Men in Movies
Matt Page
http://biblefilms.blogspot.com

Few art forms have the potential to challenge us as directly as film. You probably don't have to think very hard to name a film that's left you inspired, angry, challenged or motivated to make the world a better place. You only have to flick through the pages of the original Dead Men Walking (named after a film) to see the impact that Braveheart had on Messers Jackson and Gascoyne. What's incredible about cinema is that even though pretty much none of us know what it is like to be a blue-woaded 12th Century Scottish knight, the movie still spoke to many ordinary blokes about living a life after God. Somehow it communicates something that we can take and apply to our ordinary, not too thrilling, lives.

Of course it doesn't work for every film, for every film that someone watches that inspires them they probably watch ten that are entertaining enough, but nothing really special. So for anyone that's happy to lay aside the latest James Bond film in search of something a little more substantial, here are a few that may leave you a changed man.

I wanted to start by looking at some positive portrayals of men of faith. Christians often claim that they get a raw deal in the media, but given our track record we don't do too badly. Let's face it if the church had been a shining beacon of integrity for the last 2000 years, then even a filmmaker with an axe to grind would find people wouldn't buy their "evil Christian" stereotype.

Movie Ministers

Contrary to popular opinion there are actually lots of positive portrayals of Christians in the movies, if only we look hard enough. The simplest way to depict a "committed Christian" in cinematic shorthand is to go for some sort of Christian leader.

One of my favourites in this respect is The Mission which stars Jeremy Irons and Robert DeNiro as two priests trying to spread the gospel to unreached native American tribes whilst Spanish and Portuguese slave traders attempt to carve up the continent to line their own pockets. There's something very sobering about seeing the commitment these guys and their colleagues had to preaching the gospel, the lengths they went to and the risks they took. It also looks at how its often harder for us to forgive ourselves than it is for God to forgive us. However, the film saves its biggest questions for the third act as the slavers come to take the village that the priests are living in. The film refuses to tell you what to think and as a result raises up genuine questions about if, and how the followers of the Prince of Peace should defend themselves.

Catholic priests have always been rather popular with film makers. Another classic portrayal is Father Barry from On the Waterfront - best known for Brando's "I coulduh been a contenduh" speech. Whilst Brando's character is a sort of "Christ figure" it's Father Barry that steals the show when he resolves to take on the mob and their corrupt union down at the docks. When the one person who rallies to his call to fight back is killed off Barry's told to get back to his church. Despite being pelted with garbage he stands his ground in the face of overwhelming hostility, and delivers one of my favourite lines in the history of cinema:

"Boys, that is my church. And if you don't think Christ is down here on the waterfront you've got another guess coming."

Few of us are probably priests, but the mentality of calling the harshest areas near where we live our church and claiming it for God no matter what gets thrown at us is truly inspiring. Incidentally, another great film priest is Father Logan in Hitchcock's I Confess, who is prepared to stick to his principles even though it might mean he gets convicted of a murder he knows someone else committed.

More recently other denominations have been allowed to get in on the act too. Changing language, as well as denomination a brilliant recent film is Italian for Beginners. Rather than one or two lead actors, this features an "ensemble cast" of nine actors who all live in a small town and gradually become friends. Most of them have lived for years in the town, the one exception being Andreas, the new, temporary pastor of the dead-on-its-feet local church.

Suffice to say that if our church was ever after a new church leader I would give this guy the job. Many would choose to moan about a post where they had to live out of a suitcase, and their congregation dips below three, but instead Andreas takes it as an opportunity to get out and meet the broken people around him. His approachability and his gentle humour put them at ease and help them open up to him.

Andreas doesn't have the steely defiance of Father Barry, but still is still a man of great strength. The pain of his wife's recent death is tangible and it is a very real obstacle for his faith. But the film shows him rejecting being a victim and finding his feet again as he helps others find theirs. His pain is an obstacle, but it's one he is determined to shift or get around. It's not a Hollywood film, and so there are no dramatic "I will not be a victim!" speeches, but that only makes it feel more real. And although the subtleties of what is really happening takes a few viewings to emerge, the humanity, warmth, approachability and humour are much clearer from the start. It's great to see a film showing someone living with the reality of faith, reaching out to people, and in this case seeing the fruit of it.

Often some of the best portrayals of faith start out quite negatively, before the character in question learns something that changes them and challenges us in the process. A recent example of this is biting US Christian High School satire Saved!. Saved! has been much criticised in Christian circles, and it's certainly not an evangelist's dream-film-come-true. Nevertheless, more Christians need to see it, because the satire is so spot on in places that it causes you to question some of the absurdities of the Christian world (even whilst you're laughing so hard you choke on your popcorn).

As the film is based in a Christian school, nearly all the characters would identify themselves as Christians, and yes, in this case many of them are shallow or hypocritical. The most interesting character in the film, for me at least, is the head-teacher of the school, Pastor Skip (played by Martin Donovan). At the start of the film Skip is the worst kind of youth worker. Speaking like he's recently swallowed a copy of the "Street Bible", and trying fancy tricks to impress his students, he is as cringe worthy and as shallow, as he is annoyingly familiar. But as the film unwinds we find out that his exterior masks the turmoil of a failing marriage, and a people-less legalistic belief system that is gradually failing to hold everything together. However, as the film veers to it's (perhaps overly comfortable) happy ending, our final view of Skip shows him finally beginning to be real, and wrestle with some of the difficulties and contradictions that life has thrown his way. It's a masterful shot, and whilst the overall view of the filmmakers is somewhat questionable they manage to find a humanity in Skip whilst (hopefully) challenging those like him.

Another example of the bad-Christian-comes-good film is Robert Duvall's The Apostle. Duvall plays an evangelist who runs away from his church after committing a crime, and tries to rebuild his life by carrying on in the only career he knows - preaching. This is probably a scenario alien to most of us, especially as it is set in America's deep south, but the way that Duvall's salvation is found gradually, as he actually shares his life in community with those around him, is a lesson for us all. It's not the easiest film to relate to, but plenty in it to make you think.

Normal Christians

Thankfully not all of the Christians we have seen in the cinema are professionals, and as most reading this book are probably not ordained ministers you'll be pleased to know that I want to highlight a few "ordinary Christians" (although, let's face it, Christians should never be just ordinary).

Perhaps the most famous and best-loved example is Eric Liddell in Chariots of Fire. The story of Chariots of Fire is all the more extraordinary because it's based on real events, and perhaps it's also a little too easy to get carried away with it because ultimately Liddell won. What is strange about the film is how many modern day Christians, who would happily go for a kick about or buy something from a shop on a Sunday, still relate to it. I'm a rugby player myself, and whilst my team plays predominantly on Saturday's, I've still been OK playing the odd game on a Sunday. Yet somehow I still love the film.

The reason Chariots of Fire works, and is so beloved even by those who don't share Liddell's theology is because it fundamentally understands how intricately connected Liddell's faith and his athletic performance are. There are very few films that do this. As the Duke of Sutherland says at one point 'the "lad", as you call him, is a true man of principles and a true athlete. His speed is a mere extension, of his life, its force. We sought to sever his running from himself'.

Have you ever wondered if he would he have won Liddell had gone against his conscience and won? I can't help feeling he might not have done. Not because God is mean and nasty and would want to teach him a lesson, but simply because our faith is holistic and you can't separate Eric the Christian from Eric the athlete. The earlier scene where he drags himself up after a fall and still wins the race is a key one. The determination he shows there, and that ultimately wins him his gold, is because he knew God had made him fast and because when he ran he knew God's pleasure.

So given that many of this books readers will not share Liddell's views on the Sabbath, and that most of us won't be racing in the Olympics what can we take from the film? Well firstly that our principles are important. Our world is becoming increasingly driven by "what works" rather than what is right, and it's easy for us to sacrifice our principles to get a result (which can be in church things as well as, say, normal work). It's far too tempting not to trust God in these things and just do what needs doing to get a result. That wasn't what Liddell did. He counted it as nothing, and threw it away, knowing what God said was more important than getting earthly results. Thankfully in this case Liddell won, but it's important to realise that he didn't know that at the time. And in reality, even if we make the right choice we won't necessarily get the result we want. Watching Chariots of Fire back to back with The Mission would probably give a good perspective on things. Doing the right thing is not always successful, but it is always the right thing.

Another Christian with an extraordinary talent was writer C. S Lewis. Two versions of Lewis' life, or rather how he dealt with finding love and then losing it, have been made in the last twenty years. Interestingly they emphasise different elements of Lewis' character. Norman Stone's BAFTA winning BBC film Shadowlands (1985) paid particular attention to his normality, and his Christianity. On the other hand Richard Attenborough's 1993 film of the same name stresses the wit and wisdom that made Lewis so popular as a Christian writer. It's hard to choose which film is better. The later film looks nicer, and Hopkins gives a more dynamic performance, but the earlier one stays with Lewis that bit longer, staying with him to the point where he rediscovers his faith.

One of my favourite film portrayals of a Christian in recent years is police officer Jim Kurring in Magnolia. Magnolia is a tough film to watch, and many balk at the early scene where Tom Cruise leads a non-Christian version of a Dead Men Walking seminar. But it's worth pushing through, because redemption is at it's most powerful when it overcomes the biggest obstacles. The Prodigal Son wasn't a story about a nice kosher boy who just got a bit bored with the synagogue, but of a man who wished his father dead so he could squander his money on booze and sex, and then defiled himself further by working with "unclean" pigs.

Magnolia is another film with no obvious lead actors, and it set a new trend in filmmaking by interweaving the seemingly unrelated lives of numerous individuals into one big story. Kurring is one such character. What's great about him is that he's so ordinary. Many of the above characters are professionals; Lewis possessed a brilliant mind; Liddell was a super-athlete with an obvious divine gift. Kurring is just a normal police officer and not even a particularly good one - he even loses his gun in one scene. But he is a good man, honest, and equally determined to live for God. And as such he acts as a channel that God uses to pour his grace into the lives of two of the most lost people in the whole film. I suspect that if you had asked Liddell which the greater achievement was he would have willing swapped places.

Sometimes, as Christians, we can be guilty of wanting Hollywood to represent us as something we aren't; as super infallible Christians, rather than normal people with our own shortcomings.

Magnolia certainly never falls into that trap, and as such depicts a man we can relate to now, rather than the man we would like to be, but never will be.

'Character' is very much the focus of The Big Kahuna, a film starring Kevin Spacey and Danny DeVito based on a stage play. Spacey and DeVito play Larry and Phil - two experienced salesmen at a sales convention, teaming up with new boy Bob (Peter Facinelli) to try and win a major contract. At first it seems that they have failed when the big executive appears not to turn up. However, Larry and Phil soon find out that this 'Big Kahuna' did actually turn up, but that he had only spoken to Bob. As a Christian, Bob had used most of his time with this man to evangelise him, rather than sell him the industrial lubricants as he was meant to, and Larry and Phil are understandably annoyed.

Is Jesus more important than industrial lubricants? Clearly not (did I really need to ask?) Should Bob be selling the gospel when he's meant to doing his job? To be honest, even after several viewings I'm still not sure. But that's the kind of wonderful ambiguity you get with art. And although the writer and director want you to see the world as DeVito does, I can't help wondering if the film somehow breaks free from what they intended, and supports Bob far more than they realised.

One final example that combines both pro- and amateur Christians is the film version of Les Miserables starring Liam Neeson as Jean Valjean. Musical haters need not fear - there are no songs here as this is based on the book only, and it reminds you of what a great story it was before it became such a popular musical.

For anyone who doesn't know the story, it begins with an incredible act of grace, and shows how that event completely changes Valjean's life, who in turn lives a life of sheer goodness. There are other versions of it around, but the emphasis this one puts on that initial act, and Neeson at his best make this one worth watching again and again.

Non-Christians

Of course men who aren't Christians can also be inspirational - just look at Gandhi - and the cinema has produced so many examples I can only concentrate on a few.

For some reason, film Christians are never inspirational as fathers, whereas there are a good number of great father figures in the cinema in general. Perhaps the best recent example is Johnny in In America. Johnny is staggering his way through the loss of a child and the pressures of trying to start a new life in a country whilst trying to provide for his wife and three kids. It's an incredible example of everyday heroism, and being extraordinary in the ordinary stuff of life.

Another great film father can be found in Roberto Benigni's Life is Beautiful. Benigni plays Guido, a Jewish man who marries and has a son in the years just before the outbreak of the Second World War. When the Germans invade Italy Guido's family are sent into a concentration camp. Guido manages to convince his son that this is all a game, and if they play the game correctly they will win a big prize. It's an unbelievable example of the totally selfless love and sacrifice of a father to protect his son, incredibly it manages to be heart warming and heart breaking at the same time. Some have questioned whether Guido is right to trick his son in order to save his life, but I think that misses the point. What is most powerful about the film is the way Guido sidelines his own raw fear and terror in order to preserve his son. If you've never cried at a film, this might be the one that breaks you…(or you may get the sudden out-of-season attack of hay fever that most men claim!)

If you really want to delve into the father theme there are plenty to go at. Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird, Marlon in Finding Nemo, Giuseppe Conlon in In the Name of the Father, and Anakin Skywalker in…er, no wait - but you get the picture. *

For those of us who aren't Dad's yet, thankfully Hollywood has given us many other inspiring characters whose example we can follow. Both Russell Crowe and Al Pacino's characters in The Insider deserve a mention for the way they risk their lives, their careers, and, in Crowe's case, the security of their families, in order to defeat a real life evil empire. Oscar Schindler in Schindler's List is a hero not so much for his risk-taking as his cunning, his ingenuity and his compassion. And whilst Lee's very keen on Braveheart and the emphasis of "Freeeeedooom" it brings with it, I've always preferred the more just, and proportionate, lead character in Rob Roy. (What is it with Liam Neeson characters? That's three errr or four if you count star wars!)

Non-men!

Of course as my friend Stu Jesson pointed out, "must the only characters who inspire us to be good men, be men themselves?". To which the answer is, of course not. The original "Dead Men Walking" book was so called partly because of the film Dead Man Walking where Sister Helen Prejean, mixes deep compassion with firm conviction. Her certainty that confession and forgiveness not only matter, but are crucial, and her willingness to endure harsh personal comments even from the man she is trying to save, are a great example, particularly in a society hooked on relativism and revenge.

Other female role models who can spur us on to be better men include the mind-blowingly generous Babette from Babette's Feast, whose extravagant celebration of God's provision offers a great parable of God's grace; the unconditional, and redemptive love of Lena in Punch Drunk Love; and the victory of decency over greed and deceit in Fargo. However, my personal favourite is Paikea in Whale Rider. She grabs hold of the call she believes there is on her life, and holds on regardless of the opposition she faces until it comes to pass.

And I suppose you can also be inspired by non-humans as well; Sam's faithfulness and loyalty in the Lord of the Rings trilogy; Spock's sacrifice in Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan; and Night Crawler reciting bits of the bible to help him overcome his fears in X-men 2. And there's a certain lion in a small film you might have heard of called The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, and yes, he's voiced by Liam Neeson (that's five for Liam now!!).


What inspires you to become a better man?
Which films have achieved that for you?
What films have challenged you or caused you to change an opinion?
Which film character best sums you up
Why not rent one of the films above the next time you are wit oyur mates, and resist the temptation of getting bad boys / bond / blade again? Take a risk

Resources:

Christianity Today - The website that expands on the magazine has a whole film section with reviews of pretty much every film on general release from some top reviewers. (www.christianitytoday.com/movies)

www.artsandfaith.com - an online discussion forum with a major emphasis on film, and a top 100 of spiritually significant films.

How Movies Helped Save My Soul: Finding Spiritual Fingerprints in Culturally Significant Films - Gareth Higgins (book)

http://moviematters.com/jesusinfilm

http://biblefilms.blogspot.com