Religious Themes in Film

Introduction

Behind the whiz-bang of Hollywood’s special effects, there are themes and symbols in films that are worth mining for:

• When Neo is physically freed from the Matrix in the first Matrix film, he tumbles naked into water. Morpheus lifts him up into his "real" identity.

  The theme of baptism is striking in this scene, with the water symbolizing purification and rebirth – as it does in most cultures, but specifically in Christianity. The scene that comes to mind in scripture is John the Baptist baptizing Jesus.

  “In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit Descending like a dove on him.” Mark 1:9-11.

  Morpheus, as John, has been preaching about the coming of the One for some time and now Morpheus recognizes Neo as the One he has been waiting for. (Neo is anagram of One, of course.) He baptizes Neo into his new life.

• Consider Saruman’s kingdom in The Lord of the Rings and it’s construction and ultimate destruction. What symbols do we see there?

  Mining and the working with rare metals are related to Lucifer or to fallen angels. In Genesis 6:1 through 6:4, the “Sons of God,” often interpreted as fallen angels, “came to earth and taught men.” Jewish and Christian legend has it that the fallen angels taught men how to mine and develop metallurgy as well as develop jewelry of rare metals for women. The visitation of these “Sons of God” was one of the reasons why God decided to send a flood.

  It is no mistake that Saruman’s mines and kingdom are finally destroyed by what? A flood.
  

The course applies tools of theology, mythology, psychology, sociology, and literary analysis from a broad range of schools (traditional, post-modernism, fundamentalism, Jungian… ad infinitum) to achieve the main course objective: Get more meaning from our film watching.

We will talk about Joseph Campbell’s Hero Adventure as it applies to The Lord of the Rings, The Matrix, Star Wars, and Christian scripture. We’ll explore the hidden themes and symbols (perhaps even symbols that the filmmakers are unconscious of!) within these films. The course will be processed through discussion questions: How reluctant are the various “saviors” in the stories (Frodo, Luke Skywalker, Neo, Christ)? At what point do they understand their ultimate destiny: self sacrifice?

We’ll dive into angelology with the film, City of Angels. What relationship do angels have with humans? Are they jealous of our existence? What do angels teach us about ourselves?

We’ll look at the phenomenon of the stigmata and different concepts of grace. Is grace freely given or must we earn it? Can the “love of God,” symbolized by the stigmata, come to people who do not even believe in God?

Finally, we’ll finish by looking at the End Times, and how Hollywood utilizes scripture when it writes its scripts for these movies. How will we know the anti-Christ? How is the anti-Christ depicted in film? What are some of the signs and symbols that Hollywood and scripture tell us will signify the end of the world?

This course is ideal for teachers and students of religion or scripture, youth groups, film teachers and students; as well as those interested in angelology, the End Times, symbols, myth and Jungian psychology.

It is meant as a springboard for individuals and groups to further explore and discuss Christian themes in film and is therefore perfect for those who enjoy self-study and group discussions.

Don’t forget that this course has a number of requirements, the most important of which is that you must eat popcorn when you do your homework!

Lessons

Click here to see course syllabus