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Articles 1 - 30 of 35
Full-Text Articles in Arts and Humanities
Prometheus, Danny Pegg
Prometheus, Danny Pegg
Journal of Religion & Film
This is a film review of Prometheus (2012), directed by Ridley Scott.
Museum Hours, Daniel Ross Goodman
Museum Hours, Daniel Ross Goodman
Journal of Religion & Film
This is a film review of Museum Hours (2013), directed by Jem Cohen.
Cloud Atlas, Ting Guo
Cloud Atlas, Ting Guo
Journal of Religion & Film
This is a film review of Cloud Atlas (2012) which aims to address what constitutes the reasons for the success of this film and the humanistic theme in which they are rooted, despite the seemingly Buddhist philosophy such as reincarnation this film embodies.
To The Wonder, Daniel Ross Goodman
To The Wonder, Daniel Ross Goodman
Journal of Religion & Film
This is a film review of To the Wonder (2012), directed by Terrence Malick.
The Paradise Trilogy: Love, Faith, Hope, Stefanie Knauss
The Paradise Trilogy: Love, Faith, Hope, Stefanie Knauss
Journal of Religion & Film
This is a film review of the trilogy Paradise: Love, Paradise: Faith and Paradise: Hope (2012-2013), directed by Ulrich Seidl.
Chasing Shakespeare, Brady Desanti
Chasing Shakespeare, Brady Desanti
Journal of Religion & Film
This is a film review of Chasing Shakespeare (2013), directed by Norry Niven.
Of Men, Roles And Rules: Nanni Moretti’S Habemus Papam, Davide Zordan
Of Men, Roles And Rules: Nanni Moretti’S Habemus Papam, Davide Zordan
Journal of Religion & Film
This paper focuses on Nanni Moretti’s Habemus Papam and in particular on its representation of the interaction between religion and masculinity. In the light of gender studies, it asks which idea of masculinity, but also of fatherhood, Catholicism and its system of authority tend to encourage according to the film, and it assesses the opportunities for change that the film imaginatively explores. The analysis of the idea of masculinity investigates in particular the distinction between person and office, the necessity of which is dramatically illustrated in the film.
With An Eye On A Set Of New Eyes: Beasts Of The Southern Wild, Kette Thomas
With An Eye On A Set Of New Eyes: Beasts Of The Southern Wild, Kette Thomas
Journal of Religion & Film
This article focuses on how, Beasts of the Southern Wild, represents both divergence and transgression from paradigmatic structures that determine how certain visual representations are to be used. Specifically, the cinematic detours taken by the filmmakers, Lucy Alibar and Behn Zeitlin, do not lead to alien places for most viewers; on the contrary, ancient myths, legends, heroes and prehistoric references are recalled in total isolation from current social and political discourse. In this way, Beasts of the Southern Wild, effectively, highlights mythological structures operating in contemporary American society. Mircea Eliade, Roger Caillois and G.S. Kirk define mythology as a …
The Ethical Vision Of Clint Eastwood, Chidella Upendra
The Ethical Vision Of Clint Eastwood, Chidella Upendra
Journal of Religion & Film
This is a book review of Sara Anson Vaux, The Ethical Vision of Clint Eastwood (Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2012), 259 pp.
Love That Tames: Anti-Heroes, Power And Islamic Reform Reflected In Two Iranian Films, David Sander
Love That Tames: Anti-Heroes, Power And Islamic Reform Reflected In Two Iranian Films, David Sander
Journal of Religion & Film
This paper is an exploration of two Iranian films that draw upon spiritual, artistic and literary roots in Islamic history, while at the same time engaging in critiques of knowledge and power in contemporary Muslim societies. These films offer a chance to explore ways in which culture (as distinct from theological discourse) deals with problems of reform in Muslim societies. This article juxtaposes the films with the trickster archetype in folklore, Sufi thought about leadership, and beliefs about the figure of the Mahdi (“the guided one” mentioned in Prophetic hadith as preceding the second coming of Jesus).
Fire, Water And The Goddess: The Films Of Deepa Mehta And Satyajit Ray As Critiques Of Hindu Patriarchy, David F. Burton
Fire, Water And The Goddess: The Films Of Deepa Mehta And Satyajit Ray As Critiques Of Hindu Patriarchy, David F. Burton
Journal of Religion & Film
This article focuses on Fire (1996) and Water (2005), two films directed by Deepa Mehta that present patriarchal Hindu attitudes to women and sexuality as in need of reform. Mehta’s films have met with hostility from Hindu conservatives and have also been accused of Orientalist misrepresentations. While these objections highlight the contested nature of “authentic” Hindu identity, Fire and Water remain powerful indictments of male hegemony in Hinduism. Mehta has cited Satyajit Ray as a major influence on her work; there are interesting parallels between Mehta’s films and Ray’s film Devi (The Goddess, 1960), which explores the plight …
Christians In The Movies: A Century Of Saints And Sinners, Bryan Polk
Christians In The Movies: A Century Of Saints And Sinners, Bryan Polk
Journal of Religion & Film
This is a book review of Peter Dans' Christians in the Movies: A Century of Saints and Sinners (Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 2009).
Woman Becomes Goddess In Bollywood: Justice, Violence, And The Feminine In Popular Hindi Film, Kathleen M. Erndl
Woman Becomes Goddess In Bollywood: Justice, Violence, And The Feminine In Popular Hindi Film, Kathleen M. Erndl
Journal of Religion & Film
What happens “when a woman becomes Chandika?” This essay contributes to an on-going discussion of the theme of “avenging women” in popular Indian cinema, with particular focus on the transformation of a woman into a fierce Goddess who avenges oppression and re-establishes justice. Analysis of the story line and selected song sequences from the Hindi language film Anjaam (“Outcome,” 1994) in light of themes from the Hindu Sanskrit text, the Devi-Mahatmya (“Greatness of the Goddess,” 5thc. C.E.) shows how traditional religious images and values are adapted and transformed in a modern context.
In Memoriam: The Reverend Andrew Greeley (1928-2013), William L. Blizek
In Memoriam: The Reverend Andrew Greeley (1928-2013), William L. Blizek
Journal of Religion & Film
Founding Editor of the Journal of Religion and Film William Blizek reflects on the influence and legacy of the Reverend Andrew Greeley.
Holocaust Cinema, Beth Dotan
Holocaust Cinema, Beth Dotan
Journal of Religion & Film
This is a book review of Historical Dictionary of Holocaust Cinema, by Robert C. Reimer and Carol J. Reimer. (Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, Inc. 2012), and “Holocaust Movies,” by Guy Matalon, in The Bloomsbury Companion to Religion and Film, edited by William L. Blizek. (London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2013). Previously published as The Continuum Companion to Religion and Film, 2009.
Homeric Heroes In Ethan And Joel Coen's The Hudsucker Proxy (1994), The Big Lebowski (1998) And No Country For Old Men (2007), Vaughan S. Roberts
Homeric Heroes In Ethan And Joel Coen's The Hudsucker Proxy (1994), The Big Lebowski (1998) And No Country For Old Men (2007), Vaughan S. Roberts
Journal of Religion & Film
This paper explores how the Homeric trope of the ‘hero’ appears in three films by the writer/directors Ethan and Joel Coen – The Hudsucker Proxy (1994), The Big Lebowski (1998) and No Country for Old Men (2007). It will identify the classical traits of hero and anti-hero, mapping them onto characters in these movies. The paper concludes by examining how the ways in which the Coen brothers' play with the notion of the 'hero' connects with recent thinking on culture and myth in the work of Graham Ward, William A. Dyrness and Robert N. Bellah.
Shinto And Buddhist Metaphors In Departures, Yoshiko Okuyama
Shinto And Buddhist Metaphors In Departures, Yoshiko Okuyama
Journal of Religion & Film
Cinematic language is rich in examples of religious metaphors. One Japanese film that contains religious “tropes” (figurative language) is the 2008 human drama, Departures. This paper focuses on the analysis of religious metaphors encoded in select film shots, using semiotics as the theoretical framework for film analysis. The specific metaphors discussed in the paper are the Shinto view of death as defilement and Buddhist practices associated with the metaphor of the journey to the afterlife. The purpose of this paper is to augment the previous reviews of Departures by explicating these religious signs hidden in the film.
The Sins Of Leo Mccarey, Richard A. Blake S.J.
The Sins Of Leo Mccarey, Richard A. Blake S.J.
Journal of Religion & Film
Leo McCarey has received little attention from film scholars. His sentimentalizing his Catholic background and his preoccupation with anti-Communism obscured the lasting value of much of his work. His concern with sin and forgiveness form a major motif of his works, from the early comedies to his later serious dramas.
Satanic But Not Satan: Signs Of The Devilish In Contemporary Cinema, Adam L. Porter
Satanic But Not Satan: Signs Of The Devilish In Contemporary Cinema, Adam L. Porter
Journal of Religion & Film
Scholars have paid much attention to identifying and analyzing Jesus and Christ-type characters in film. The parallel cases for Satan and satanic characters have been less studied. Some attention has been paid to examining Satan/Lucifer/the Devil as a character (akin to movies about Jesus), but I could find no systematic typology of satanic traits, that would parallel the well-developed Christ-typologies. This article examines six films to begin the process of describing what makes a character "satanic" without being Satan.
“O Great God!” Humility And Camera Movement In Roberto Rossellini’S The Flowers Of St. Francis, Justin Ponder
“O Great God!” Humility And Camera Movement In Roberto Rossellini’S The Flowers Of St. Francis, Justin Ponder
Journal of Religion & Film
Roberto Rossellini’s The Flowers of St. Francis (1950) represents the saint’s humility through the director’s humble style. Some claim this becomes most apparent in one scene where reverse-editing creates a compassionate bond between the saint and a leper. Close analysis, however, shows that cinematographic elements link Francis to God more than this counterpart. These elements pair him with a man for whom he feels compassion less than the God to whom he shows obedience. Ultimately, this scene’s humble style suggests the ways in which humility might be based less on compassion for others than obedience to God.
Jest In Time: The Problems And Promises Of The Holy Fool In Francesco, Giullare Di Dio, Ordet, And Ikiru, Peter L. Doebler
Jest In Time: The Problems And Promises Of The Holy Fool In Francesco, Giullare Di Dio, Ordet, And Ikiru, Peter L. Doebler
Journal of Religion & Film
This paper is a study of Roberto Rossellini’s Francesco, giullare di Dio (The Flowers of St. Francis, 1950), Akira Kurosawa’s Ikiru (1952), and Carl Dreyer’s Ordet (1955) through the theoretical lens of the religious figure of the holy fool. First, I assert that each film employs a foolish character in order to critique the contemporary culture, particularly resisting modern attempts to soften or ignore extreme elements of Christian teaching, such as sacrificial self-giving for others or the hope of bodily resurrection. Second, I argue that the content of a fool character affects the film’s form, creating a subversive …
Spirit(Uality) In The Films Of Terrence Malick, Christopher B. Barnett
Spirit(Uality) In The Films Of Terrence Malick, Christopher B. Barnett
Journal of Religion & Film
This paper will argue that Terrence Malick is a theological filmmaker, even though scholars have preferred to emphasize his indebtedness to Martin Heidegger. It will proceed by way of Malick’s use of wind imagery. First, it will show that the wind motif recalls theological notions about God as spirit. Second, it will illustrate how Malick employs wind imagery, revealing a sensitivity to the wind’s evocation of God’s presence and absence. Third, it will argue that Malick’s cinematic restraint identifies the practice of detachment [Gelassenheit] as the link between his theological and Heideggerian interests.
Facing Forward, Looking Back: Religion And Film Studies In The Last Decade, Joseph Kickasola, John C. Lyden, S. Brent Plate, Antonio Sison, Sheila J. Nayar, Stefanie Knauss, Rachel Wagner, Jolyon Thomas
Facing Forward, Looking Back: Religion And Film Studies In The Last Decade, Joseph Kickasola, John C. Lyden, S. Brent Plate, Antonio Sison, Sheila J. Nayar, Stefanie Knauss, Rachel Wagner, Jolyon Thomas
Journal of Religion & Film
On November 17, 2012, at the American Academy of Religion’s National Meeting, the Religion, Film, and Visual Culture Group sponsored a session entitled, “Facing Forward, Looking Back: Religion and Film Studies in the Last Decade.” The session focused on four recent books in the field of Religion and Film: John Lyden’s Film as Religion: Myths, Morals and Rituals (NYU, 2003); S. Brent Plate’s Religion and Film: Cinema and the Re-Creation of the World (Wallflower Press, 2009); Antonio Sison’s World Cinema, Theology, and the Human: Humanity in Deep Focus (Routledge, 2012); and Sheila Nayar’s The Sacred and the Cinema: Reconfiguring the …
Cloud Atlas, Gregory Chad Wilkes
Cloud Atlas, Gregory Chad Wilkes
Journal of Religion & Film
This is a film review of Cloud Atlas (2012) directed by Tom Tykwer, Andy Wachowski, and Lana Wachowski.
Sundance And Slamdance 2013, John C. Lyden
Sundance And Slamdance 2013, John C. Lyden
Journal of Religion & Film
Introductory remarks and photos from Sundance and Slamdance 2013
Who Is Dayani Cristal?, Jeanette Reedy Solano
Who Is Dayani Cristal?, Jeanette Reedy Solano
Journal of Religion & Film
This is a film review of Who is Dayani Cristal? (2013) directed by Marc Silver.
Virtually Heroes, Dereck Daschke
Virtually Heroes, Dereck Daschke
Journal of Religion & Film
This is a film review of Virtually Heroes (2013) directed by G. J. Echternkamp.
Interior. Leather Bar., Dereck Daschke
Interior. Leather Bar., Dereck Daschke
Journal of Religion & Film
This is a film review of Interior. Leather Bar. (2013) directed by Travis Mathews and James Franco.
Touchy Feely, William L. Blizek
Touchy Feely, William L. Blizek
Journal of Religion & Film
This is a film review of Touchy Feely (2013) directed by Lynn Shelton.
Il Futuro (The Future), Dereck Daschke
Il Futuro (The Future), Dereck Daschke
Journal of Religion & Film
This is a film review of Il Futuro (The Future) (2013) directed by Alicia Scherson.