August 11, 2014 (Monday)
Remember the movie, “Quo Vadis?” Released in 1951, it was about Christianity and the Roman emperor, Nero. I was in college when it was shown in theaters, and I recall a history class when a student asked the professor, “Is the movie, ‘Quo Vadis,’ historical? “Why, yes,” answered the prof, “there was a Nero.” In others words, everything else in the movie was fiction, howbeit reverently so, because the primary plot was about a Roman General in love with a Christian, whose faith was presented in a positive light.
I saw the movie, “Noah,” Saturday night. It presented a man named Noah, a flood and an ark. There the resemblance to the Bible ends. It is well done, and cost a lot of money to make, but definitely is not the story found in the book of Genesis. I’m sorry, but I just don’t understand the reasoning behind the decision to make a movie about a Biblical character by telling an entirely different story, described as an “original take” on the Bible story by one of the actors in the film. The director and writer of the film told the New Yorker magazine that this movie is “the least biblical biblical film ever made.”
When I think of good movies that present Christianity in a favorable light, I think of “The Robe.” It’s over 60 years old, probably not available for rental, but a great movie. It is fiction, but every part of the movie that references the Christian message is compatible with what the Bible says and what Christians believe. Several movies have appeared in recent times that are Biblical and inspirational. Wonderful. If you see a movie that is known to have a Christian message, you expect to be moved toward feeling great, blessed by what you saw and heard.
The folks who made this film might have discovered that the original Bible story is exciting enough in itself and presented truthfully with dramatic flare could have been quite successful. I recall being asked to tell a Bible story to a group of 5-year-olds in a local pre-school class. I chose the simple story of Noah and the Ark. By the time those little guys got through with me, making comments and asking questions, I was praying for my time with them to be terminated. I went back to my study tattered and torn by their onslaught. I’ve never been so “manhandled” by my audience.
