Golden and I watched Superman Returns this past weekend. Since I wasn't impressed at the original movies as an adult (I loved them as a kid), I have to say the new movie is a significant improvement.One thing that I noticed throughout the movie, though, was apparent parallel that was being drawn between Superman and Jesus. Some of the things that I noticed follow.
Spoiler Warning
- Superman is sent by his father to Earth.
- Superman must convince Lois Lane that the world needs a savior, implying that he is that savior.
- When Superman is beaten up he is given what is intended to be the death blow in his side with a dagger of kryptonite.
- Near the end of the movie Superman falls toward earth. At that moment it looks to me like his body is in a cross-like shape.
- Superman has a sort of death and resurrection, though I don't think he ever actually dies.
I am never really sure how to to feel about Christ imagery that I see in entertainment. Should I be happy that perhaps the parallel will get people to think about the real, rather than imagined, Christ? Should I be bothered that a filmmakers are hijacking a part of my beliefs to make a quick buck? Is there some sort of standard that I should use to determine whether the parallel is a good thing or a bad thing?
Probably the first movie moment that gave me some pause as to how I should react was from Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace when the audience finds out that Anakin's mother conceived him without a man. Even though I could not articulate a good reason why this should bother me, I felt uneasy about that scene for a while. In retrospect it was probably a combination of the fact that I knew Anakin would become Darth Vader and the fact that it felt like a very ineloquent way to turn Anakin into a Christ figure.
In the end it is probably only barely for religious or philosophical reasons that I have qualms about Christ parallels in entertainment. It is probably more for intellectual reasons. I have to be convinced the character deserves to be parallelled to Christ before I don't see it as a cheap stunt. Usually, when Christ is referenced it feels like the something is missing. It's not just the Devil who is in the details.
7 comments:
I noticed a lot of the Christ parallel's too in Superman. My opinion is that these parallel's have been in movies a while. Remember ET?
I liked the new Superman movie.
I agree with Brian, I think the Christ imagery is a mainstay for movies. It is the same story retold.
I am fine with the Christ parallel. At first I was a little hesitant. I enjoyed the movie.
It's in a lot of movies these days. They probably teach it in college to aspiring filmmakers. I didn't see the parallel in Superman, but I did in Star Wars. I believe they were trying to tie in the religion of the Star Wars world with our current beliefs. I think a lot of filmmakers do this, maybe to give us a context to relate the story to??? Spiritually Good and Evil characters finally fighting it out in the end is a running theme in literature and cinema. And the idea of a selfless messiah or savior, who has been prophesied to fight the evil, is even present in Harry Potter!!
It is the story that everyone yearns to hear - Ultimate love, ultimate sacrifice.
I think it's just easier to explain somethings to leave them "divine" verses human.
Good and evil are always constant themes - I'm like you I'm not sure about the Christ like images in entertainment. Is it good or bad?
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