Religion and Film 2021

 Saving Private Ryan 04/30/2021 - Last night I decided to rewatch the film, Saving Private Ryan, and there were some things I did not notice much until after taking this class. The first being the film as a religious movie. In the beginning, as soldiers were running onto the beach getting killed, there were many men holding rosaries and praying at the top of their lungs. Even the sniper throughout the film said prayers as he shot at the enemy and kissed his cross necklace before going into action. In addition, all of these men did not want to go on the mission to save Private Ryan. However, by the end of the film majority of them ended up dying and saw honor in it and hoped that Private Ryan lives a good life in order to "earn it." Similar to the Thin Red Line, the sacred and profane were evident throughout the film. The sacred being present in nature (the trees, grass, rain) adding a sense of beauty. The profane was obviously present in the midst of the firing of guns, tanks...

 Nature and Nurture 04/30/2021 - Yesterday I was walking my dog and came across a baby bird in the middle of the road.  This bird was petrified, frozen in place, not knowing what to do. There was no sign of the mama bird nearby. So I moved the baby bird out of the middle of the road and set it in some grass away from any known danger. This made me think of how animals in nature are sometimes thrown out into the dangers of the world without being taught much. Thus, animals, like humans, have to learn to live and survive on their own through experience. However, animals are almost pre-wired to know what to do through instinct. When animals are put in certain situations, they almost always know what to do, but at such a young age they might be confused, stuck, and scared. Humans may not always have this natural tendency to know what to do. Thus, we learn through experience and from our failures how to survive and do things in this world. In addition, it made me think of...

 When viewing the two short films of the decalogue series, I struggled finding enjoyment in a film that was intended to give the audience an eerie feeling and discomfort. One way this was used is the lighting. The film is dark which sets the tone as devoid of hope and life. One of the more interesting things  found in the movie is that  Krzysztof Kieslowski develops the characters very well. The father throughout the film was very smart with numbers and was on a constant proof to solve issues with analytics. This gets juxtaposed with his son dying by falling n the pond, something that he deemed improbable due to the ice being completely frozen. As a man who trusts in analytics, he goes through every possible option of where his son may be before heading to the pond, which for someone else would have been the first place they go.  Midrash is a Jewish belief that one should not only understand the words of the text, but what is behind the words as well, the i...

 The Fountain released in 2006 and takes place from three separate perspectives of time: past, present; and future. We follow various explorers from each of these time periods who are in search of a "tree of life" in order to obtain eternal life and youth. Eventually we see each explorer and each storyline link together as they are each on a quest for the same thing, some for themselves and some to give it to others. Each of these characters and explorers are obsessed with finding the tree of life, so much so that the Christian explorer is sacrificed after having drunk from the tree of life, along with many of the other explorers. The obsession of all these individuals with eternal life being so great that they would kill and be killed for it is entirely ironic. They are so afraid of death and so concerned with preserving life that they never actually get to enjoy it. Similar to other explorers, Tommy is obsessed with avoiding death and with preserving life. The arc of the st...

 What particularly struck me about the films we watched the films was the immersive feeling of the films. They had a way of making the viewer tense and uncomfortable. In the instance where the father was looking for his son, it was entirely frustrating to watch him check all over his town and retrace the steps of his son. He was so focused on finding the answer analytically. If he had been in touch with his heart and followed it it likely would have lead him straight to the pond. Instead, the audience watches him scramble all over the town  checking anywhere and everywhere except where he knows his son is. The concept of Midrash, that we discussed in class,  was used as a form of interpretation of the Jewish law and of the Torah. It is meant to be a deep and serious reflection on God's word such that you almost meditate on the message. The film medium is the perfect one to impose this sort of feeling on someone. Where written word can be powerful and moving, film encompas...

 Surfing as Relion 04/28/2021 - I decided to read an article about surfing today and found a really interesting one talking about how some people consider surfing as a religion. It mentioned how that surfing is growing, people view it as "an ecstatic and mystical experience." I found it enlightening that some surfers view their time out in the ocean more so of a pilgrimage than a sport, as they are "seeking a sublime or perfect wave." There are even ritual dimensions to it as well that include "early rising to greet the sea... and promotion of solidarity through stickers and surfing clothes." Then there is the act of surfing that comes off very "Zen-like" in which time slows and the surfers become one with the ocean, feeling and copying the way the water moves. Surfing can be very healing for the soul, especially when on a heaven-like beach that is picturesque and quiet. Soul surfers see surfing as sacred in that they are connected to nature, hav...

 Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl 04/28/2021 - I have read this book multiple times and find new things each time I read it. Today I read an article about the top three lessons to be learned by Viktor, who was a holocaust survivor. I will talk about two of the three lessons. The first lesson talked about here is "in order to survive, you have to be okay with dying at any moment." I saw this be helpful in getting rid of the fear of dying whenever, especially in concentration camps. Outside of this, it is beneficial to be okay with dying because you will live each moment in the present. Second, having meaning to your life will give everything you do and think meaning. Viktor thought of his wife every day in the camp, and that is what gave him the strength to endure the pain and trials each day. To have meaning will give your life some sense of direction and you must always revert back to it in everything you do. Most people have not figured out their life's mea...

 Shinto and Hinduism 04/28/2021 - In one of my religious studies classes, I read an exert on Japanese religion. Japan went through a lot of transformations where they were open to all religions and then during a war they got rid of all outside religions for a while. The Japanese primarily practiced Shintoism. However, Buddhism made its way into the Japanese culture. Japan combined the two religions into Ryobu ("Two-aspect Shinto"). The combination between Shinto and Buddhism happened between the 6th and 9th centuries. Over time, the boundaries between the two beliefs disappeared, thus causing harmony between the two beliefs. I found it interesting that Japan adopted this, even after a huge plague happened to cause them to kick out foreign religions. However, now Shinto is adopted in the day to day life, and Buddhism is turned to for beliefs in the afterlife for the Japanese. After many years of practicing strict Shinto, the Japanese first see themselves as Buddhists and then ...

 Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey 04/27/2021 - For the past few weeks I have been reading this book and I think it is very insightful. The idea behind these "greenlights" is similar to the idea behind traffic lights. The greenlight means to proceed and continue. These green lights in life are affirmations to our plan for what we want to do. Matthew gives examples from his life about his own greenlights for his life and career. He said that not all green lights are easy to spot, meaning they can be yellow or red. One must proceed with caution or stop and then go until it is safe to proceed. I love his analogy for life. Some green lights are obvious and are no brainers, however, others are harder to tell either because they could be blocked by something or you just do not realize it is a green light for you yet. If there is an open opportunity, such as a job that is available or a car that you want for a good price, they are green lights and you should proceed and take advant...

 The Fountain, released in 2006, is a film that is split into three different perspectives within one film. The different perspectives are the past, present, and future and they are all in search for immortality and to live forever. The explorer that we are following in the past in the film is in search for "the tree of life" to give back to his Queen. His exploration mission doesn't go as planned what so ever because in search for the tree, his men and priest are killed in the search for eternal life. In the future, there is a space traveler who was traveling in a space bubble to a dying star with the old tree of life in the bubble with him. All the past, present, and future storylines link up together as the explorer in the time period is on a quest for immortality for them self or for a loved one. For the future explorer, the director of the film portrayed his wife as the tree in the bubble with strategic imagery such as the hairs on her neck and the trees limbs stick ...

Bhagavad Gita 4/27/2021 - I was reading the Bhagavad Gita for another class and noticed it mentions yoga all throughout the text. One thing I found interesting is that everyone practices yoga without knowing it. This being said, there are three levels of yoga. Sahaja is the first kind of yoga which is partial or naturally occurring yoga. The second level of yoga is Sadhana, which is practical or applied practice of yoga. Third, is Sadhya which is the perfective or liberated state of yoga. Each of these stages have the same eight concepts under them (known as the eight limbs of yoga): good ways to act towards others (yamas), good practices for oneself (niyamas), moving and positioning the body (asana), continuous respiratory activity (pranayama), withdrawal from the world (pratyahara), greater focus on an object (dharana), sustained attention on an object (dhyana), immersive state within one’s world (samadhi). These concepts however can be viewed differently at each stage (partial, prac...

 Philosophy and Psychedelics 04/27/2021      My last blog might be a little bit off the wall, but I wanted to write about something that I have always wondered about. The connection and relationship between philosophy and hallucinogenic drugs. This has always been a topic of particular interest to me even though I have never used any of these substances. It just has always seemed like an entryway to a new level of seeing and understanding, that is so different it is hard to explain in our terms. There are many different psychedelic drugs and some of them are more powerful than others. The most commonly referenced would usually be LSD/acid and mushrooms. Mushrooms are a very interesting topic as they are even legal in some countries and some states are fighting to legalize them as well. For the most part mushrooms are considered to be mostly harmless. However, these are not the kinds of drugs that I think can really open the doors into new realities. DMT is another ha...

Christian Themes in Finding Nemo     04/27/2021   For this blog I wanted to write about another movie that I had seen and think about the religious meanings behind it. After looking for a while and considering the themes and ideas in many movies I stumbled upon Finding Nemo. This movie is a classic and although it is more of a kids movie it is one that I grew up watching and still enjoy whenever it is on. The more that I thought about this movie the more I realized the Christian ideas behind it. It embodies a lot of the Christian parable of the prodigal son. Although Nemo is the only son of his father as a result of a barracuda attack that took all of their eggs and Marlin’s wife, Nemo is still sometimes defiant and gets himself into trouble. One of the times that he is defiant and will not listen to his father, Nemo gets scooped up by some fisherman and taken away. Marlin then embarks on a long journey to find his son again. Marlin puts himself in a lot of grave dan...

Spiritual Culture in Surf's Up 04/27/2021      Today I decided to watch the movie Surf's Up . I love this film for many reasons but today I wanted to watch it because although it is a goofy kids movie about surfing penguins it still helps me to remember and reconnect with surfing culture and ideals. Many people may find it funny to talk about surfing culture, but in many ways I find it to be as much of a spiritual experience as other religious practices. When I am able to go surfing is when I feel most connected to the Earth and the God who created it. The flowing of the ocean and the ability to travel with it and be able to reach such a sense of accomplishment and joy is surreal. Throughout the movie we see as Cody learns to be a good surfer by letting go and finding the rhythm of the waves and going with them. Big Z teaches him that by letting go you become more connected with the earth and in turn you can understand the movements and the waves more. He emphasizes the l...

Mystic Power of Music 04/27/2021      Something that I have always found very interesting is the power of music. I have always loved music ever since I was a kid and I love listening to familiar music as well as finding new music. Music has always had somewhat of a spiritual effect on me and has made me feel very certain ways. One specific way that I have noticed this is in Church. I grew up in a Lutheran church where we sang old gothic sounding hymns and these hymns never made me feel any extraordinary way or gave me any spiritual feelings. However, when I started going to a more contemporary non-denominational church on my own, the music here often really touched me. The uplifting sound and the joyous cries made me feel the real presence of something greater among us. What is it about music that makes me feel this way though? Is it just the ability to relate and sing along with someone else or many other people? Is it a biological thing that is determined by rhythms and...

  The Fountain (2006), has three storylines (the past, present, and future). All are on the search for immortality. The conquistador was on the search for the tree of life for the queen, and in doing so has his men killed and killed the priest to have eternal life. The doctor was searching for a cure for his wife's brain tumor, however, in doing so he pushed her away and did not spend time with her. The space traveler was traveling in a bubble to a dying star with an old tree accompanying him. All storylines are the same in that they are all on the quest for immortality for either themselves or for their love. I found it interesting that the director portrayed the wife as the tree by showing similar pictures of the hairs on her neck and the hairs of the tree stick up when her husband touches or kisses it. Another interesting aspect was that the Christian conquistador killed for eternal life. The conquistador was seen as sacred after being stabbed by the Mayan and then the Mayan sac...

       Released in 2006, the film The Fountain depicts the differences between a husband and wife in accepting death. Tom is losing is wife Izzi, to a brain tumor and is desperate in finding a cure to prolong her time on earth. Despite Izzi accepting her diagnosis and fate, Tom, a doctor, fails to mentally accept the situation, and is always researching cures for her tumor. After an experimental surgery on a monkey goes well, Tom tries to persuade Izzi to undergo the procedure and she declines. Instead of new treatment methods, Izzi would rather enjoy the remaining time left on earth, rather than spend her final days with the hopes to prolong her life. Towards the end of her life, Izzi begins writing a story and asks Tom to finish it. Shortly after, Izzi passes and Tom is distraught. In an alternate life, Tom is searching for cures and his body is turned into dirt and plants grow through him, representing death.          The main theme t...

 Remembering to Live 04/26/2021       A friend of mine came down from Richmond this weekend and it got me thinking about some things. He has always been a serious role model to me in many ways, but one thing that he is known for is being spontaneous. He has always been this way and when he went to school here I would get random texts asking if I wanted to go to a concert that night or go on a road trip or a hike or even just go to Virginia Beach at midnight. This weekend he had planned on coming down but he still had to ask off of work. Unfortunately, he did not ask off for Friday and he wanted to be here on Thursday night, so he drove here Thursday night and hung out with us and pulled an all-nighter, drove back to Richmond and went to work, then drove back when he got off work and spent the weekend with us. On Saturday night, we had been hanging out and I mentioned to him that I had wanted to get a matching tattoo with someone before I graduated college, but I coul...

  Religion in Schools 04/26/2021   A topic that has always been interesting to me is the debate of whether or not religion has a place in schools. Many people feel very strongly about this topic and will continue to fight one way or the other. I personally was raised as a Christian and went to Church from a young age. I also went to public schools where religion was never part of the curriculum. I am happy that I was raised this way, however I think that I often end up curious or ignorant to other religions. I think that the question of whether or not religion should be taught in schools often points to the more polarizing idea of teaching one religion or another, I think that it would be beneficial though to teach the histories and core beliefs of many religions. This would help lead to more informed children as well as more inclusion. It also gives kids the opportunity to explore other worldviews that they may be interested in following. An article I read today also s...

  Reflection on Overlapping Religions 04/26/2021      Today I was reading an article about the similarities and differences between the two major religions of Islam and Christianity. I personally am a Christian, but I find a lot of things very interesting regarding the overlapping of major religions such as these and also Judaism, which pretty much goes unsaid. The article I was reading highlighted 3 main points as the difference between Islam and Christianity. One being that Christians believed in the Holy Trinity, two: that they believed in the divinity of Christ (these two go very much hand in hand), and three: Christians believe Christ died on the cross. Islam rejects all these ideas and says that Christ was not divine and that he was taken up into heaven right before the crucifixion, but God tricked the Romans into believing that they had killed him. In most other ways however, the core beliefs are very similar, which makes it all the more surprising the kind of...

 I loved this movie. I thought it was a kind of spiritual awakening. In the beginning of the movie when Tomas was in the jungle searching for the temple and he mentioned that he must keep going to save her, I knew I was going to love the movie.  It was interesting to have the perspective of a book within a movie and how they intertwined. The story of the fountain is being written by Tomas's dying wife. She keeps telling him that she wants him to help her write the last chapter. I thought this was very cute. The book speaks of a man who guards the queen of Spain. Her rule is being threatened and she needs to find the fountain of eternal youth in order to defeat the inquisitor. So she sends the man on a perilous journey west, to find the Fountain. She gives him her ring and promises that if he comes back with eden, that she will be his Eve. This pulls the bible into the story and just how important it was.  So he treks through the jungle and finally finds the hidden temple ...

        Reflecting on the Intertwining of Religion and Philosophy 04/26/2021   Today I wanted to find something to read that would be enlightening in a philosophical sense, so I found an article that focused on defining the difference between philosophy and religion. To me the two have always had different connotations yet followed the same ideas and religion has always seemed to be a certain kind of philosophy, which it may be. However in this article they talked about the differences and mystics that go along with these ideas. One of the lines that stuck out to me the most was “ The God of Philosophers is different…. here we shall not find the concept of a “personal God”, a God of a Nation or a God of a Tribe. Instead of a “supreme being” we shall find here a concept linked to the notion of the Universal Law, such as Dharma in India, Theos in Greece, or Maat in ancient Egypt. We could say that what matters more for the philosopher is the Law, and not s...

Effects of Love on a Person 04/26/2021        Today I found an article that reminded me of the movie we viewed in class The New World. This article related to the way that being in love can change a person. I was looking at things of this nature as a result of a break up a close friend of mine is going through. This article from Psychology Today talked about a study they did to find the ways that people change as a result of love. The article found that people often take on identity traits of their desired partner in order to be more appealing to them. This also happened in the film The New World, as both Pocohantas and John Smith took on identities of the other one. In the beginning of the relationship this seemed good for them as they explored the other’s way of life, but in the end it seemed to not be what they both wanted. The study found that people take on both positive and negative identity factors of the other in order to be more suitable for them. Love can...

    Morality of Medicine 04/26/2021        Today I decided to read a little bit about the morality of medicine after thinking more about the movie The Fountain that we watched in class. This film brought up many questions about life and death and the ways in which it can be unethical to take life and death into human hands. This movie featured a main storyline of a man trying to find a cure for his wife’s cancer but also featured other storylines that emphasized this idea of ethics when it comes to life and death and the idea of prolonging death. It made me think more about if medicine was a strictly good thing or if there may be some ethical questions to be asked about that. In lieu of this I found an article on the Catholic Education Resource Center website that talked about the morality of medicine. This article claimed that medicine was an inescapably moral industry as physicians are always attempting to do good for their patients and help them avoid ev...

       In the film The Fountain we see Tom who struggles to cope with the idea of death. We see him in 3 different realities and in all of them he searches for a way to prolong or avoid death. In one of the realities, which I would consider to be the main one, he finds out that his wife, Izzi, has a brain tumor that is killing her. Tom himself in this reality is a doctor and is working tirelessly to find a cure for this to save his beloved wife. He is awake day in and day out looking for a way to save her, while she lay in a hospital bed alone slowly dying. As a result of Tom’s obsession with prolonging death he forgets to focus on the life that they have been given. Instead of spending time with his wife in her last few days, he is constantly working, and it never gives him a chance to be with her and reminisce on the life they have shared so far, and be content with everything that they had. When his wife eventually passes away Tom is left empty handed as his rese...

  The New World This film takes place in Jamestown, during the discovery of the Americas. John Smith is one of the main characters in the film and his job is trading goods with tribes for food. This movie depicts the interaction between the British with the Native Americans. The two worlds collide a more advanced and sophisticated way of living, John Smith and a Native woman living off the land, Pocahontas. These two worlds meet and they fall in love. They both try to fit into each other's community as best as they can. John Smith is first seen living the life of a tribe man by living among the Native Americans, he enjoyed life and did not want to go back to his normal life. But when Pocahontas experiences John Smith's life after her father warns her, she is cast away from her own tribe and John Smith is seen as a traitor for sharing his life with a native. John Smith leaves her for a new job, Pocahontas presumes he is dead. She finds a new British colonist since she was alread...

 In The New World, we see the story of Captain John Smith and his settlers discovering Jamestown. The film also depicts the love interest between John Smith and the Native American Pocahontas. John Smith was tasked with bartering with the Native Americans in order to get food and supplies from the Indians. The film displays the Indian tribe as an eerie and unpredictable group and this is apparent because of the dark lighting and making the Indians almost look like shadows. Smith does grow fond of the way the Native Americans live their life while imprisoned at their camp. He begins to conform to the Indians free way of living and enjoys not having to deal with the strict rules that are being set in Europe and Jamestown. After the British settlers formed the Jamestown settlement, the Native Americans who previously owned the land were able to intrude the makeshift fort and capture John Smith. John Smith is then taken as the Indians prisoner and it set to be murdered to scare the oth...

 The film The New World was set in Jamestown, during the discovery of the Americas. John Smith the main character is tasked with bartering with local tribes for food. When he is first taken into the tribe the imagery of light and dark was very evident. Light showed through the roof of the building, that the chief resided in, onto Smith. The chief and the other tribesmen were shown in the dark shadows and smoky atmosphere. I think this form of lighting made for an interesting perspective in terms of the known and the unknown.  Religion played an important factor in the movie. For example, Pocahontas had a very special relationship with nature. She was first shown playing with another tribes man, in the tall grassy fields. Then when Smith came to the tribal territory, she showed him how to respect nature and treat it like a friend. Even when she was walking through the forest, she was constantly touching the ground or trees or grass. When she relocated to England, she had vast g...

       Released in 2005, The New World depicts the journey of chartered ships arriving from England to what would eventually be known as Jamestown in Virginia. One of the captains, John Smith, is captured by Native American Indians and held as a prisoner. Set to be killed, the chief’s daughter, Pocahontas, threw herself on Smith and saved him. Eventually, Pocahontas and Smith fall in love and begin a relationship. Pocahontas was advised that this relationship between herself and Smith would be beneficial for both sides, but eventually, conflict emerges between the Native Americans and the English Settlers. As a result, Smith is forced to choose between staying in Virginia with Pocahontas or going back to England, a decision that he grapples with and eventually regrets.      Additionally, within the film, viewers watch the differences in adaption between Pocahontas and Smith. While Smith adapts easier in being held as a prisoner, viewers witness P...

The New World - Zach Ferguson  The New World is a film that is designed to show John Smith and the foundation of Jamestown. In the building of Jamestown John Smith meets many native people but the one he is most fond of is Pocahontas. During the film John Smith gets lost and then taken into an Indigenous peoples' camp where he learns about the ways of the natives. John Smith takes a liking to their way of life and almost completely conforms to their more free way of living, not bonded by the same rules that he got in trouble for breaking back in Europe. He embraces being able to live so freely and quickly falls in love with Pocahontas and her people. However, John Smith is eventually sent back to his settlement and has to enforce the rules and go back to the way he was living before and it is clear how upset he is living that way again. Pocahontas also experiences a lot of change when he is brought into Jamestown. Before she lived so freely and was able to do as she pleased but whe...

 The New World was a film that displays the journey of John Smith and the settlers finding Jamestown. Along this journey, Jamestown is not the only thing that Smith finds and is able to experience. He also meets Pocahontas and experiences a new journey with her as well. The film shows the way John Smith was able to conform and appreciate the ways of the Native Americans. When he is living with the Native Americans, he takes time to learn the way they live and learns more about Pocahontas and her free lifestyle. When Smith is with the Native Americans the viewer can clearly see the character development that occurs. Before he is sent over, he was a rule-breaker and did not like to follow anyone's way except his own. When he meets Pocahontas and the Native Americans he is able to live more freely and that is one way that Pocahontas encaptures John Smith's heart. When he is sent back to the British, he has to enforce the rules of the settlement and live a stern and challenging lif...

                In The New World, we see the tale of Jamestown and the cause and effect of the British’ encounter with the Native Americans. We see through this the transformation that immediately begins to take place on both sides as a result of this collision of paths. This transformation is personified and represented through Pocohontas and John Smith, a Native American woman and a British colonist who end up falling in love. Through their love story we see the 2 of them begin to try to conform to the other’s respective community and group. At first Smith goes with Pocohontas and lives among her tribe for a while, finding his free side. He thrives in this setting and doesn’t want to go back. When he does go back however, Pocahontas chooses to follow him against the advisings of her father. She is cast out by her tribe and Smith is flogged for his relations with the natives.  Eventually Smith ends up leaving for a new job and leave...

 The New World was about the finding of Jamestown and a love story between Captain Smith and Pocahontas. Captain Smith embraced the culture and way of living of the Native Americans and fell in love with Pocahontas, the chief's favorite child. Along the way, the settlers caused trouble which caused Smith to return back to the fort. This put Pocahontas in a bad situation, choosing between her love and her people. Her father always said for her to put her people and tribe before herself, and she did not listen. Her decision to be with Smith ended up hurting her because she was outcasted from her tribe. Similarly, the settlers flogged Smith for having relations with the natives, especially with the princess. Captain Smith later left to further explore, making Pocahontas believe he died, thus she moved on but she was upset that her lover 'died'.  Throughout the movie, we see how Pocahontas transformed from a happy and innocent girl running through nature to a very serious and s...

The Thin Red Line film describes the American perspective against the Japanese to acquire the Guadalcanal. The Americans were scared of dying, but in the end, their mindset changes and we see this when Private Witt smiles showing the viewer the change in emotions towards death. Private Witt was scared of death because he kept having flashbacks from his mother’s passing, but Witt comes to a realization that humankind has immortality even after physical death. This change in mindset by Private Witt gave the Americans an advantage and motivation to gain control in the war. Throughout the film, we see that nature and war are complemented with each other even though in a very chaotic way because the sound effects are rough on the audience and convokes attention. We see that even in the midst of war nature is still present. This shows that even in an ongoing war with guns firing and bombs the holy is still present.  In the middle of war not only are the men fighting trying to survive so ...

  Thomas Fosdick The Thin Red Line is an incredible World War II movie that deals with a theater that is overlooked in a way that also overlooked. The pacific theater has never gotten the same coverage that the European theater has, yet the men who went through it suffered some of the greatest tests out of any serviceman during this time. This movie came out at the same time as Saving Private Ryan and was completely overshadowed by it. While this may be due to the theater they dealt with respectively (as I mentioned earlier) it has just as much to do with how each movie tells the story. Saving Private Ryan is much more like a documentary than it is an existential look at life and death such as The Thin Red Line.  Many people today think very analytically and explicitly and therefore it makes sense that Saving Private Ryan was much more popular, it is much more accessible in that way. The Thin Red Line takes a much more ethereal approach, exploring the horror of death and the m...

The Thin Red Line - Zach Ferguson  The film The Thin Red Line released in 1998 shows soldiers fighting on the Guadalcanal Island. Throughout the film there are many casualties and many of the young soldiers who are experiencing/witnessing death for the first time. One of the characters in particular, Private Robert Witt especially hates the death he is witnessing and is quite frankly afraid of it. Throughout the film; however, Witt begins to change his views on death and is able to overcome his fear of death very similar to Arjuna, who is a warrior for the Krishna and is secretly deeply afraid when asked to join in battle. Both of these men are asked to participate and battle and, while both are terribly afraid to do so, both do follow their orders and go to battle. Both are able to overcome their fear in their battle and Witt especially is able to enter the sublime when overcoming his fear.