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| |
Sling
Blade
(1996)
 | Information at Internet
Movie Database |
| "Scripture
on the Silver Screen," Adele Reinhartz, Journal of Religion and
Film, 1998. |
| "The
Messianic Figure in Film: Christology Beyond the Biblical Epic,"
Matthew McEver, Journal of Religion and Film, 1998. |
|
Cinema in Focus,
a social and spiritual commentary by Hal Conklin and Denny Wayman. |
| Hollywood
Jesus visual review |
|
"Sling
Blade: A Simple Man...A Difficult Choice," Steve Lansingh, TheFilmForum:
Christian Conversation about the Movies. |
| Themes
 | Baptism
 | Karl is baptized toward the end of
the film, before he kills Frank. (Has he already decided to do so?) |
|
| Call
| Karl's call to give up his freedom and his soul in order to help
Frank and his mother. |
|
| Clean/Unclean
| Karl and Vaughn are both scorned by
Doyle for their kindnesses to Frank and Linda because they are
"unclean" characters. |
|
| Eucharist
| Karl [as Christ figure] accepts an
invitation to dine at the home of Vaughan, along with Vaughan’s
companion and a mentally handicapped woman from the dollar store.
The parallels with the Lukan portrait of Jesus are obvious. In
Luke’s Gospel, Jesus is always sitting down at a meal, going to,
or coming from a meal. In first century Palestine, the Pharisees are
often portrayed as declining to dine at the table with certain
people, using this as the ultimate insult in their culture. Social
and religious ostracism were part of the conventional wisdom of the
day. By contrast, Karl, like Jesus, dines with people whom
conventional religious wisdom would label "sinners."
("The
Messianic Figure in Film: Christology Beyond the Biblical
Epic," Matthew McEver, Journal of Religion and Film,
1998.) |
|
| Father types
| "The greatest irony of
Sling Blade is the depiction of who might be able best to fill the
role of father-figure for the boy. It might be the formerly
institutionalized, mentally challenged man with an institutionalized
past. Or it might be the persecuted, homosexual male with little
future. Both would be better than Doyle Hargraves (Dwight
Yoakum)." ("The
Messianic Figure in Film: Christology Beyond the Biblical
Epic," Matthew McEver, Journal of Religion and Film,
1998.) |
|
| Judgment
| Karl brings judgment to Doyle for his cruelty and violence
toward Frank and his mother. |
|
| Redemption
| "By viewing the film from a
theological perspective, Karl’s act of vengeance is also one of of
atonement. He feels that those who commit murder will go to
"Hades." Therefore, Karl has done more than give his life
for the happiness of a child; he has sacrificed his soul." ("The
Messianic Figure in Film: Christology Beyond the Biblical
Epic," Matthew McEver, Journal of Religion and Film,
1998.) |
|
| Sacrifice,
Saving/Savior
| "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.) |
|
| Suffering Servant
| Karl and Vaughn are both scorned by
Doyle for their kindnesses to Frank and Linda because they are
"unclean" characters. |
|
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Index of Movie Titles
Index of Movie Themes
|
