the book is Interpretive Fiction, (which I don't think is very often) I don't think it's necessarily trying to put emphasis on the fact that they're not regular human beings, but just it's just another way that's more interesting to readers to show a person's story. Sometimes adding something like that into the plot just gives it more depth because it makes things more complicated.
ReplyDeleteDebbie! You said you were going to step on my toes with this post! Not roundhouse kick to the face! :O Lol, just kidding, we've discussed this before and I'll be happy to discuss it here! :D
ReplyDeleteI think Xerxes raises a really good point (Welcome back as well Xerxes! It's been a while!) That the popular reading/watching material is getting to be more realistic. Bad guys do win, everyday injustices are committed and forgotten... Sometimes good guys do bad things for the greater good. Sometimes bad guys do good things for the greater bad.
I really enjoy a story where you have to keep guessing which character you're really rooting for. I just finished this Anime called "Death Note", and the entire series is one big color spectrum from black to white... with every shade of grey imaginable. It's just too cumbersome for a good guy to be absolutely good (save Christ) and the bad guy to be absolutely bad. When you mix the two people can start to relate. They can ascribe their own lives to that of both the protag and the antag. Continually checking themselves as to how far they'd go in the same circumstances.
Back to Debbie's original post: Vampires and such have always been popular but the shift I think is that it's gone into the teen arena. In doing so has topped the "pop culture" kingdom.
While pure good vs. pure bad is easier to follow, I think it would be foolish for us to expect that is how people really are... Judas was one of the twelve disciples and he eventually became the worst villain in history! King Saul was at one point God's anointed, but he eventually started to hunt down God's anointed. In the opposite way, Saul of Tarsus was the chief persecutor of the faithful, until Christ appeared to him and he penned 3/4ths of the NT! :)
People aren't black and white (Not talking about skin color here) Like Paul says in Romans 7, there is both black and white at work within the believers person.
I think the real question here is if watching/reading these things is light or dark in itself. Are we giving into dark just by hearing these stories? Or can we learn from fiction valuable lessons of Light and Dark?
Amazing post and amazing comments people! I woke up with like 11 emails mostly from this blog :D
Lots of responses floating through my head, but out of time for today....I'll revisit after Thanksgiving!
ReplyDeleteHave a great feast! SO much to be thankful for, if we look!
Thanks Paul. (The first half of Death Note was bloody amazing BTW) Vampires have always been Some degree of popular, mostly due to their mysterious nature and the sexual overtones that nature brings. That is why they have recently exploded onto the scene in the form of twilight esque teem romance bilge. Give a tweenage girl a brooding, slightly dangerous but, seemingly wounded pretty boy who treats her like dirt and chances are she'll fall for him. Attach that to any theme and it will stick. Hell, thet're even doing it to Superman. http://s846.photobucket.com/albums/ab26/edseth27/Oct%202010/?action=view¤t=superman_1--300x450.jpg Makes me want to strand Stephanie Meyer on an island with the entirety of Vampire: The Masquerade.
ReplyDeleteHmm, Paul, I think I'll have to disagree with you. I don't believe 'bad guys' win. I think that in this limited realm of life it may seem that way, but God is the rewarder so who is to say is the true winner? The one who follows God is the winner in the end, I believe. Also, in your example of Judas and King Saul - I agree good can turn to evil, but I have to stick to the point of where certain storylines are 'leading' people. I mean, no one I know wants to be just like Judas or King Saul - they are examples of what not be become not someone to follow. I see a lot of young people 'wanting' to become like vampires or wizards after watching a movie. Even Christians - They are glorifying what is suppose to viewed as evil or dark. It is ok to view good and evil as long as the viewer isn't confused as to who to admire.
ReplyDeleteI also understand the need for a storyline to challenge our intellect. Very few of us like a predictable storyline, me included, however I do believe a good writer can produce a great story without having the 'villain' confused as the hero in the end. I do believe more good Christian authors need to rise up. (Paul, you'd be a good one!) I do believe many Christians have compromised because of the lack of good storylines out there being produced. And, I still have to question the motive of the author or producer of these 'dark' movies. Was it his/her intent to draw the viewer into the "light" or the "dark" in the end? It gets back to the slippery slope mentality. (or the frog in the pot)
When Phantom of the Opera became popular (both play & later the movie), I was instantly drawn in because of the music compositions. However my spirit was bothered when, as a female, I waffled between the emotion of actually liking the phantom and justifying his behaviors because of the 'romantic' notions. I had to come back to reality that murder and deception are wrong, no matter what and that there is nothing romantic about that. (the movie version was very seductive) So many girls, both young and older, get sucked into this 'bad boy' trap and end up in horrible situations because they were 'romanced' into falling for the wrong character in a movie. We as ladies, are not suppose to fall in love with the 'dark' guys, and when we (they) do, it is trouble.
So, I have to hold true to the belief that when a story or movie blurs that line it not good for our culture. Sorry, I still can't see any good in a Christian dressing up as a witch, warlock, vampire, etc - its seems like a contradiction, even if it is 'just for fun'.
@ Debbie
ReplyDeleteYou're right in the "final end" good prevails. I was just talking about this temporal realm, that evil can and often does prevail.
People aspire to be apostles (Judas) and Kings (Saul). The reader of the story (real life account in these examples) benefits greatly by having these characters (peoples) examples to learn from... As you read about Saul, you can like him right off the bat, he could have been your favorite guy as you read it, but then you change your mind as you read. And you realize why... He's no longer God's man. Even Judas was an admirable person, leaving his life to follow Christ... He did way more in terms of absolute surrender to God than most Christians alive today... But you realize in the end who's good and who's bad.
I can't say my endeavoring into the realm of authorship is completely out of the question... Although I'd need a good partner... Bryan and I will let you know in the future ;)
I haven't read Phantom Of The Opera so I am ignorant of its genius ;) But from what you say it seems that it did a lot to help you realize what characteristics are really worth it in looking for a suitable partner. Wouldn't you say that the story itself forced you to critically examine your feelings and discern why you felt the way you did? Would this story be one you'd recommend to your children at the right age?
The dressing up thing is a whole new box of Oreos... But I personally don't see any harm in dressing up as those kind of things... I mean it's one thing to admire and aspire to be something like that, and quite another to simply dress up like something for fun. I dressed up as Dumbledore (A wizard from Harry Potter) for the release of the lastest Potter film. I am in no way condoning or approving of unlawful use of magic ;) But I'm showing my support for a movie that, I feel, has done a great job in following the friendship of three kids as they grow. The setting is in the realm of wizardry, but not the type of witchcraft/wizardry that is mentioned in the Bible. The magic in the film is purely fictional and is meant to be that way.
Yes, it is a new box of Oreo's, how about we dip them in some milk? lol! Kidding, it is just an interesting thing to me. That so many are in support of these types of films. And view what I see as the 'bad' guy, as the 'good' one. It seems upside down. Since I was just re-reading the last chapter of the book of Revelation (because of our other post from October)it does give quite a picture of where the 'sorcerers' are going to be, outside the city gate.
ReplyDeleteNow, I have never personally read Harry Potter (or Twilight, and have no desire to, but please answer for me one thing...in the end of the story, is the sorcerer (ie: Harry Potter) the good guy, the one everyone likes or is he the one everyone is trying to destroy, the bad guy?