Intolerance (1916), directed by D.W. Griffith

With one of the four stories, simultaneously told, relating to the events of Jesus’ life, including his crucifixion, likely this film’s thrust message is value-oriented, which, for me is the case.

It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), directed by Frank Capra, with James Stewart, Donna Reed, and Lionel Barrymore

What do all those Christmas lights, which folks go to such trouble to adorn their houses with, the presents under the tree, opened on Christmas day, and the cards and greetings at Christmas time, mean, if they do not mean this:  I want to do by you the right thing, I want to adjust my own self towards doing for you the right thing, I want to be there for you, my love for you is important.

Let’s hope that this is their meaning, for certainly an important Christian massage is just this, and, if somehow, the meaning of all these Christmas things do not relate to this message, a shallow and false deed indeed exists that we fool ourselves with.

It’s a Wonderful Life shows what life can be like with and without the Christmas message being acted out, and it does it in such an entertaining and wonderful way.  No film can miss when it both conveys deep meaning and purpose, and great story, and this film is no exception.

Citizen Kane (1941), directed by Olson Wells, with Orson Wells, Joseph Cotton

“Rosebud” what does it mean?  From the beginning of this film, we are lead on a trek to determine why did Charles F. Kane mutter Rosebud as his final word in life?

And, in finding an answer to this question, the film’s chronicler realizes he must delve deep into the life of Charles F. Kane, who he was, what made him tick.  What discoveries that the guide makes about the life of Charles F. Kane, as told in the course of the film, tells us about what we should conclude as to why “Rosebud”, is the final utterance.

For me, this film indicates this conclusion: Rosebud is a religious expression about a life, Charles F. Kane’s.  Rosebud is a confession, an expression of recognition.  Kane was confessing, recognizing that he had lost his soul in the process of gaining the world.

Then, the film gains it greatness by the way in which it comments on, tells the story of, perhaps the greatest truth that, not just Christianity, but any good religion, should inform us on.  The greatness of the film is that it is informing us in a very neat, unique, entertaining, professionally-told story, as well as any film has, about one of the most profound of messages that we all need to be informed about.

So, is it any wonder why this film consistently ranks so high on good film lists?

The Fisher King (1991), directed by Terry Gilliam, with Jeff Bridges, Robin Williams, Mercedes Ruelh, Amanda Plummer

A part of this film is about mental breakdown, about life while the mind is broken in some way, and about the return from breakdown for those truly lucky enough to be able to return.

Generally, mental breakdown leads to an inability to function.   Many who have broken down are on the streets and many who are on the streets – homeless – are there because they have broken down, mentally.  This film uses this fact.

But the film is also about how badly in need we are of loving, and how loving, although perhaps not always treatment, can be and is important to lives – all lives.

Loving here in this film is caring, loving here is responsibility, loving here is involvement in that which is about us and that which we, through involvement, help.  Loving here is akin to the act of worship, to the discovery of God.

You Can’t Take It with You (1938), directed by Frank Capra, with Jean Arthur, James Steward, Lionel Barrymore

I wonder if Orson Wells was influenced by this film as he was preparing for Citizen Kane.  This is not met to classify or categorize Citizen Kane and You Can’t Take It With You as similar films – they definitely are vey different films with different feels and experiences for the viewer.  However, in one respect, a very important respect, in fact, for me, the most important, they are very, very similar – and this respect is the overwhelming, central thrust message that the film brings to me.  Other films have the same overwhelming message: what does it gain you to gain the world, and to lose your soul.

In a sense, the Lionel Barrymore figure is very much a representation of aspects of God and dealing with putting aside human worries and troubles and putting them into the hands of God.  And, the magnate, tycoon figure could well be a representation of the man who has completely shut God from his life.

Mrs. Miniver (1942), directed by William Wyler, with Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon, Teresa Wright, Dame May Whilty

This film deals with a “macro” theme – the approach, the efforts, the determination of a country, its people to survive, to defeat an enemy that has attached.

The film deals also with family relationships during such a time; support provided to other family members during such a time.

The film deals also with community – providing sociological insight, if you will, into a small British town as it reacts to an external threat to its well-being.

All of these themes/messages are found in this film, but I think ultimately, they all are peripheral to what really is the main, overriding message/substance that can be found throughout and throughout and throughout and throughout this film from beginning to end.

And, this overwhelming substance is the portrayal of Christian visions, Christian concepts, Christian attitudes as they have been developed in the souls and genes of a nation of people over centuries.  Christian responses are shown time and time again in this film – shown in how lives deal with decisions, responses to evil, individual worth, kindness, fair play, courtesy and care for others, human interactions and treatment, even as evil is around and about, as uncertainty is pervasive, as the future is in doubt , as death is imminent and occurs.

It seems to me this film is very much dealing with intangibles that do relate to religious teachings and territory with-in a frame where Christian influence is ever present, as well as evil and hardship.

Green Pastures (1936), directed by Mac Connelly and William Keighley, with Rex Ingram

Music in most Christian church branches seem to be fundamental – a part of the experience that is important, relevant, and productive.  The musical characteristics of Christian churches range wide, paralleling the diversity of the churches themselves.

This film, Green Pastures, highlights the emotional appeal and creative force of an integrated African American musical talent and tradition in the Christian worshipping and storytelling experience.  This film shows so well how important music can be in religion – or at least Christian religion.

The Christian religion does seem to have a high emphasis on more than mind, reason, and intellect as the way to God.  Christianity in most of its incarnations has love and faith and forgiveness at its roots – emotional, spontaneous processes – as the creative process is – and certainly as the musical process is.  This would suggest an important connectivity between music and Christianity – emotional, spontaneous processes.

Perhaps, it is out of this connectivity that so much of western musical traditions have sprung.  This suggests a comparative look at other religious traditions and the role music has played in them.

Stagecoach (1939), directed by John Ford, with John Wayne, Andy Divine, Claire Trevor

For me, the setting of this film, a couple of western frontier towns and a stagecoach journey between these towns, is incidental to the importance of the film’s story and its message.

The story and its message is universal – the message has religious intent – the down and out, the bad doer, the outcast, the rejected can find redemption, can be saved , set free from the past through their present attitudes and deeds towards their community.  Along the way of this process we need to see, we do see, we will see transformed attitudes.  On the other hand, the down and out, the bad doer, the outcast, the rejected will not find salvation without a transformed attitude.

A story and its message that transcends it scenes have Shakespearean overtones.  Such overtones suggest a good bet for the story’s success.

Hud (1963), directed by Martin Ritt, with Paul Newman, Melvyn Douglass,  Patricia Neal, Brandon Dewitt

What does this film have to do with – father/son relationships; family relationships; economic uncertainties on a ranch; man-woman relationships; coming of age?

The film touches on each of these topics, but, for me, none of these are the topic the film makes the strongest, most profound, and extended statement about.  But rather, the strongest topic, the most penetrating message, deals with centeredness, the focus one has, the balance individuals take between the self and the non-self, between the self and the realization that living should involve more than just self, that, good for living, centeredness is an important factor.  This is, in fact, an important religious message – religion, when done best, brings us into the right centeredness with community and concerns with one another, not just concerns with self.  Religion, at its best, promotes the peace of self through centeredness outside of self, and on to a location where the greater good is found.  And this greater good location is defined by a set of intangibles given us by God.

So, when Hud closes the door at the end of the film, he is continuing what has been a problem for him – a closing of his internal door that has shut him into a space not centered correctly.

Friendly Persuasion (1956), directed by William Wyler, with Gary Cooper, Dorothy McGuire, Anthony Perkins

“Thou shalt not kill” Dorothy McGuire states to her son, Anthony Perkins, as he is wrestling with joining the local defense militia to defend the community against the approaching and marauding Confederates.  This film is about individuals, a husband and wife, who take to heart their beliefs in the truthfulness of such statements and live their lives accordingly.

But, what happens when such beliefs are threatened by their own temptations and fears and responses to life’s threats, and by the offspring that they bring into this world.  This film is a story about what happens.

Just how far do one’s beliefs go into governing one’s actions?  This is an essential question relating to religion.   So many of us, most, all of us are not able to fully live out our professed beliefs.  As Christians or Jews, do we do what is commanded of us, fully, completely, routinely – 24/7?  I don’t think so.  Some, such as Dorothy McGuire and Gary Cooper, as a Quaker couple, might work harder and succeed longer as 24/7 believers.  But what are the limits, the expectations, the consequences, the rectifications of being a lot less than 24/7 believers?  This film could be a good platform from which such questions are discussed.

Mean Streets (1973) , directed by Martin Scorsese, with Harvey Koitel, Robert de Nero, Amy Robinson

“The world is full of brokenness”, paraphrasing the content of statements I have often heard my pastors – pastors that have served churches I have attended – make.   Obviously, such a commentary has a lot to do with what religion is all about, about where religion wants to be.

Main Streets has to do with just such a point – the world is full of brokenness.  The film basically deals with, and shows us, the brokenness that is in, around, and a part of Charlie, Johnny Boy, and Teresa’s lives.

And, just as religion is interested in the connection of brokenness to God, this film is interested in connecting brokenness to religion and God.  Here in this film, we see religion interspersed in the background of the film as the brokenness of the events being told to us unfold.  Religion is symbolized by taking us to internal and external scenes of churches, to the music being created at festivals and other community events.  Here, I feel this created music is indeed a symbol of God’s presence in the community, and amongst humanity, just as the churches are.  After all, isn’t creation of music a human event full of the powers and meanings and righteousness and other godly attributes that God gives to us.

So certainly, from this film, we can proceed to discuss and find the way that religion needs to play in dealing with the ever-present and omnipresence of brokenness in life, just as Charlie, Johnny Boy, and Teresa badly need to find a solution to the brokenness present in their lives.

Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice (1969), directed by Paul Mayarsky, with Natalie Wood, Robert Culp, Elliot Gould, Dyan Cannon

This is a good film dealing with heterosexual issues, and therefore issues between man and woman.  But, ultimately, for me, this is a religious thrust film.  The main issue eventually gets around to the advisability of sex beyond a monogamous sexual relationship and, I think, the conclusion presented is – don’t go there.

The film explores sex without love, outside of marriage, as sort of a recreational pursuit, and also pursues sex within marriage, with love, and how the two might intermingle.

Love is the overriding factor in the consideration and the conclusion it seems to me – as the film concludes, love makes the world go around.  This is what my religion has been telling me for a long time.  And I think another conclusion of the film is the undesirability of sex outside of marriage.  Again, this is what my religion tells me.  So, we have a religion message.

The Bishop’s Wife (1947), directed by Henry Koiter, with Cary Grant, Loretta Young, David Niven

Do angels exist?  They do in the Bible where they are messengers.  Messengers bring communication, and prayer is a form of communication.  So, are angels found in prayer?   This film has something to say about this question.

This film would be good to use during a prayer discussion class.  Advertisement for the class might be:  “What is the possibilities for prayer, how do you recognize prayer’s answers, what are reasonable expectations of prayer?  Come and see “The Bishop’s Wife” and enter into a discussion to explore the answers.”

Then, play the film, start the discussion, and let it go from there.  Think of what this film can do for you.

They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? (1969), directed by Sydney Pollack,  with Jane Fonda, Red Buttons, Susan York, Gig Young

This film should be discussed in a religious community.  The solutions to the conditions and problems found in this film need to be and should be dealt with from a religious (in my case, Christian) perspective.

The result in this film, for one who no longer has hope that her life will bring her anything she wants, and the pain is too great, is suicide.  How do we deal with this – her despondency, bad things, and miserable lives?

The answer, for me, is in religion – the happiness of the soul.  Whatever emotional and intellectual and human defects and hurts and bad feelings exist, the soul can always overcome them (I say always because of God).  Follow religion (and God) to the soul.

Prizzi’s Honor (1985), directed by John Huston, with Jack Nicholson, Kathleen Turner

This film ultimately for me makes me think about Jesus’ parables about the rich, and how difficult the rich have finding God’s kingdom. The rich are too occupied with their own kingdoms.

As one mobster described another mobster’s family: “These guys think so much of money, they would drop their children from airplanes, before giving it up, and they really care for their children”.

The film is definitely about how money can have a hold.  There is no lack of creativity and industriousness amongst there mobsters, when it comes to getting money, but there sure is a big void in some other areas.  There are a lot of evils from money’s holds, as Jesus preached; perhaps not all of them take the form of being a mobster.  But, ultimately, the results are bad, as the film well demonstrates.

Being There (1979), directed by Hal Ashby, with Peter Sellers, Shirley McLain, Melvin Douglass

I did not realize I had watched and commented on Being There previously, as part of this “film comment project”.  I am now curious to dig out and see what I said the first time around and how it compares to what’s below.  I am guessing that the first time around, I saw a message relating to “showing up” is, as Woody Allen might say, “80% of getting life done”.

If that is what I said, my view now on this film is much different.  I see this film now as a religious message, versus, the human condition “showing up” type of message.  Now the Peter Sellers’ character, Chance, portrays God’s presence – perhaps, the only spirit within us, or the remainder of Jesus’ presence – a force that can change our reaction to that which we experience.

The characterization of this “force”, of God’s presence, in a way of having nothing to do with reading, writing, and the intellectual, since certainly Chance is anything but intellectual – but rather as a presence, a  spirit, a force not human, and that can have powerful impacts on us, is religious.

Rosemary’s Baby (1968), directed by Roman Polanski, with Mai Farrow, John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon

This is about religion, for me.  The film seems to be investigating choices about purity (with Rosemary’s baby the metaphor) versus corruption (Guy’s acting career).

There is all about us -  making “evil” choices (spirits) that do harm.  We are constantly bombarded with these worldly choices.  In the extreme, Rosemary’s Baby is a film on how we can go down the wrong choice path.  In its essence, what religion does for us is to attempt to bring us down the right choice path.

Monty Python’s The life of Brian, directed by Terry Jones, with John Cleese, and others

My view is that we true believers can well laugh during this film and also benefit from a study of it.  Humor, it seems to me, deals with truth and untruth, at the same time, by bringing a sense of absurdity and of magic and of irony and of perspective to that moment in time, as a human experience.  In a way, humor brings a human sense of infinity to human situations of the moment.

We need to let this happen about our beliefs – we need to apply humor – it will help us separate the truth from the untruth in the moment and moments of our beliefs.

This is a great film for religious discussion – what can the humor of our beliefs tell us about our beliefs – what we really down deep believe and what it is that we are not so certain about.

Magnolia (1999), directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, with Tom Cruise, Julianne Moore, Jason Robards

Love, love, love – this is the message, this is the solution to the many, many problems we find in the cast of lives this film is examining.  Ultimately, problems are so great, it rains frogs.   What could be worse?

And, where else do you find in the community of man the same message - of course, the Christian church.  God, manifested by Jesus, is in essence, love.  This is another great religious film.

Lost In Translation (2003 )  directed by Sofia Coppola, with Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson

Wow, if you are interested in a good film about the problems with so much of the human soul in today’s western world, consider this film

Here, we have two people checked into perhaps one of the most luxurious hotels in the world, overlooking perhaps the most expensive few miles of real estate in the world, from the 60th  floor, or so, and the list goes on with their material well being, yet at the same time being in such a very broken soul.

What does it give man to gain the world and loose his soul?  The message continues to have currency.

Black Narcissus (1947), directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, with Deborah Kerr

For me, this is religious story.  It is a story of how motivation that comes out of religion can and does often fail.  The almighty that we bring to our religious beliefs is not really almighty and does not guarantee nor should direct us to insist upon our beliefs with others.

Physical and cultural forces shown in this film, predominate, and control, beyond the best of intentions and the strongest of wills.  None of us, as individuals, or as communities, have the power to overcome such forces.  Only God does, and when, how is not for us to know.

Lost Horizon (1937), directed by Frank Capra, with Ronald Colman, Jane Wyatt

This film goes right after the heart and soul of the Christian message – do not lose your soul by trying to conquer the affairs of the world.  And, to boot, blessed are the meek is thrown in

Many aspects and consequences of what happens when one realizes the “truth” of these massages, or cannot accept them, are in the stories told here.

This is a great message – certainly one that makes for a great film.  Unfortunately, this film comes up short, when a half of what makes great films is considered – great entertainment.