Christian Film Club Announcement
Christian Film Club Announcement
It occurred to me the other day, that I don’t write enough about film and tv. There is a lot out there that I can only classify as trash, but there are also some wonderful works of art that I think are as worthy of discussion as novels or poetry. Earlier this year, I wrote a piece for Seen & Unseen about a surprisingly profound show called Lovesick, and a Barbie review for Current, and I reckon it’s time for me to write about popular culture again.
Without further ado, I am announcing a film club that will take place once a month on my substack. I’m calling it a ‘Christian Film Club’, not because every film and show I will discuss necessarily has an intentional Christian message behind it, but rather because I think we can find echoes of the Christian story, and of Christian values, even in secular art. For now, the discussion will simply consist of me posting on substack about once a month about a film or tv show I’ve recently watched, and asking for suggestions of what to watch next. If there is enough interest, I might make a video and upload it both here and on Youtube, or simply turn to a podcast format to be uploaded exclusively here on substack.
The first film I will discuss is Peter Weir’s Master and Commander (2003), which I recently rewatched with my husband, just after giving birth! My current list of future films for discussion includes:
Emma (2020)
A Hidden Life (2020)
The Most Reluctant Convert (2021)
Amazing Grace (2006)
Never Let Me Go (2010)
Dead Poets Society (1989)
Metropolitan (1990)
Little Women (2019)
Please do let me know in the comments if you have suggestions! These first few films will keep us going for a while, but I’m always keen to discover new gems, and I am open to any genre (sci-fi and horror included, though historical dramas are always my favourite) as long as the film in question can prompt a discussion about faith, morality, mortality, or anything else that you believe we should engage with as Christians. I will end the post here for this week, but expect a lengthier post next week! Have a wonderful weekend in the meantime…
Great idea!
A Man for All Seasons, directed by Fred Zinnemann, 1966. Although infused with the Catholicism and rising Reformation of the Tudor period, this adaption of Robert Bolt's play (he also did the screenplay) focuses on Thomas More as a stalwart of individual conscience. So you have an outwardly powerful Christian witness, but the film is really driving home the idea of a courageous liberal (in the best sense of that term) individual. It's a product of a much more optimistic era in our culture when a heroic religious personality could be admired in secular quarters. Today we're excited when we discover Christian themes in secular films. I find this film fascinating because it's overt religious sensibility wasn't perceived as a threat to secular values. The film is in great contrast to Hilary Mantel's novel (and the television adaption) "Wolfhall". Mantel portrays More as a great threat to "enlightenment".
I think the 1980s sci-fi classic, Bladerunner, is steeped in Christian themes and imagery. It also deals with today's obsession, artificial intelligence. The supreme value placed on life and the soul, and what both of those mean, permeates the film.
Tender Mercies, 1983, simple and stark story of redemption, from relative fame and fortune to rock bottom and then to fullness of humanity.
I'm looking forward to the series.