Religion and Film 2018

As I finish my junior year of college, I feel many things. I feel worried and unprepared for what lies ahead. I feel lucky for all the friends and memories I have made at CNU. I feel excited and ready for the future and its independence. When people say, "have fun because college flies by" are not exaggerating at all. I can still remember moving into my freshman hall and it feels not that long ago. I feel like I haven't learned or grown very much as a person, although I know I have. Learning and growth happen so gradually that it is hard to monitor as time passes. Growth is easier realized from the outside looking in then the other way around. I know I will take what I have learned and apply to the world. I just wish it would all slow down a little.

Smart phones have taken over. They haven't just taken over the youth and it makes me sort of mad when people say that. The youth is just as guilty of this technological obsession as some adults I know. Many parents are just as hung up and reliant on their cell phones as their kids. It is hard not become hooked to these phones. The uses are endless and the accessibility is unmatched. You can use these phones whenever and where ever you need them. I spent a week on a cruise for spring break and we had no cell service. I was there with a large group of friends and we had to navigate plans and meeting points without our cell phones. Although this seems like a manageable task, we struggled the whole trip with keeping the group together and finding each other. This shows just how reliant we are on these devices and also how phones help connect us and make this easier. When we finally got back to the United States and got service back, I was reluctant to turn my phone back on because not ...

I just saw Avengers Infinity War and it was one of the most intense movies I have ever seen. They basically threw every super hero ever into one movie and then fought the most unstoppable bad guy of all time, so that sums up the intensity. Some of the thought that went into the battle scenes was insane. The different moves that these heroes would use and counter moves must have taken months to come up with. Everyone in the movie had different powers so to juggle all of those and decide how the fights were going to happen must've been impossible. All of the elements that made this a classic super hero movie were crushed at the end when the bad guy prevailed. Thanos, the bad guy, was searching for 6 powerful stones in order to rule the universe and kill off half of the population. In the end his power is too much and not even the large team of super heroes can stop him. This twist of an ending is hard to swallow because you think with all of this good power, they will surely be able ...

The book of Eli is a great film and had a great message with it as well. This film takes place in a post apocalyptic world where resources are very rare. During the film we see a man named Eli fight his way across the US while holding onto a sacred book. As he travels across America he runs into much trouble with people who want to take this book away from him and he has to fight them all off to protect himself and the book. He meets a girl who ends up being his companion during his journey who helps him along the way. Together after fighting off all enemy, Eli makes it across the country, however he had to give up the book in order to survive. The book is learned to be the bible which all copies had been destroyed. Eli then tells the people he has the bible so the people can write it down. Over the years, Eli had memorized the entire bible from reading it over and over again while also being blind. He read the book in braille, so giving up the copy he had was not a problem since no on...

So I watched The Curious Case of Benjamin Button the other day for the first time ever. For very long I refused to see it because I felt that it was stupid and so I finally caved and watched it. To my surprise, it was an excellent movie and I was intrigued from start to finish. I would highly recommend for someone looking for a movie to watch.

This year I have really not seen robe guy more than once maybe. For awhile i was worried he wasn't wearing it anymore, but then I saw him in commons and I sighed a sigh of relief. It is crazy that we actually have someone on campus known as robe guy.

I really am amazed at how many columns are on the campus at CNU. How vital are columns to the structural integrity of modern buildings? Oh yeah, that would be absolutely not at all. It just is so crazy that so  much time and money has gone into something just for an appearance.

Odysseus is a character that I truly admire in ancient Greek myth. He is a man who is cunning and always has an angle to play with every word that comes from his lips. I like that he is a man that does not seek to impress people he does not care for.

Achilles is probably my favorite Greek hero for many reasons. As a fighter, he was without an equal and he knew it. He was fueled by rage and was quick to kill because of it. The sad thing is that he realized his flaws in the last sequence of his life and did not have much time to fix them at all.

This greek myth focuses on Agamemnon's return from Troy and his death that follows very closely behind. This story is interesting because it shows how betrayal can lurk right in your own family. Agamemnon got what he deserved for his arrogance in many's eyes, but it still seems a bit harsh to me.

Into The Wild  was a book we briefly discussed in class. I personally loved the story that goes with this novel. The idea is that the boy is seeking a sense of freedom and understanding and just decides to hitch up to Alaska and test the wilds. this is an amazing concept to me because it just shows so much guts.

The Great Gatsby  has always been a favorite book of mine. One of my favorite aspects of the book is the eyes which appear on a billboard which are apparently symbolizing the eyes of God watching and judging. The only problem I felt I had was that they make the eyes out to seem pretty judgmental over little stuff and I don't see God that way.

In The Last Jedi , I thought Luke's connection with the force was shown in a way that didn't do justice to the character he was in the comics and in earlier written books. In the books, Luke is spoke of as a man that is completely unrivaled in his connection with the force and no doubt is the most powerful Jedi to ever live. They definitely made him seem weaker until the very end of the movie and that bothered me a lot.

In Lord of the Rings we see Christian Symbolism throughout the trilogy of movies. One theme we see that reoccurs throughout the film is the sacrifice and resurrection. We see this theme 3 times throughout the series with 3 different characters. The first time we see the theme of sacrifice is through Gandolf the Grey in the first movie of the trilogy. Gandolf while fighting a monster sacrifices himself in order to save the rest of the group, letting the quest to defeat evil in middle earth live. Gandolf later appears as Gandolf the white and has resurrected, a symbol of Christs resurrection. Next we have Aragorn and his sacrifice. While in battle, he sacrificed himself and was then hurled off a cliff to certain death. He later "resurrected" days later and came back to the surprise and delight of many of his followers to help in the battle. Finally we have the sacrifice of Frodo Baggins, the main character who made the sacrifice when destroying the ring and all evil. It looked ...

As a big Star Wars fan, I wanted to talk on some of the religious aspects of the series and how we can relate the films overall theme to religion. Everyone who knows the Star Wars knows the force and what its capable of. The force is a power that can be harnessed and with it almost anything is possible. It can be used to move things, jump high, sense things and much, much more. The force can be connected to prayer because it works in similar ways. When Jedi first learn to use the force its as though they are praying for something to happen, and although they aren't doing anything, thy trust the force and trust that it will happen. I believe this is similar to the way prayer works. When we pray to God, it is in his hands at that point and he is the higher power in which can cause miracles. In the Jedi sense, they're "prayer" or use of the force can be a sense of them praying to the force and the force listening to what they say, as God listens to what we say. Although ...

I watched Black Panther when it first came out, but the movie absolutely blew me away. The directors choice of lighting and cast really made the movie. I remember the very first scenes of the film were extremely dark in lighting, very little bright light is used in these scenes. I found at first that it was a little challenging to see the scenes, but then realized that the darkness made other parts of the film really stand out. I also thought that the all African-American cast, 100% made that movie so incredible, it almost created it's entirely own culture/world. The acting was top-notch and truly tied the movie all together.

Last spring, I decided to take a semester off of school and explore the west coast. Deciding to leave was an incredibly challenging time in my life, I was worried I would regret my decision and any repercussions that came with my choice. I still went through with the decision and left for out west where I settled down in Lake Tahoe, California. During my time out west, I did everything I possibly could to experience the other half of the country, the culture, the outdoors, and the activities associated with them. I pushed my comfort zone skiing mountains at 10,000 elevation, I rocked climbed in Yosemite National Park, mountain biking, kayaking, and so much more. I tried taking in every moment I possibly could while I had the opportunity to do so. I compare college to a chronos time in my life, everything felt like the same, day by day. Class, food, work, friends, repeat. It was fun, I enjoyed spending time with my friends, but I just felt like there was more than that and I wanted to e...

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is a totally awesome film about escaping the system that is corporate America. Walter Mitty is trapped inside of his job, always editing photos and magazines for Time. Mitty has an essential role in the making of these magazines and without him, may not be as successful. Within the film, I see similar elements from the film Ground Hog Day concerning sacred time. Walter is stuck in chronos, which is when you repeat every small detail of a day, over and over again. It wasn't until Walter loses the final film reel and sets out on an epic adventure across the continents that he escapes chronos and finally experiences kairos. Kairos is the important and meaningful experiences of life. I loved watching this movie and witnessing Walter's escape from chronos, because it is my biggest fear to be trapped in this type of time, or life.

Rick n Morty is a cartoon depiction of Marty and Doc from Back to The Future. Rick n Morty set out along many cross-parallel dimensions and all that whacky stuff, but on most of these journeys they address many real world problems. In the very first episode, Rick tells his granddaughter that there is no God and that it's best to come to terms with it now. Coincidentally, remainder of the episode found ways to incorporate God, the pursuit of happiness, nihilism, and Satan. Rik n Morty actually attempt to answer some of these questions themselves throughout the episode and remaining season. I found it was interesting that in one of the most bizarre and crazy tv shows like Rik n Morty,, the creators might attempt to tackle such hard-hitting questions. I actually found that some of their points did make sense and left me thinking more.

I watched the movie The Way recently and I was utterly shocked at the connections of spiritual elements. The movie is about a father who loses his son in a set of mountains on the Camino de Santiago trail. The father embarks on a personal journey on the Camino to feel connected with his son once again. Along the journey, the father meets several people, all hiking for different reasons. Most of them were hiking to get some sort of relief from life, to rediscover themselves, or find purpose. Much has been said about journeys and the spiritual aspects of pilgrimages. Two summers ago, I embarked on the Appalachian Trail as part of a class for CNU (Kip was the teacher). Along the way, many of the lectures pertained to pilgrimages and journeys and their connection to religion. So when I was watching this movie, I was blown away with the parallels I could draw between my journey on the Appalachian Trail and the group of people that embarked on the Camino. The experiences you learn and the pe...

I recently watched Dunkirk and wasn't overly impressed. I thought the movie lacked plot and a real story, everything was very surface level. I think my disappointment came from such high expectations. The movie definitely had some very powerful scenes with crazy visuals. The music in the background by Hans Zimmer was incredible as it always is. The suspense and moods his music set are perfect for these scenes. The themes I got out of this film was how desensitized soldiers become and how terrifying some of the situations they encountered during World War II. Throughout the film, French and British soldiers are trapped on a beach where they are being constantly bombed. Fellow soldiers are dying right next to their companions and after the bombings everyone just goes on with their business because they are so used to the constant death. The fear for this death and the selfishness needed to save your own life in this war is shown when a troupe of soldiers are in the bottom deck of a b...

Sports are like the beach, they just improve the quality of life. Sports are not necessary to life and I do think it is absurd how much some professional athletes make compared to other professions. This being said, sports have been a huge part of my life and I wouldn't give them up for just about anything. Whether it's watching them, playing them, or talking about them, sports bring people together. I was born and raised in Blacksburg, Virginia; in Blacksburg, Hokie football was religion. On saturdays that the Hokie's had home games, the whole town would shut down and everyone would go to Lane Stadium to root for the Hokies. For one whole day you forgot about everything else and came together with your friends, family and fellow Hokies you didn't even know to root for the same team. In the Lane Stadium, if you had maroon and orange on, you were part of a family. A family that triumphed at the highs and sorrowed at the lows, but it was all together. These families creat...

The beach is my happy place. There's something about waves, sand and sunshine that puts everyone in a better mood. All of the things that are stressful and anxiety causing are blocked from the beach somehow. It is almost impossible to not be in the moment while on the beach. Laying the in the sand you are instantly take over by the natural beauty in front of you. The beach comes with a relaxed feel to it; a no shirt no shoes sort of feeling. The worry free feeling I get from the beach is something I always strive for. I think above many things, it is so important to feel at peace with yourself and truly happy. This a place that is easily reached at the beach. There is no better feeling that being surrounded by friends and family on the beach with a cold drink in your hand, and I'm willing to debate that with anyone.

Forrest Gump is another movie based around good and evil, which have obvious ties to Christianity. Throughout the film you see Forrest doing great things for other just out of kindness of his heart. Forrest is often treated terribly and taken advantage of, which highlights his naiveness. This naiveness comes from some sort of mental disability that Forrest has but this does not stop him from acquiring a ton of money and love from others. This shows that just by being selfless and caring can sometimes be enough. Forrest used his physical talents just because he liked to but people exploited them and made money off of Forrest. The forces of good and evil are highlighted in war that Forrest fights in. They are also highlighted when he is bullied in school but Jenny always stands up for him. Jenny takes Forrest for granted her whole life, and even when Jenny doesn't want help Forrest comes to save her. She finally comes home to Forrest, the man she loves but was unable to admit. She di...

Good Will Hunting is probably my all time favorite movie and Robin Williams' character is probably my all time favorite character in any movie. I love the themes of self discovery, vulnerability and growth. You see Will Hunting as this genius that can out smart his way through any situation and have everything figured out; this is your view of Will until the scene on the bench. Robin Williams drops a bunch of knowledge on him and lets him know that knowing things isn't more important than actually experiencing them. After this we see Will in a completely different way. We see him as a scared boy who is afraid to let anyone into his life. We learn that he has put this guard up because of his past, which is something that many people can relate to. When Robin Williams finally tells Will that his past isn't his fault and he can let down his guard, you see the complete vulnerability of Will and he is completely transformed. He ultimately makes the decision to follow his heart.

Lord of the Rings is another one of my favorite series. The movies are so in depth and intense through. I'm sure these films are packed full with symbolism but most of it goes over my head. The most obvious theme in the film is the battle between good and evil. Frodo and the fellowship of the ring signifies the good and Soroman and the Ring signify the evil. The Ring takes control of whoever carries it and makes them power hungry. The Ring has some sort of evil hold on people that they want to escape but cannot. This hold is similar to the hold that evil or sin the Devil puts upon people in the Christian religion. People do not want to sin but some sin is so tempting and makes us obsessed with them that it is hard to break free from even when we know we must escape it or break it, just like the Ring. Like Jesus, Frodo has a band of followers who protect and help him during his journey to destroy evil.

      In The Seventh Seal , moments were funny while others were serious but the most eerie feeling was the last scene. After the characters come face to face with Death himself, they participate in danse macabre or the dance of death. I had to read about the film and what they were doing in order to understand. Sources say that this was used in order to remind people of the fragility of life and "the vain of the glories of earthly life.” Most people participated in this ritual during events like the Black Death. This is such a fascinating concept to read. Since we come from a society where death is perceived as horrifying rather than another part of life, the constant reminder that will happen to everyone scares me. Yet, this ritual or play or however you wish to describe it is used to bring together people since we are all unified in death. After reading more about danse macabre, I’m not sure how to interpret the last scene of The Seventh Seal . Is it as scary as I se...

       In Apocalypse Now , we see Captain Willard on his mission to assassinate a Colonel from their own military. On one hand, he is killing one of his own men. On the other hand, Colonel Kurtz is a dangerous man who has lost his mind and has become too power hungry. Willard ended up killing Kurtz but I still wonder how he dealt with his actions afterwards. Also, did he make the right decision? Kurtz was very intelligent and sounded as if he despised the war. One of his best quotes was, “We train young men to drop fire on people, but their commanders won't allow them to write “fuck” on their airplanes because it's obscene!” and of course his monologue about the horrors he has seen. I was reading someone’s presentation online about religious themes seen in the movie. They focused on the chakra system and relating it to Willard’s spiritual journey. They look at the opening shot of Willard upside down and the last shot of the film features Buddha. The person who crea...

    Last semester, I took Sacred Communication and Sacred Journeys. We discussed Martin Buber's "I and Thou" a lot. Excerpts of his book have stuck with me throughout this semester. It has made me question how I interact with God, how I interact with others, and how I interact with myself. He discusses two basic relationship models: I-You and I-it. Essentially, I-You is a relationship in which your ego is not the priority. There is space to serve and know others. In this relationship, life is not all about you as you are interacting with a subject. The other relationship, I-It, is the relationship with an object. This type of relationship is transactional and the ego is the focus. His work has made me question what kind of person I want to be. Do I want to be a person whose main focus is personal gain when I interact with others, when I interact with God? Or do I want to be a person who selflessly serves others, leaving behind my need for personal advancement?

Isaiah 44:22 says the following: "I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you." When I read this verse, it reminded me of the final scenes in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind . At the end of the movie, Joel and Clementine have just received the tapes from Mary and listen to them, realizing that they have had their memories erased. Both Joel and Clementine listen to the tapes and hear themselves talk about the different things that they hated about the other person and the reasons why they wanted to have them erased from their memories. After listening to these tapes, the characters come back together and decide to still be together and to fight for their relationship, despite everything that had occurred in the past. Isaiah 44:22 reminded me of this move as Joel and Clem decided to let go of the negative things that had occurred between them in the past, and as a result their relationship was r...

A Response to Adele Reinhartz's "Jesus in Film" In her chapter, "Jesus in Film," Adele Reinhartz's discusses the relationship between Jesus Christ and cinema and comments that "with the birth of cinema in the late nineteenth century, a new and highly appealing medium for seeing Jesus became available to anyone who could afford the low price of admission" (519). She goes on the clarify that "of course , the celluloid Jesus is not "really" Jesus, just as the Jesus of art and drama is not the man or messiah himself" (519). Despite this fact, "it is nevertheless the case the the movies bring Jesus to life in a way that no other medium can" (519).  In response, my question is: why is that the case? Well, film has the unique ability to bring almost any story to life in a new light, so it is unsurprising to me that it can do the same in the case of stories concerning Jesus. I believe that one of the reason why movi...

     This class has been really fascinating to look at through a Christian perspective. In particular, in the context of Genesis 3 and Revelation 21. Genesis 3 is the fall of man - where Adam and Eve sin, and in turn, man's natural state is depraved and sinful. In Revelation 21, God creates a new heaven and a new earth. As Christians, we live in this tension every day. In his essay, "On Stories," C.S. Lewis describes how story is the ultimate parallel of life. Every story displays this tension. I wrote about this in my last blog - how every story is some variation of peace v. busyness. But, it is so much more than that. It is a tension between what the world should be and what the world actually is. Man knows how the earth should be - every human being has a concept of good and evil, of right and wrong. How man responds to that tension is what truly matters. In the films we watched, the recurring theme of how man contemplates goodness and contemplates evil was very eviden...

A Response to Sheila Nayar's "The Sacred and the Cinema: Reconfiguring the 'Genuinely' Religious Film"  In chapter two of her book, Nayar says the following: "no other art form might seem less suited than film to express the transcendent" (36). She continues, saying: "film's general fealty to narrative and realism, compounded by its high cost of its apparatus, not to mention, its reliance on technology, would seem to dictate against the pure, individual expression of the 'holy' that one can find in painting, music, or literature" (36).  I completely disagree, and I feel like this class has demonstrated the complete opposite! As we watched the films together in class, each of us were able to have our own unique experience with the film, and we each interpreted it in both similar and different ways. As we discussed the films at the end of class, it was clear that we had been able to draw religious themes out of the films and fi...

       Thomas Kelly writes in his book, A Testament of Devotion, "For over the margins of life comes a whisper, a faint call, a premonition of richer living which we know w e are passing by. Strained by the mad pace of our daily outer burdens, we are further strained by an inward uneasiness, because we have hints that there is a way of life vastly richer and deeper than all this hurried existence, a life of unhurried serenity and peace and power." This one of my favorite quotes of all time. It points to a grander purpose for our life; this quote invites the reader to step outside of busyness and this hurried life that we are always participating in. I think it has been interesting to see how every film we have seen has pointed to the tension between busyness and peace, or some form of it. Whether it be the dichotomy of 'war v. peace,' 'natural order v. world order,' or 'known v. unknown,' the themes present in the films have all pointed back to this te...

In Chapter 1 of his book The Idea of Holy , Rudolph Otto touches on the concept of God. He claims that "in every theistic conception of God, it is essential that the deity is characterized by spirit, reason, purpose, good, will, supreme power, unity, and selfhood" (1). He goes on to say that "these attributes constitute clear, definite concepts that can be grasped by intellect, analysed by thought, and even admitted of definition" (1). Regarding Christianity specifically, Otto argues that "Christianity possesses such conceptions but possess them in unique clarity and abundance and this is a very real sign of its superiority over religions of other forms and other levels" (1). While it is very obvious that Otto is a but biased here, I do agree with what he is saying (perhaps I'm a bit prejudiced myself). The Christian faith provides many clear concepts about God and his character which, for me, makes it easier to believe. Instead of having to make gue...

A Commentary on Nightcrawler Nightcrawler  is a dark thriller starring Jake Gyllenhall, who plays the role of Lou Bloom. Bloom is a petty thief turned free lance photo journalist who resorts to some eyebrow raising tactics in order to get the shots he's after. Throughout the film, Lou blackmails, trespasses, coerces, sabotages, and even lies to the police about his knowledge concerning a home invasion in which multiple individuals were murdered. Lou continues to cross lines during the movie and at the end of the film, after becoming involved in a high speed chase involving the gunmen from the home invasion, he kills his partner in order to receive all of the credit and money. According to Dean Biron, a analyst of the film, " Nightcrawler  is a shattering critique of both modern day media practice and consumer culture." I completely agree with this analysis. Throughout the movie, the different news media stations over sensationalize crime and other horrific thin...

Religion in the Movies A Response to the Class This has been one of the most interesting classes that I have taken since attending Christopher Newport University. When I first signed up to take the course, I had no idea what to expect, and I was a little bit nervous about it. However, I was pleasantly surprised! I love, for the most part, that we watched movies that weren't mainstream. We watched numerous foreign films, and films that I can confidently say I would not have otherwise seen outside of the class. Out of all the films we watched, Big Fish was absolutely my favorite. I also really enjoyed Seventh Seal, and The Jacket. I also really enjoyed the class when we went to the movie theater and saw Annihilation . Seeing that movie as a class and then spending some time at Plaza Azteca afterwards to discuss the film was so much fun.  Dr. Redick, thank you for pushing our limits a little bit and presenting us with some material that was both challenging and thought provok...

The "Prodigal Son Theme" in Movies In Luke 15: 11 - 32, Jesus shares the story of the Prodigal Son with His disciples. The story goes as follows: A father has two sons. The younger son asks for his inheritance and goes off and squanders it. After some time, he becomes poor and decides to return home to his father. He returns home with the intention of begging his father to be made one of his hired servants, expecting his relationship with his father is likely severed. However, the father welcomes him back and celebrates his return.  This story line can be found as an underlying theme in many movies today. 1) Big Fish  During the film, Will and his elderly father, Edward, have a falling out over Edward's stories about his life, and do not speak to each other for 3 years following the fight. However, when Edward falls deathly ill, Will returns home and although there is tension between the duo, their relationship has not been destroyed. Over the course of the mo...

Cinematographic Techniques Used in Horror Films The Horror genre of film has always been something which interests me. Even though I cannot go through an entire scary movie without screaming or covering my head with a blanket, there is just something about the thrill that keeps me coming back for more! Since I love horror films so much, I wanted to read more on the different film techniques that are used in this specific genre. 1) Jump Scares The "Jump Scare" originated in the 1976 horror film Carrie  and utilizes sound to scare the *crap* out of the audience. A jump scare begins with near silence which is then followed by something either leaping out at the character, or a loud sound interrupts the silence, catching both the character and the audience off guard.  2) Sound  Music and sound play a really interesting role in horror genres. Individuals watching the movie can be clued in to what is about to go down in a scene based off of the music that is pl...

Decalogue Movie Response Midrash is defined as an interpretive act that seeks the answer to religious questions by plumbing the meaning of the words of the Torah. Midrash fills in the gaps in Biblical texts. It also responds to contemporary problems and crafts new stories, which in turn makes connections between new Jewish realities and the unchanging Biblical text. There are two types or Midrash, Midrash Halacha, which is more focused on law and religious practice, and Midrash Aggadah, which interprets biblical narrative and explores questions of ethics or theology or creating parables based on the text. Film can be used as a form of Midrash, as it can be used to help build connections between modern earthly matters, and biblical text. Film would fall more under the category of Midrash Aggadah, as it interprets narratives, explores questions of ethics/theology, and also creates parables, or strories.  The Decalogue  is a good example of Midrash, as it helps to co...

Exploring Film Techniques Bunny Chris Wedge's animated short film, Bunny , tells the story of an elderly widowed rabbit who lives alone in a small house. One night as Bunny is baking, she is continuously bothered by a moth and no matter what she tries she simply cannot get rid of it. At one point of the film, the moth ends up in the cake batter and she throws it into a pan and then into the oven and the proceeds to fall asleep. Bunny is awoken by a bright light coming from the oven and when she opens it, the moth guides her through a gateway into the afterlife where she is reunited with her husband. In this film, light (especially a high exposure of light) is used to portray a heavenly afterlife. Exposure of light is defined as the " amount of light coming into the lens which in turn alters the image and manipulates the audience responses." The high exposure of light signified to the audience that Bunny was going to a Heaven of sorts and as an audience member, I was ...

     This past week, I watched Baby Driver. The film follows a get away driver named Baby. He is forced to work for a crime boss, and is caught in the midst of crime that he never signed up for. As the film continues, Baby attempts to leave, but is constantly coerced into staying by his boss. Finally, Baby rebels in the middle of a bank robbery and ruins the heist. Baby is chased by the cops and other criminals. Ultimately, Baby and his girlfriend, Debora, leave town and live a life on the run.  This movie centers around Baby's choice. He desires a life free from the crime he has been a slave to. He wants to experience life and freedom. He chooses to rebel. This is reminiscent of Kierkegaard's idea of becoming - that man is radically free and is responsible for shaping himself. Baby escapes the grip of the crime boss because he chose to. He was not satisfied with who he was and was intently pursuing his own freedom.

      I can’t go through a film class without talking about one of the most underrated movies of all time: Stand by Me . Every time I try to talk about this movie with someone, they have never seen it and I always tell them, “It’s about four boys who search for a dead body,” because that’s the best way to describe it without spoiling anything! If you want to watch it, stop reading now because I say a few spoilers. It’s such a beautiful story about friendship and growing up. I loved it when I was a child and watched it again for the first time in a while during my sophomore year of college. No matter what age you are you will always feel lost and this movie reminds you the importance of friendship and finding yourself. No other movie captures emotion and gentleness among 12 year old boys better than Stand by Me . The best part is the boys go through a rite of passage as they search for the body. Each of them begin to realize who they are and not who everyone thinks they ...

        I am Catholic and saints are a big part of our religion. Most people do not understand why but I’m not here to explain. I’ll talk about my favorite saint to read about; Saint Gemma Galgani. She was an incredible figure. 4 of her 7 siblings died due to tuberculosis and had to raise the remainder of her siblings at the age of 18. Gemma began displaying signs of the stigmata at the age of 21. She claimed to speak to Jesus, Mary, and Gabriel and received messages from them about future events. She prayed for the stigmata to disappear and it did. She would be found levitating as well. Some believe she suffered from mental illness but others, like her spiritual director, defended her and the director went on to write about her. When I was confirmed, I used her name to become Camille Labate Gemma Galgani Gross. The reason why I felt mesmerized by her story is because it was so different from other stories about the saints. Seeing visions and messages of Jesus, M...

     I wrote my term paper on The Prestige and this past weekend I re-watched the Dark Knight. Both were directed by Christopher Nolan, so it was interesting to compare and contrast them. Visually, both films were similar. The imagery was meant to portray darkness and emphasize shadow. Both films explored the in-between of good and evil. In the Prestige, both magicians are terrible people who seek to hurt each other, but it is portrayed as a cycle of revenge -- which could lead some viewers to justify their actions. In the Dark Knight, we see both positive and negative qualities of Bruce Wayne -- we see his inflated ego, but we also see his desire for justice. Like many of the films we saw this semester, both challenge the viewer to assess if their is a clear line between good and evil.

     Two films we watched this semester really resonated with me, The Seventh Seal and Big Fish. They both deal with this theme of fact v. fantasy. In both films, an idol is made of knowledge. Antonius Block is obsessed with finding a concrete answer in regards to the existence of God and William Bloom is tired of his father's elaborate stories. I really resonated with these two characters because I have a tendency to seek fact over all else. I would consider this a fault. As a Christian, this has been something I struggle with. I tend to see things as black and white, where everything is logical and neat. Sometimes, only seeing fact can be the easy way out - to judge something at that moment and never deal with it again. However, this is not how God works. He is a God who operates outside of human reason and human logic. These movies have challenged the way I see 'fantasy' and have encouraged me to investigate what makes up reality outside of fact.

     As we've watched a variety of films this semester, I've thought about how film is something that all can relate to. It is a medium that transcends class, race, age, etc. I have also been thinking about how music is a transcendent medium. As film shows shared themes of humanity, so does music. Music speaks to a human's basic need to be known and to know, to be loved and to love, to connect. It speaks to the human condition - it addresses challenges and hurts that we all experience. Music has this incredible ability to interpret culture and address its issues - it can point out our shortcomings and imperfections in a way that speaks to all. Here is some music that speaks to me: - timshel by mumford and sons - ribs by lorde - tribulation by matt maeson - DNA by kendrick lamar - wood and nails by the porters gate - morning in america by jon bellion

   I have been thinking a lot recently about the idea of beauty -- I have been thinking about both the subjectivity and objectivity of it. I find it so interesting that what is beautiful to one can be mundane to another. But, there are also universal themes of beauty. No one would look at a vibrant sunset at Lions Gate and respond with a simple, "it's okay." Beauty can come through many forms - it can be visual, it can be heard, it can be tasted. I also have been thinking about how as humans we strive to create beauty - whether that be through how we look, art, with words, through song, through food, in relationships, among other things. The desire of man to create ultimately stems from the fact that we have been made in the image of the Creator. This semester has been a whirlwind. I feel as if I have not had time to breathe. Lately, I have been trying to encounter beauty in the small things. Walking back from late nights in the library, I always check to see if the sta...

            In a sociology course I took, I did a research paper on women representation in film. Looking back at the past few years, we see women becoming a more dominant character rather than being used as a mere plot device. Ghostbusters and Wonder Woman are just a few examples of action films where women are shown to be the ones getting the job done but have been met with criticism. Even though Dan Aykroyd, the mastermind behind the original Ghostbusters , was more than happy to see the 2016 Ghostbusters , people were very angry to see a classic rebooted, even though every few years I have to sit through another reboot of  Spiderman . Nulman’s “Representation of Women in the Age of Globalized Film” looks at a wide variety of films of different genres. For the most part, men were in powerful positions, such as being the president, while women were secondary characters or even just the love interest. Behm-morawitz and Pennell write about how wom...

         The readings assigned for our essay on Big Fish , Dr. Redick used a lot of quotes from Walter Fisher. This semester I was taking a rhetorical criticism class where I focused a lot on Fisher’s teachings. A concept he came up with for communication was the narrative paradigm. Basically the paradigm talks about how storytelling is an effective means of interaction and even helps back up arguments rather than using logic. The narrative paradigm is based on the five factors: humans are storytellers, decision making is based on good reasons, good reasons are based on history, biography, culture, and character, rationality is based in people’s awareness of consistency and reminiscent of lived experience, and we must choose among all the stories. Rationality relies on coherence and fidelity. Fidelity looks at the story compared to similar stories and the values they discuss. Coherence refers to the storyteller’s ability to remain consistent throughout the sto...

In C.S. Lewis's 'The Four Loves,' Lewis talks about four types of love that are a part of man. The four types are affection, friendship, eros, and charity. Affection is storge , or familial love. Friendship is platonic love. Eros is erotic, romantic love. These three are considered the natural loves - loves that man is bound to experience in his lifetime. However, charity refers to the foundation of the three natural loves - Lewis describes the as the love of God. This love transcends all human boundaries and understanding, it is incomprehensible. The beautiful part of this love is that it is an invitation. Lewis writes than when we experience this charity love, when we experience communion with the Holy, it is an invitation to transform and elevate our natural loves. Suddenly, every action and thought, regardless of what type of love it is rooted in, has purpose and meaning. This charity love is definitive - man has a new identity when he experiences it. This new identity ...

A Quiet Place Movie Response Last month some friends and I went to go see John Krasinski's new movie A Quiet Place . First of all, it was an incredible movie and if you haven't seen it then you absolutely should. The second thing that you should know, though, is that this movie will stress you out SO BAD. The setting of the film takes place after an Alien invasion, and focuses on the Abbott family and their struggle for survival. In order to survive, the family must remain as quiet as they can as the alien hunt on the basis of sound, The family has a leg up as they all know American Sign Language on account that Regan, the eldest daughter of the family, is deaf.  While watching the film, there was one Christian theme that really stuck out to me. The father, played by John Krasinski, did any and everything that he could to protect his family. At the beginning of the movie, Lee and his family are scavanging in an abandoned town looking for supplies when his little boy, B...

Annihilation Movie Response Annihilation tells the story of a group of scientists who enter "the Shimmer," an extraterrestrial quarantined zone that is filled with astonishing and sometimes terrifying mutations.  The story follows Lena, the main protagonist of the movie and one of the scientists to enter the Shimmer. Lena volunteered to join the expedition as her husband, Kane, a soldier who had entered the soldier, was deathly ill and she needed to figure out what had happened to him.  One of the most interesting things about the Shimmer, in my opinion, is the unique impact it had on the different supporting characters. As the group trekked deeper and deeper into the Shimmer, it slowly but surely began to impact each of them in different ways. In a previous scene, Sheppard, one of the women on the expedition, had filled Lena in on the rough back stories of each member of the group. Ventress, the head psychologist had no friends or family, and later in the film it wa...

In C.S. Lewis's, "Mere Christianity," Lewis writes of God as the perfect image of goodness and as human, our innate knowledge of right and wrong points to this Holy and Perfect God. He writes, " We know that if there does exist an absolute goodness it must hate most of what we do. That is the terrible fix we are in. If the universe is not governed by an absolute goodness, then all of our efforts are in the long run hopeless. But if it is, then we are making ourselves enemies to that goodness everyday, and are not in the least likely to do any better tomorrow, and so our case is hopeless again. We cannot do without it, and we cannot do with it. God is the only comfort, He is also the supreme terror -- the thing we most need and the thing we most want to hide from. He is our only possible ally, and we have made ourselves His enemies. Some people talk as if meeting the gaze of an absolute goodness would be fun. They need to think again. They are still only playing with ...

     I found Annihilation to be a fascinating film. The concept of the film was very interesting - a biological parasite that mutates and combines the DNA of both plants and animals, and mutates the DNA of whatever . It also showed the very basic theme of known vs. unknown. The known being the world outside of the shimmer, the unknown being the shimmer. This parallel of known and unknown was shown many times throughout the movie, such as the two deer who moved in unison, as one was made out of flowers and the other was an animal. Another example was the scene where the metallic being mirrored everything that Natalie Portman's character did. Biological mutation was also presented when the head scientist of the mission revealed that she had cancer, yet went into the shimmer knowing that she would not come back. She was ultimately consumed by a different form of biological mutation. I saw a parallel to Blade Runner in this film. Specifically at the end, when Natalie Portma...

In Harold and Maude, tone was exemplified through the framing, panning, and quality of the scenes. In one scene, Harold's mother is disappointed in him for lighting something on fire. Harold directly addresses the camera with his eyes as if to say, "look what I did." The camera pans out from his face and we see his mother look him up and down, as if to size him up and judge him. This is shown at an oblique angle. Later in the film, there is a shot of a cemetery, where the tombstones stretch back as far as the eye can see. This scene conjures very 'anti-war' imagery. In Bunny, the moth going after the light was symbolic of afterlife. The oven was symbolic of transformation, and how death is the door to eternity. In North Fork, the mountains stood steadfast as the town changed radically. The mountains symbolized eternity. '' The Wall was the film that stuck with me the most. Its imagery was shocking and unsettling, but I feel that is what caught my atten...

    Thin Red Line was a movie that dealt with many themes of war, including the contemplation of death and the shared humanity of man. However, the main theme of the cinematography of the movie alluded to the sublime nature of the holy, and then compared it to the atrocities of war. This contrast is seen in one particular scene, where a man gets shot in a field and the camera pans to golden grass in the wind. The beauty of this scene cannot be ignored. In another scene, as a young soldier dies in the jungle, the camera pans to the sun filtering through the canopy of the trees. This is a common theme in the aesthetics of the movie: the horror of war in the midst of the beauty of nature. These scenes point to the undeniable sublime nature of the Holy, as symbolized by nature in the film, despite the brokenness and violence of man, as symbolized by war in the film.       Another interesting theme in the movie was the contemplation of death. In the beginni...

I have played soccer for pretty much my whole life and it has taken up a countless amount of hours. I have so much to thank soccer for. Bascially all of my best friends have come as a result of soccer. I have learned and am still learning many lessons because of soccer. I am at and got into this school that I love because of soccer. Other than the things I have gained from soccer, I just love the game. There is something so free and creative about soccer. There are no predetermined plays or timeouts in soccer, it's truly a players game. Soccer is one of few sports that I would say has more to do with the mental side of your game than the physical side. Yes, being big and fast does help but the best soccer player in the world, Lionel Messi, is 5 feet 7 inches tall, that's smaller than me. His success comes from his soccer IQ and technique. That is what makes this sport so great, you don't need to have all the athletic ability in the world to be good. As long as you mind is s...

Fortnite is a new video game that came out about 3 months ago. Since middle school I haven't been a huge gamer, but Fortnite brought  back the youthful bliss I used to feel while playing video games with my friends. This game is a first person shooter but it is all online so you play with groups of friends. This game combines the fun of video games and the comradery friendship. I used to get play video games for about an hour or so until I got bored. With Fortnite, I can stay up for hours, sometimes all night long joking and laughing with friends. It brings friends together from back home, friends I haven't seen in months, but since we are playing the same game, it is just like being at home playing with them. There are many things about the vast technological advances our society is taking that are detrimental to mankind, but I think this is one of the great ones, connecting people in ways we never could before.

Harry Potter is my favorite series of movies ever. I feel such a personal connection to all the characters. My dad used to read the books to my brother and I every night before we went to sleep. I can still remember the excitement of going to get the books or see the movies on the opening night. After taking this class, I have learned and realized much more about the series. There is so much strong symbolism, especially Christian symbolism, that I never noticed before this class. The fight between good and evil, Harry and Voldemort, is very obvious but there are some more subtle ones as well. Voldemort has Nagini, his pet snake, just like Satan sent a snake into Adam and Even to force sin onto man kind. Voldemort has seven horcruxes that keep his evil soul alive and there are seven deadly sins. The Deathly Hallows is made up of 3 things, the elder wand, the sorcerers stone and the cloke of invisibility, which symbolizes the holy trinity, the father, the son and the holy spirit. I still...

Senior year is starring me in the face. It is intimidating. It looks sly but happy and inviting. The word adult is scary to me, I never thought I would get to this point in life. I honestly still kind of feel like i'm 16 or in high school. I lead Young Life and I know high school kids parents look at me and see me as old, and they look at me and see me as old. It is so wild. For now I am attempting to live in each moment and take in as much as I can. I do not want to look forward to next year or to marriage or tomorrow. I simply want to live in this moment because I know that each day is perfectly mapped out for me to soak in all of it. I know that each day and each moment has been ordained and written and unique for me. I am scared and nervous and excited and terrified and happy all at the same time for the future. For now I am trying to get through this week and to summer, but I will choose to live in each day and soak in the moments as long as possible.

Now this one was a good book! I read this last year on a plane to Ohio when I was visiting my boyfriend and his parents over Christmas break. Growing up I was never allowed to watch or read Harry Potter because my mom thought it was too creepy and about witchcraft (we were youth group kids) but then she decided to read them herself, loved them, and we were allowed. By that point, reading wasn't cool anymore so I was not interesting. Here I am 10 years later in college reading the first Harry Potter book at 20 years old. Oh man was it incredible. The imagery, the writing, the style, the way it was just so captivating blew me away. It was simply the best. Since then, I haven't read any of the other books but I plan to and I think they will be just as good. The movies are good but a little hard to follow. I watched the movies before I read any of the books, so going back and reading the first book kind of tied it all together.

My mom is my best friend. Im writing this because she is a constant and I was just texting her in between blogs. She is seriously the best! I feel like she deserves a tribute. She has taught me so many things and loved me so well. She is fearless and also tender. She is kind and bubbly but also sure of herself at the same time and in no way a push over. My mom has taught me a lot of things. My mom has taught me that you make the way your day goes, and if you want to find joy then seek the Lord. She always woke me up in middle school singing "Rise and shine and give God the glory glory." Of course, middle school me was always so annoyed because it was 6am and did I mention I was in middle school? Whenever I was having a bad day, she would say that I can choose if my day is good or bad and it all depends on the outlook you have. Man am I thankful for those words everyday. My mom has taught me that sometimes people are going to let you down. In high school my friends let m...

Roommates are fun. And sometimes they are not fun. I live with 4 other girls in an apartment that is suppose to house only 4 girls. Not 5. When you think about it a couple of months before, it seems like it would be the easiest thing right? Bunking beds in a shoebox room and calling it a day. Well, we were wrong. Living in an apartment that is suppose to hold 4 girls and shoving 5 girls in it, is harder than it looks. Its stressful and there is drama and it is very hard. Especially when there is an odd duckling in the group. 4 of us get along perfectly and love each other so well and will be besties forever, but there is 1 that is not in that group, and the 4 of us have no idea why. It is frustrating and sad and hurtful because the 4 of us don't know what happened and it is really sad. Roommates are fun, and sometimes they are not.

Donnie Darko Movie Response One of the most profound scenes in Donnie Darko, is the final scene when Donnie has successfully traveled back in time and lies in his bed, allowing the jet engine that falls from the sky to crush him. This scene was so profound to me, because I found it so inconceivable that Donnie would welcome this fate. In fact, he didn't just welcome it, Donnie laughed in the face of his tragic death.  So, what gives? How was he able to just accept this death? Well, this scene reminded me of a previous encounter between Donnie and his counselor, in which she had said to him "if the sky were to suddenly open up (which it very well did), there would be no law, there would be no rule. There would only be you and your memories." Initially, Donnie feared not only death, but the thought of dying alone, as Frank, the really creepy bunny-man thing, had told him that "every living creature dies alone." At the end of the film, however, when Do...

         I know I did Fight Club for my final paper but this is a movie I think about daily. I promise there will be no spoilers for this post because anyone who spoils this movie is cruel and doesn’t want anyone else to enjoy this incredible journey of violence, societal critiques, and twist and turns. I always feel annoyed when people talk about this movie by saying it’s just a bunch of white men complaining about their job and not knowing what to do with their money. If anyone thinks this, they were not watching the movie with their eyes open (pun intended). One of this biggest critiques about the film is the character of Marla. Marla is a critical person in The Narrator’s life. Without her, Tyler would never have been introduced to The Narrator. I see a lot of people comparing Tyler to God or some kind of godlike figure and I disagree. In my final paper, I wrote about how I see Tyler as Satan or a false idol. He seduces his followers by saying he understan...

       During our discussion about existentialism, I thought about the film Running on Empty. In this film, Judd Hirsch and Christine Lahti play Arthur and Annie Pope who have been on the run for almost two decades because they were responsible for an anti-war bombing protest in the 70s that blinded and paralyzed a janitor. Now, they have two children, Danny and Harry, played by River Phoenix and Jonas Abry. The two boys have grown up all over and have had to change their identities and schools every few months. Danny is a piano prodigy and realizes he wants to go to college but if he does this, he has to leave his family and stay distant from them or else they will be caught. I watched this film last summer and was conflicted on what I would do in Danny’s position. I couldn’t imagine leaving my family but I don’t want to live my life on the run. I was also concerned for Danny because this was something that affected him but he had no control over the situation unt...

Thin Red Line Movie Response & Analysis At the beginning of Thin Red Line , we are introduced to Private Witt, an AWOL soldier who is hiding out in a Melanesian village in the South Pacific. When the U.S. Army finally catches up with him, Witt is transported to Japan where he joins a group of soldiers and accompanies them as they attempt to push further and further into the island; defeating Japanese troops as they go. In the beginning scenes of the film, it is established that Witt is terrified of death As the movie progresses, the men deal with and are constantly surrounded by death. At the end of the film, Witt volunteers to scout upriver with a group of men, and suddenly finds himself surrounded by Japanese forces. Rather than submitting to them, he raises his gun and is shot down by the Japanese troops. In this final scene, it is clear that Witt has overcome his fear of death, and actually welcomes it.  Thin Red Line , while it portrays numerous scenes that show t...

These blogs have certainly convicted me about the amount of books I have read. If i'm being honest, the only book that I read consistently is the bible, so I think ill just keep blogging about that. Ive started to go through the book of Luke. Im not really sure why. Maybe because I have never consistently read the book of Luke? When I go through my bible I see less things underlined and fewer notes in the margin in the book of Luke than the other 3 gospels. In the first chapter, the book of Luke tells the story about the beginning of Jesus' life. It talks about the birth of John the Baptist and how Gabriel visits Elizabeth and tells her that she will bare a child, and tells the story of when God sent Gabriel to visit and tell Mary and Joseph about the baring of Jesus. I think this is one of the greatest examples and stories of obedience in the bible. Mary, a virgin is so obedient and confident in God. She is a virgin, therefore she knows she will be looked down upon when ...

     I really enjoyed watching Decalogue 1 and Decalogue 5.  In the Decalogue, the visual medium of film works as midrash by allowing you to fully step into a story. It allows the viewer to participate in a unique experience where you are immersed into the story, which cultivates the possibility of experiencing the story. You are able to feel what the characters feel and able to think what the characters think. Because of this immersion into experience, the the viewer can draw meaning from the commandment by turning an objective law into a subjective situation where the outcome and answers are not always clear. In essence, emphasizing the ‘gray area’ of real life. Both the Decalogue 1 and Decalogue 5 use visual imagery to convey emotion. In the Decalogue 1, there is symbolism in the scene where they pull the body out of the water. Everyone kneels but the father who lost his son. This could possibly be symbolic of how he does not have faith in the context of a majo...

One movie that was really panned by critics but I really enjoyed was Collateral Beauty. Will Smith plays Howard, a man who is struggling to cope with the loss of his daughter. He writes letters to love, time, and death. These letters are discovered by his co-worker Whit, played by Edward Norton, who decides to hire people to play personifications of love, time, and death. Whit does this because their business is failing and Howard is the only one who can fix it. Throughout the film, the personifications talk to Howard but really help improve the lives of Whit and their other co-workers. While this film is not perfect, I believe it really brings up interesting points about death. At one point, when Howard is talking to Death, he says: “I've heard all of your platitudes. I got them, I know. "She's in a better place." And, "This is all a part of a master plan." Heard that one, too. Here's my favorite. "God looked down and saw the most beautiful rose...

         One of my favorite tv shows and movies of all time is M*A*S*H. Every episode is so clever with the dialogue and the character development is sensational. The show started off as just a funny sitcom of doctors working together in Korea during the Korean War but progressed into a wonderful dramedy that showed the difficulties of war and how people come together during these terrible moments. One bit of dialogue that stood out to me from the show was between Father Mulcahy and Hawkeye: Frank Burns: Everybody knows war is hell. Hawkeye: War isn’t Hell. War is war, and Hell is Hell. And of the two, war is a lot worse. Father Mulcahy: How do you figure that, Hawkeye? Hawkeye: Easy, Father. Tell me, who goes to Hell?         Father Mulcahy: Sinners, I believe.         Hawkeye: Exactly. There are no innocent bystanders in Hell. War is chock full of them: little              ki...

      In class, when we watched Donnie Darko, I was a bit confused at times. I had a hard time seeing past the creepy nature of the film into the broader themes. Dr. Redick brought up an interesting theme of connection and belonging. At the beginning of the film, Donnie could not connect with anyone. As the film progresses, he learns to connect with his girlfriend, despite his mental illness and social barriers. His ability to connect affected many different relationships in his life. For instance, at the beginning of the film, when the engine had landed on his room and it was uncertain if Donnie was dead or alive, his family barely reacted. At the end of the film, when Donnie died in his room, his family was grief-stricken. This progression of connection throughout the movie alluded to the larger questions asked during the movie, such as "does everyone die alone?" and if this is true, does the search for God matter? Donnie clearly did not die alone. He was missed. His co...

Being pursued by someone feels wonderful. It makes you feel wanted and loved, special and important. I think being pursued is what most humans want. They want to feel love and special and important. They want to feel like someone wants to know them or cares about them. I suppose that we are hard wired to want to feel pursued by someone of something, just for a bit, and once we get that and experience that, we want more. We want it all the time, we want to feel it and know it. It is a comforting feeling. Ive been pursued by lots of people. Friends, old boyfriends, mentors, parents, lots of people. But, everyone usually tends to disappoint. Is it my fault? Is it there fault? Is it no ones fault? Whose fault is it? Im not sure I can answer that question. I would say it might be a mixture. I do believe that we are hard wired to want to be and feel pursued by someone. I guess breaking that down I would say we have a desire to feel known and loved and wanted. I think the only being...

In Wings of Desire  we see the bridge between angels and hums; the bridge between isolated morality and vulnerable humanity. Daniel, the angel, wanders the earth helping how humans find strength. He seems very curious of these humans and desires to be like them. He does not enjoy his limited ability to interact with them and the differences in opportunity he has. Daniel is finally taken over by humanity's beauty when he sees a gorgeous woman practicing as an acrobat. He follows her back to her trailer and overtaken with her beauty. He wants desperately to talk to her but cannot because he is an angel. Daniel is given the opportunity be a human. He experiences pain but is unbothered. He also begins to experience how mean and rude some humans can be. Now that everyone can see him and acknowledge his presence, he is unimpressed by how he is treated by some. Nevertheless he is ready to interact the woman that he has been watching. Daniel finds that being human has many painful emotions...