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Movies/Scenes
Representing Crucifixion
- John Q (2002)
- This movie depicts the plight
of a father (Denzel Washington) willing to lay
down his life for his son and therefore should be cross-referenced under
Abraham and Issac and Cross and Resurrection in the sense of the
suffering of God through the evil of Jesus death.
As a social commentary, it pricks our conscience about a society with
medical services for those who can afford them and death for those
who cannot. As
redemptive drama, it also shows the metanoia or reversal of thinking
in several characters who broker the power of the HMO medical system
but in the end ultimately side with the
powerlessness of John Q. and his son.
(Dr. Barry A. Woodbridge, Orangethorpe
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Fullerton,
CA)
- A Knight's
Tale (2001)
- William Thatcher is imprisoned for impersonating a
knight. His enemy, Count Adhema, comes into his
cells, taunts him, strikes him repeatedly. William
offers no response. The scene ends with William
kneeling on the floor, head bowed, with his arms
outstretched, tied to a crosspiece. The shadows of
the bars in the window high above create the illusion
of stripes across his back. As purely visual imagery,
this is the best crucifixion clip I've ever seen.
(FUMC, Natchitoches, LA)
- Pearl Harbor
(2001)
- Danny and Rafe crash in China and are captured by Chinese
soldiers. Daany, who is dying from wounds received in the crash, is tied up
to a water buffalo's yoke - and thus assumes a crucifixion posture. His
death a few minutes later comes after he gives Rafe the responsibility of
being father to his unborn child - like John & Mary?
(Margie Beck)
- Gladiator (2000)
- When Commodus is taunting Maximus, while Maximus is
tied up in a crucifixtion -like pose. Then Commodus stabbs Maximus
in the side, very symbolic of Matthews passion narrative. (Steve Ash, Memphis TN)
- End of Days
(1999)
- The movie (starring Arnold Schwarzenegger)
has an apocalyptic theme that centers around the idea of Satan (Gabriel
Byrne) attempting to take full control of the world. Near the end, after a
countless barrage of gunfights and explosions, Arnold and the woman he is
projecting enter a church, knowing that Satan is hot on their trail. The
scene turns very powerful as Arnold, holding a huge gun in his arms, looks
around the church and sees various images and statues. He throws his gun on
the floor, closes his eyes, and opens his arms (crucifixion?) and prays,
"Please help me." Without giving too much away,
Satan is defeated -- not by violence -- but by "a more excellent way."
(Rev. Duane Partin)
- The Green Mile
(1999)
- John Coffey's death - an
innocent healer who prays for and forgives those who execute him
- The Haunting (1999)
- Nell's death. (See review
at Hollywood Jesus.)
- Bicentennial Man (1999)
- Andrew (Robin Williams) is an android who develops the
sensitivity, creativity and emotions of a human. Over a period of more
than 150 years, he persues his dream of being recognized as human. His
appeals are denied because, since he cannot die, he lacks the essential
mortality of humanity. Finally, Andrew arranges for his body to
deteriorate. He would rather die as a man than live forever as a
machine. Andrew enbraces the "cross" of mortality, giving up
his life in order to gain it. (FUMC, Natchitoches, LA)
- Wild Wild West (1999)
- Jim West's "death" in a crucifixion position.
(see review at Hollywood
Jesus)
- The Truman Show (1998)
- Truman on boat, knocked out in shape of cross (See review
at Hollywood Jesus.)
- The Mask of Zorro (1998)
- Dark City (1998)
- Beloved (1998)
- Face Off (1997)
- The Fifth Element (1997)
- The Game (1997)
- Breaking the Waves
(1996)
- "The director of Breaking the Waves, Lars Von Trier,
intentionally created a Christ figure in Bess. In a culture in which a
shameful death - as in a 1st century crucifixion - has little meaning,
he found a way to portray an innocent, intentionally enduring suffering
and death, in order to save the one she loves." (Anita Milne, Leechburg, PA)
- Hamlet (1996)
- Hamlet is carried out as if he's been
crucified by everyone's intrigue (M Henderson, Center
Sandwich NH)
- Spitfire Grill (1996)
- Dead Man
Walking (1995)
- Poncelet is in shape of a cross when he dies,
representing his ultimate redemption, and his attempt at a redemptive
death.
- Braveheart (1995)
- Powder (1995)
- Toward the end of the film Powder is
despised and rejected by his peers. He is stripped and
"crucified." There are even little moments like the cross
around the neck of one of his prosecutors being lifted up. (see review
at Hollywood Jesus)
- Natural Born Killers
(1994)
- Wayne Gale is killed in a crucifix (or Buddhist
monk's!) position. He is the representation of the media which caters to
the public fascination of violence, which must be sacrificed before the
cycle of violence can end.
- The Stand (1994)
- Drug addicts in the realm of the evil figures are
crucified.
- The Game Show Crucifixion of the martyrs. (DVD pt 4, ch
17)
- Terminator 2: Judgment Day
(1991)
- In the closing scene, the Terminator (who in the
previous film was the arch-enemy - links to Lucifer!), is lowered into a
vat of molten metal, because this is the only way to destroy his
otherwise indestructible micro-chip and the power of destruction that it
contains. The destruction must be accomplished by his friends, as he is
unable to "self-destruct" - powerful connotations for
considering the Judas story. The knowledge of what it means to be human
and to feel grief is also highlighted. The final image of his
destruction is a hand (God to man? Crucifixion?) reaching up (also links
back to the last image in the first film, where the hand which kept
coming alive represented the power of evil.) The whole film has strong
themes of salvation and the cost of salvation - for instance, is it
justifiable to destroy a family in order to save the world? (David Hogg)
- Jesus of Montreal
(1989)
- The character Daniel is the director of a small,
experimental production company dramatizing the life, death, and
resurrection of Jesus. But the controversial script he writes upsets the
church which originally sponsored the show. One night police officers
attempt to close the production. The audience protests. And in the
scuffle that ensues, the cross on which Daniel is mounted (in dramatic
imitation of the real crucifixion) falls over. The weight of
the cross crushes Daniel, mortally wounding him. Later, Daniel dies in
an over-crowded, under-staffed hospital. His donated body-parts help
others to continue living. These donations act as a resurrection.
(Robert Widdowson)
- RoboCop (1987)
- Platoon
(1986)
- Elias was a Christ figure in the film. It seems to me
that the scene even had him fall in the pieta stance (minus Mary). (Valerie
Humphreys, Independence MO)
- Amadeus (1984)
- Salieri intentionally destroys the
incarnation of God.
- Life of Brian (1979)
- As Brian is equipped with a cross and moved along the
Via Dolorosa, he cannot get anyone to understand that he is not Jesus.
In addition, he has been pardoned by the Roman governor, but the
messenger sent to his jailers cannot deliver the news because he has a
speech defect. On the cross, a committee makes a perfunctory attempt at
rescuing him and then calls it a day. The scene evokes complete
abandonment, and is eerily faithful to the isolation and abandonment of
Jesus on his parallel cross. (Used for a judicatory staff that was
experiencing extreme stress during restructuring.) (Matt
McCaffrey)
- Cool
Hand Luke (1967)
- In the final scene, Dragline is reminiscing/preaching
about Luke and the torn photograph of Luke with the two prostitutes is
superimposed on the shot. As the camera pulls away further into the sky,
the crossroad becomes a cross and Luke of course is imposed on
it. I think this is even more interesting image of crucifixion than the
scene following the egg eating episode. (Dean Cramer)
- Luke lies in shape of cross after eating the 50 eggs.
Index of Movie Titles
Index of Movie Themes
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