 | The
Hurricane (1999)
 | Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, a champion
middleweight boxer, is imprisoned for life for murders he did not
commit. After exhausting every possibility for appeal, he tells his wife
that he wants her to divorce him and to move on with her life, saying,
"I'm dead. Forget about me." The Hurricane uses his prison
time to read, study, and eventually write a book about his life -- a
book that is published and becomes a best seller, but which is then soon
forgotten. Years later, a Black teen from the ghetto finds a copy of the
Hurricane's life story at a used book sale, and buys it for a quarter.
Moved by what he read, the young man, Lesera Martin, writes a letter to
the prisoner, and begins a relationship and a process that eventually
leads to the overturning of the conviction. At a pivotal moment, the
Hurricane notes that it was "no accident" that Lesera had come
across that book. He quotes Genesis 49 about himself, "Reuben, my
firstborn . . . pre-eminent in pride . . . Unstable as
water, you shall not prevail." He then contrasts his name to that
of Lesera, a form of the name Lazarus, the one raised from death. The
Hurricane tells Lesera that hate had killed Reuben and buried him,
forgotten, in the prison walls, but Lesera's love had raised him and
given him life once again. (submitted by Mark D. Johns, Instructor of
Communication/Linguistics, Luther College, Decorah, Iowa) |
|
| Bringing Out the Dead
(1999)
|
I perceive the recent Nicholas Cage movie
"Bringing out the Dead" in which Cage plays an ambulance
driver to be a paradigm for ministry when its at its worst - always
coming into a critical situation when it is just too late - when the
patient is terminal. It speaks also to the Savior Complex many clergy
have. It is also an example of triage - deciding when and where are
efforts can be most fruitful. I am involved in middle judicatory
ministry and the images of the film are not unlike what we face when
confronted with the situation in many churches. (submitted by Jim
Bane)
|
| Cage saves a patient in the film who probably should
have been left to die. (submitted by Jim Bane) |
|
| Three Kings (1999)
| Iraqi rebels and American soldiers save each other. |
|
| The Phantom Menace
(1999)
| Anakin Skywalker saves the Alliance |
|
| Tarzan
(1999)
| scene where Tarzan "saves"
Jane. (See review
at Hollywood Jesus) |
|
| A Simple Plan
(1998)
| Jacob kills himself in
order in an attempt to save his brother. |
|
| Saving
Private Ryan (1998)
| Ryan is searched for and
"saved" in the midst of hell. |
|
| Deep Impact
(1998)
| The space craft cobbled together to
carry the bombs to the comet is called "Messiah." (submitted
by Michael Clark, Hamilton Canada) |
|
| The Fifth Element (1997)
| Leeloo as the redemptor who lights up the world and
explodes evil. (see review at Hollywood
Jesus) |
|
| Good Will Hunting
(1997)
| Sean and Will are savior figures for each other, and
the relationship between them redeems both of their lives. |
|
| Sling
Blade (1996)
| "To understand the depth of
Karl’s sacrifice for Frank, one must pay careful attention to a
particular night-time conversation between the two, three-quarters of
the way through the film. It is at this time that Karl first relates the
details of being given his baby brother to bury in the backyard. Frank
is appalled by the story and remarks that those who willingly commit
murder "will go to hell." Karl agrees." ("The
Messianic Figure in Film: Christology Beyond the Biblical Epic,"
Matthew McEver, Journal of Religion and Film, 1998.) |
|
| Kolya (1996)
| Who is rescued by whom? |
|
| 12 Monkeys
(1995)
|
| Schindler's List
(1993)
| Schindler saves Jews
from the Holocaust. Stern saves Schindler from Schindler's own
destructive character. |
|
| The Fisher King
(1991)
| Jack and Parry save each other's lives in literal and
figurative ways. |
|
| Blue Velvet (1986)
| Jeffrey is drawn simultaneously to save Dorothy and to
hurt her because of his own shame/guilt/pleasure. |
|
| Taxi Driver
(1976)
| Travis Bickel attempts to "save" Betsy and
Iris from their respective "captivities," and to
"save" New York from the "filth" he perceived. He is
perceived as a "savior" by Iris' parents and by the press. |
|
| The Searchers
(1956)
| Ethan attempts to "save" his niece, despite
the increasingly obvious fact that she doesn't want/need
"saving". |
| I'm afraid I disagree with the idea that Ethan was out
to save his niece despite her unwillingness to be saved. I think the
movies main theme of racial prejudice by both the Europeans and Amerinds
does not support the notion of Ethan saving her. Marty realizes Ethan's
goal is to "save" Debbie by killing her, hence his
determination to stay with the pursuit. (submitted by Dean Cramer) |
|
