Movies/Scenes
Representing
Spiritual Struggle/Fighting Inner Demons/Resisting Evil
- Signs (2002)
- See Values & Visions Film Guide, Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality & Health for discussion questions.
- Changing
Lanes (2002)
- Both men face the struggle to recognize what is right and what is wrong, to care about the difference, and to choose to do the right thing.
- Bedazzled
(2000)
- I recently watched the movie Bedazzled with Brendan Frazier. The movie interested me with its theme of good verses evil and Elliot's struggle to get what he sees as the perfect life. One scene towards the end where Elliot is thrown in jail after arguing with the devil over how many wishes he had already received interested me with the appearance of one of Gods' angels while he is in jail, to encourage and give Elliot some words of wisdom. Scene starts with Elliot's black cell mate saying "They say she's a devil that lady cop." He goes on to explain that Elliot's soul really belongs to God and he can't really give it away. The scene ends with Elliot looking out the window of the jail thinking over what has been said to him. The theme of the scene could be that we were created by God, are chosen by God and we belong to God. (Neal Shaw)
- The Perfect Storm (2000)
- The Cell (2000)
- I have watched this movie twice and am struck by the redemption theme and the symbolism of the water, particularly the baptism. The J. Lopez character seems to take on the persona of the Virgin. Also there is the implied suggestion at one point that perhaps the FBI agent was himself an abused child who resisted the temptation to turn to evil. (Pam Brewer)
- Bless the Child (2000)
- From the producer of "The Omen" (Mace Neufeld), this film has good and evil battle in a way unique to most movies of this genre: while evil gets in its punches, good fights back with equal and eventually superior power. A small girl with uniqie spiritual gifts, being raised by an aunt who has lost touch with the faith of her own childhood, is the focus of the film. The scriptural scene of Christ's Temptation is replayed with a most interesting twist. Scenes centered on Good Samaritans abound in the film. (Best Good Samaritan scene: the satanic cult's leader, in the Temptation scene, tells the girl to jump off a tall building, to prove God is really there to save her-- with the assertion of Satan being there, and God being "just a nice idea." The girl eventually turns away from the ledge, sits, and says to the satanist: "After you." Next scene, the girl is being liberated from the satanic cult, and they are running into the subway. The train's doors are closing, and it looks like they'll miss the train and be caught by the satanists. At the last second, an umbrella pokes into the train's door, causing it to re-open. The umbrella's holder, a woman, looks at the child, smiles, and says "After you." I can find a hundred homilies in that 10 minutes of film.) (Jack Everman)
- Remember the Titans
(2000)
- See review at Hollywood Jesus.
- The Hurricane
(1999)
- Hurricane Carter's self-disciplined, determined side fights with his violent, self-destructive side.
- The
Cider House Rules (1999)
- 'The Cider House Rules' by Lasse Hallström is about the question, if the rules that God made can be lived up to (answer: no), and how man can understand himself locked between what he ought to do und what the situation demands to do. (Dr. Matthias Walter)
- Magnolia
(1999)
- Haunted by their pasts, various characters struggle between hope and despair.
- Music of the Heart
(1999)
- In preparation for one of the number the students will play at the Spring Concert Roberta tells her class that they will "hold-it, hold-it, the audience will be dieing for this next note but they will have to wait, and wait, and wait for it." At the concert the kids hold the pause, the audience becomes very nervous, then the ending is played and the audience takes a great sigh. Application: When have you felt like you are in a great pause and did not know what to do? (Richard Reese)
- Dark City (1998)
- John's battle with The Strangers is also a battle within himself. (see review at Hollywood Jesus)
- The Stand (1994)
- "Satan" visits during Mother Abigail's prayer (DVD pt 2, ch 7)
- The Fisher King
(1991)
- Parry and Jack are each paralyzed from their struggle with the "demons" inside of them - Parry with the Red Dragon symbolizing his wife's death, Jack with the guilt from having been part of the circumstances surrounding that death.
- "I just want to pay the fine and go home". The character is tired of trying to work out his salvation. (Craig & Jo Jorgensen)
- Romero (1989)
- The whole movie is about ArchBishop Oscar Romero who is martyr. You can add that it is about Transformation, because Romero is transformed by his encounter with the poor. The most powerful scene in the movie is one about the spiritual battle between good and evil. "Romero goes to the village that is under martial law. He enters the church that has been transformed into the barracks to get the eucharist where he is beaten by the soldiers. He returns to confront the soldiers and the power of good seen in the poor of El Salvador overcomes the soldiers, the forces of evil." (submitted by Guido Climer)
- Return
of the Jedi (1983)
- Luke Skywalker fights against the Emperor of Darkness (Youth Alpha Australia)
- Superman III
(1983)
- Clark Kent fights against himself as Superman. (Youth Alpha Australia)
- The Exorcist (1973)
- The demon uses the weaknesses of the priests to turn them against themselves and make them less able to fight the evil attacking Regan.
- The Sting (1973)
- I think the movie The Sting relates to the Genesis text (ch. 32, August 4) about Jacob wrestling the angel. All his life Jacob has schemed and connived his way to success only not only to be outwitted by his uncle, and also by his deceiving wife (who did steal the family idols), but also by Esau (who has the best of it by far in Jacob's mind when Jacob comes crawling home), and ultimately by God in personal representation-- who tells him he has achieved success prevailing against God when the truth is with his hip out of joint he now stands no chance at all of defending himself against Esau and MUST rely on God instead of himself at this latest juncture in his life, into which he must go knowing he deserves Esau's worst. It is like how in the film The Sting the way that revenge is gained, as I recall the film, is by convincing the villain that he will be aiding himself when in actuality he will be ruining himself. Jacob has tried to aid himself all his life long toward God's promised destination and each time it has blown up in his face. And this time God teaches him that God is the blesser, and he is the recipient, the way he was supposed to live all his life, not maniacally stealing deceiving plotting and conniving, but living in simple faith hope and trust. (Steve Allen)
- The Night of the Hunter
(1955)
- Harry Powell's sermon about the struggle between "love" and "hate" as he uses the object lesson of his hands - knuckles tattooed with "love" and "hate"
- On the Waterfront
(1954)
- See Theresa Shetler's paper, "'I?ll Be Back!' The Battle continues?On the Waterfront: Art Reflects Culture."
