Religion and Film 2021

2/23/2021 Like Water for Chocolate was one of my favorite books I was required to read in high school so I was very pleased to be able to watch this movie. I really enjoyed the use of symbolism in both the book and the movie. The colors, emotions, and food relayed the many feelings and events t throughout the storyline, helping the audience to really feel and relate to the pain of the characters. I believe that the interactions between the characters and their relationships were also well described through the scenery and props. One specific moment that really showed this relationship was when Tita, the youngest daughter, was given a rose by Pablo. This rose was beautiful and fully in bloom but its thorns were sharp and caused Tita to bleed. This perfectly highlighted the relationship between Pablo and Tita as they both felt a beautiful full love but people and timing like thorns caused pains in their relationship keeping them from being able to bloom, and causing them to bleed.

2/16/2021  Harold and Maude uses elementary philosophies of life to easily highlight and comment on a simplistic and carefree way to live. The actions and words of Maude create a lovable and charismatic woman who seeks joy and pleasure through life’s simple pleasures. Maude is such a free spirit and she lives an enlightened life and finds comfort in the freedom. I specifically enjoy the scene from Harold and Maude in which she wants to save the tree that is dying from the sidewalk Concrete. In this scene, Maude digs up the tree places it in the back of a car she steals, and drives it to a place where she can plant it so it can live a whole life. I really think but this particular scene really shows how Maude acts to help others and to free all living things from hard regardless of the consequences on her. Also, I love the fact that she made the decisions on when she was ready to depart material life and did so in a way that she was surrounded and happy.

3/6/2021 Another film-book pair that I recently read and really enjoyed was Call Me by Your Name . I really appreciated the way that the book was written, and then the way that the film created a dream-like trance that both broke your heart and soothed you. Reading the book was almost like being in a toxic relationship, it felt like I couldn't put it down and I never wanted to leave at however it only ever caused me harm. The way it was written was done so that it was more of a thought process or like a strand of consciousness that continued feeling very realistic and allowing you to grief with Elio. The inner monologue of Elio felt real. It was open and honest and unhinged not keeping anything or any thought from the reader. In the movie, this translated into silence and that's something I really appreciate. The movie obviously has dialogue but the dialogue is very limited and the majority of the conversation only happens between Elio the narrator and Oliver. The silence in th...

  2/2/2021 Thoughts during Apocolypse Now What would I wear to Vietnam? It's a conceited and superficial question I suppose but in the midst of Apocalypse Now I have no idea what it would be like to be in any Asian country let alone Vietnam. I've never been to any third-world nation, excuse me, developing nation before. My mother has taken mission trips and ‘language learning’ trips to Guatemala, so I suppose I have some understanding of what goes on there and what it looks like but no personal experiences. But of course, Vietnam and Guatemala are two very different nations. She always talked about how poor they were but how happy they were. I have a hard time imagining any life other than my current reality of course but I have my fantasies and dreams, but no nonfiction country has ever sparked my interest enough to allow me to imagine any life other than right here right now. Part of me wishes that I was ridiculously skinny spending every day lounging in the sun and eating an...

  Psuedo-Catholic Guilt 4/30/2021 I have always had an interesting relationship with religion. Since I was a child I've always been very interested in the way Christians interact with Jesus. I've always liked the idea that Jesus brings light into the world and allows for people to love each other however in modern times I don't feel like Christians have really been the light in people's life.  Some Christians do good things but they often push their religion upon people and I just don't feel like as a Christian that's the correct thing to do. I feel like Jesus would want me to bring light into the world without forcing it upon other people. I should be able to bring this light and joy into people's lives without feeling like I have to push Christianity on them. If the light and love of Jesus is going to find someone I can bring it to them but I can’t force it. However, my relationship with religion recently deepened.  During quarantine, I spent a lot of time...

2/23/2021 Thin Red Line is a movie that highlights a person's relationship with death during a war. In this particular film, we watch a soldier go from fearing death to dying himself. Originally this soldier desserts his fellow soldiers and lives peacefully in the islands with natives. Upon being found and returned to his ship, he is criticized for leaving and punished. Throughout the movie we watch him grow from a tortured soldier, unwilling to fight, to an enlightened individual ready to sacrifice himself for the sake and safety of his fellow soldiers. We watch this change happen as he helps a fellow soldier pass from this life. As he cares for and guides his friend’s soul from his body he gains a universal understanding of death and begins the path to respecting it. The majority of the movie takes place on a battlefield full of tall grass. I feel as if the grass represents the hardships and mortality of life, the everyday jobs and space, and the sky above the grass represents t...

2/9/2021 This particular retelling of the Ten Commandments does so in a more modern format than most would expect. Some audience members questioned the ability of the Ten Commandments to be told in such a format as this particular retelling strays from the original meaning of midrash. I argue that this retelling as a form of Midrash that is more assessable and understandable to the modern audience. It grabs your interest by telling a beautiful story with many characters and elements one would not anticipate seeing in such an explanation of the ten commandments. Each commandment lays out a plot that causes the audience to forget the original intention of the film, finding unique ways to gain emotional ties and capture the attention of those watching. I will say as a view it was difficult to watch more than one of these films at a time. Perhaps this was due to my personal religious beliefs and connection to the midrash, but the intensity of these films weighed heavy on me and I felt very...

 This past Sunday, I was given a great piece of advice. During our senior send-offs in my fraternity, all seniors have ~1 hour to give whatever advice they feel like giving to the chapter, in front of us. One-by-one, they went down the line, giving advice & telling stories for the undergrads. One of the seniors gave hands down, one of the best speeches & at the end, ripped up his CNU service distinction leader certificate & tossed it into the fire. For the last eight semesters, he served as a Bonner Scholar, providing over 400 hours of community service throughout his time. One of his points through his speech was that we should serve the lord for entry into heaven and that we should serve him not for recognition or awards. He said that throughout his time, he served for the lord & not receive an award. As a result, he tore up his prestigious certificate and tossed it into the fire. It was extremely inspiring & a great reminder of why we should volunteer & s...

 One of the most challenging parts throughout the last few years is finding faith & trust during challenging times. While in my previous post I stated that I am a firm believer in things happening for a reason, I find discomfort in trying to justify that tragedies were meant to happen. Why did God have a pandemic, systemic racism & discrimination, mass shootings & terrorism all affect us? When I was being confirmed in the Episcopal church several years ago, I expressed these concerns to my pastor during my exit interview. He stressed that these tragedies have always happened in some form or fashion and to have faith. Even though these are unprecedented and terrible times, I always try and find the positives in the negative and that we were meant to encounter the battles we do.

 I always catch myself saying the phrase “everything happens for a reason” often. Whether its when a decision happens to work itself out, the right person walks in or out of my life, or I have an epiphany or realization, I find that whatever life throws at me or decision I make is meant to happen. About a year and a half ago, I got dinner with one of my friends who is extremely pious & religiously devout. This is when I began my journey of reestablishing my relationship with God and faith. Over the next two hours, we talked about everything relating to believing in a higher power and placing our trust and faith in something bigger than ourselves. That’s when I connected the mentality of things happen for a reason to God; I have to trust that He will make the right decision. I am a huge fan of self-reflection & through reflecting on past lessons and experiences have changed me for the better and the future. I truly believe that I am meant to encounter the people I do.

 "They say death is hardest on the living. It’s tough to actually say goodbye. Sometimes it’s impossible. You never really stop feeling the loss. It’s what makes things so bittersweet. We leave little bits of ourselves behind, little reminders. A lifetime of memories, photos, trinkets. Things to remember us by even when we're gone." –Meredith Grey, "Going, Going, Gone" (Season 9, episode 1)  I’ve been watching a lot of Grey’s Anatomy this year. Each semester, I always pick a TV series to binge watch & get way too invested in. After having this in my Netflix que for a long time, I decided to take the plunge into the tumultuous journey that is Grey’s Anatomy. Just like any medical drama, death & loss are apparent and apart of the story arch. Through this show, and the quote above, I have begun adopting a realist perspective on death and loss. Death happens and sucks. Grieving the loss is even tougher. At 21 years old, I am lucky that I have not experienced...

 The other day, I was procrastinating writing a final paper for my Religion & the Arts class and I was browsing movie trailers on YouTube. Eventually, I stumbled on the trailer for the 2014 film Heaven is For Real. The film, it depicts how a child experienced life in heaven during emergency surgery for his ruptured appendix. Throughout the film, the boy’s father, a pastor, tells his son’s experience in heaven throughout his sermons. While visiting, the pastor’s son met his daughter, who was miscarried years ago & his father. The trailer piqued my interest, & I spent the next several minutes looking at clips of the film. After watching an emotional storyline, it reminded me of how short life can be. While I personally haven’t experienced a near-death experience, I believe that it can be possible. I believe in the afterlife and that I hope my actions on earth will lead me to experience heaven.

  War movies throughout film history have been one of the most popular subjects to depict on screen. In most films, they glorify war, and don’t show the true realities of the horrors that happen. Thin Red Line does not glorify war, but rather brutally shows the realities of WWII. The most prominent thing I will remember about the film was how loud it was, and how horrific the imagery on screen was as well. I believe this was done in a way to show that war is not what you see in most movies where empires fall and heroes are made. Additionally, a significant motif is life and death in the movie. Each soldier has a unique perspective on the fragility of life and death. Private Witt does not want to die. He has seen that his mother found no peace while she was dying, so his expectations of death are tied to her. However, through the film, he is surrounded by death and sees how his fellow soldier have an indifference and more serene death. This leads Witt to make the ultimate sacrifice ...

  The New World is a film about the settlement of Jamestown, the encounter with the Powhattan Indians, and the love story between Pocahontas and English settlers John Smith and John Rolfe.     The most profound motif I found in this film is the transformation that takes place both physically and emotionally in the film. When Pocahontas saves John Smith from being killed by her father Chief Powhattan, I believe that it was due to curiosity of the new English settlers, rather than due to love between the two that has been depicted in the Disney Pocahontas film. The princess’s curiosity for English culture forced her to become an outcast to her tribe and her homeland. When John Rolfe met her, she fell in love and became his husband. The shift of the Powhattan princess from being immersed in Native culture to English is also seen in the land. Jamestown marked the first permanent English colony in the New World. The Native Americans helped the English survive in this new and s...

  The Fountain starring Hugh Jackman tells the story of three men, one from the past, one from the present and one from the future that all seek the tree of life. This film has the common theme that many stories concerning eternal life have: While on the quest for eternal life, one may forget to actually enjoy life itself. This is depicted most during the present perspective. Thomas Creo’s wife is dying and Creo has dedicated his life to finding the cure for her Cancer that will kill her. He becomes obsessed with the properties of a tree, “The Tree of Life” that has been found in South America. When Izzi, Creo’s wife asks him to go on a walk, Creo refuses rather being focused on his work. This was the defining example of Thomas missing his life in the pursuit of extending his wives life. What I find very profound in this film is the fact that it helps the viewer understand that death is a part of life. I think it would have been interesting to have a perspective where someone recei...

  One News article I recently read I wanted to give my opinion on was about Chinese persecution of Christians. China has taken Bible Apps off the app store within the country, restricted the sale of the Bible in person and openly berated practicing Christians. From a country like China that rivals the United States in terms of industry, I find it disturbing that the Authoritarian state would restrict Religion in this way. One thing I find interesting is the business dynamic between countries who have very different ideologies on issues such as religion. The United States was founded on religious freedom, and in my opinion, should be offended by the way that China restricts their people religious freedom. However, due to the very important relationships between the United States businesses and China, it would be catastrophic to severe ties with the nation. I think that the United States should have some sort of response. Who we do business with reflects greatly on how we are as a na...

  Over winter break, I had the opportunity to raid my Dad’s bookcase to find a book I had not read before. I had the opportunity to pick up a book titled,   The Last Amateurs  by John Feinstein. The book is about the 1999-2000 season in the Patriot League conference of NCAA College Basketball. What I found most interesting is how the narrative explored in the book is still ever present today in College Basketball. The thesis of the book is that college basketball is an organization corrupted by money and the need to win for the bigger programs. However, there is a purity to the integrity and how the game is played in the Patriot League, true Student Athletes. Today, there is a debate on if college athletes should be paid to play, due to the amount of money they made for their college and university, especially in college basketball and Football. In today’s game, for the top universities, even more so than they were in 1999, it is just a stepping stone for professional bas...

  When I talk to my Dad on the phone, after we go through the normal topics of “How was your day?” Do you need anything?” Etc. the conversation always moves to sports. As we talked to my Dad about the NBA MVP race, we discussed why narratives have always consumed who got the MVP each year. I commented that it seems to me that the Most Valuable Player should be a player who quite literally is invaluable to their team, that carries that team to greater heights because of their play. However, it seems that it never happens that way. One reason that narratives are ever present in the race is because of who selects the MVP: reporters. From a journalistic perspective, why would they select a player like Lebron James to be the MVP every year, which would be quite boring for the fans and for the NBA popularity. Rather, they select someone like Russell Westbrook in the season after his best friend and teammate Kevin Durant left the team for the rival Golden State Warriors. Although he did a...

  One question I have always wondered was, “Why do people enjoy crime, and violent media?” Any time someone flips on the TV, listens to a podcast or tunes into music, there are depictions of violence throughout. Why is there such a fascination with a gruesome act that a majority of people don’t encounter during their lives or would not be comfortable seeing in real life. I read the article, “ 12 Reasons We Love True Crime, according to the Experts ” to find the answer. One thing that I found most interesting is what expert Paul Mattuzzi says that humans “want to figure out what drove these people to this extreme act, and what makes them tick, because we'd never actually commit murder.”  We want to figure out what drove these people to this extreme act, and what makes them tick, because we'd never actually commit murder.” What I think is that people are interested because people want to reassure themselves that the experiences that the killers go through are not anything like w...

  When I think about the music that resonate the most with me I always turn to the Friday Night Lights mixtape by J. Cole. The mixtape is about Jermaine Cole’s experience playing basketball, chasing after girls and growing up in Fayetteville, North Carolina. For me, I grew up playing in the gym playing basketball and for a lot of years that’s all I really knew or cared about. What I appreciate about the mixtape is that J. Cole had the same experience chasing the hoop dream, but like myself it was never achieved. This is a source of inspiration because he found his real passion in life, rap but he never forgot growing up with a basketball in his hands. The album is very prophetical because J. Cole really hadn’t become immensely popular like he is today, but the tone and conviction in his bars made the listener believe he was the best MC to ever do it. This is personified in the song   Premeditated Murder . Cole personifies being the best rapper in the world to murder, but more ...

 Lynyrd Skynyrd 05/01/2021 - There are two songs by Lynyrd Skynyrd that mean a lot to me for two reasons. The two songs that mean a lot to me are Free Bird and Simple Man. When I was growing up my parents would always play these songs (or any of Lynyrd Skynyrd's songs) every summer when we could cool off in the pool. So every time I hear this band I always think back to my childhood with my family during the hot summer days. Secondly, a close friend of mine, George Grekos, and I connected with this band and especially these two songs. We both had our own reasoning for liking the band. However, he passed away, and now whenever I hear these two songs or even the artist, it brings a whole new meaning to me. I still hold on to thinking of my family but now I also think of George. I feel as though he is there with me, especially when the song just randomly starts playing. I know for a fact others feel the same way about how the meaning of songs changes when a loved one passes away. This...

 Agape Love 05/01/2021 - I was pondering on the topic of family today and was thinking of the love that family shows one another. More specifically the love that most parents give to their children. Parents do things for their children each day, our of love for them. Parents can go to work in order to make money for their family to have a good life by paying for their education, paying for necessities, and so on. In addition, parents may stay home and take care of their children by preparing food, giving up leisure time, and overall taking care of their children. Through all of this, I believe parents are showing agape love to their children, especially if they do not ask for anything in return from their children. Parents are very selfless because they give up so much in order to make their children happy in their life by taking them to games, giving them gifts, and even showing that they care through quality time. Parents are and can be a prime example of individuals who show aga...

Nature 05/01/2021 - Today I was sitting on my porch admiring the scenery. I was watching the trees sway in the wind and the sun shine through the green leaves. I felt a deep sense of relaxation and a sense that something great was at hand. I am a religious person, thus I felt the presence of the sacred all around me. I felt the presence of God in the air I breathed in, the beautiful scenery, and all of the life around me. I typically feel this when I need to clear my head from the stress of the world we live in (the profane). I find that when I focus on the world around me (more so nature), I feel so much relief and calmness. I believe that God is acting first hand in everything and I can feel a greater power at work. It is hard to describe. According to Eliade, a religious person can feel and say an object is sacred when they see or sense something extraordinary at work. Thus, I can say almost everything that is natural in the world is sacred. This can be the trees, grass, a rock, and...

The fountain was an intense movie commenting on the life we live now being the most important aspect of life, and not dreaming of a better future or living forever. We see Tom trying his everything to come up with a cure for his dying wife. He throws himself into his work, while ignoring the pleas of his wife just to be with her. Eventually, he is convinced to be by her side, and just when the cure is found, she passes. With hindsight, he realizes that he should have spent the time he had left with her as much as he could, cherishing every moment, as Izzy had already accepted her death being imminent. The tree of life he was chasing distracted him from the everyday life that is the true experience of life he should be living. The parallel in the story Izzy wrote shows how even when the tree of life was found, the traveler still stabbed it and in a way, was killing Izzy or queen Isabelle too. The hairs on the tree directly relate to the hairs on Izzy’s neck. The ascension to Shibalba al...