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THE NATIVITY STORY
Synopsis:
Perhaps for the first time in film history in the biblical genre, we find a film that portrays Joseph and Mary on a very human level. Many Catholics often place both Joseph and Mary on high pedestals - saintly figures whose holiness are beyond the ordinary person’s reach. The Nativity Story commendably sets them with down-to-earth humanity as ordinary persons, reminding us that saints are also very human and it is in their human struggles that they find holiness.
Combining the infancy narratives found in the gospels of Matthew and Luke, the film also expands and infers what is not found in scripture verses, imagining probable scenarios in the lives of the teenage Mary, “God’s favoured one,” and Joseph, a “righteous man,” whose lives are turned upside down when they are called to be parents of the Son of God.
The physical and spiritual journey that Joseph and Mary undergo in the film can be a parallel reflection of our own inner life journeys. Despite their fears, doubts, struggles and uncertainties of the future, their faith in God and his promises pull them through. Models of faith, hope and love, they provide inspiration for anyone experiencing trails, hardships, and misunderstandings. It is a difficult and challenging journey that they endure but one which eventually leads them to wonder and joy, as they welcome into their lives Emmanuel, God with us.
Like Mary who finds consolation in her cousin Elizabeth, we see the importance of spiritual friends or mentors, who can provide us with encouragement, guidance and friendship along our journey in life. And we too are invited to be friend and mentor to our fellow travellers. In Joseph, we find a steadfast human love that is sacrificing, patient and kind (just as described in 1 Cor 13) as he struggles first over what is the most loving thing to do with Mary’s unexpected pregnancy, and then being her source of strength and faith-companion when he decides to abide by the angel’s call to take Mary as his wife.
This peek also includes the oppression that the Jews suffered under the Romans, an oppression that many continue to face today under varied and diverse forms, and from which true redemption is found only in the Messiah.
This is a film that is a wonderful vehicle to spur on discussions with non-Catholics on how we regard Mary and Joseph and their roles in the Church. It is also a chance to share with non-Christians the true meaning of Christmas, and that “with God, nothing is impossible.” Most of all, it is a film that can help us reflect on how our faith and trust in God can result in our own magnificat where we cay say as Mary did, “the Mighty One has done great things for me and holy is his name.” (Luke 1:49) Suggested Scripture Readings before watching the film: Matthew 1-2; Luke 1-2
Sr Wendy Ooi, fsp
THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE
Directed by Andrew Adamson
A Christian Appreciation (Warning: Contains spoilers for those not familiar with the plot)
The film adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (LWW), like its source, has a universal appeal, regardless of one’s creed. The story is a fantasy adventure of four children who discover beyond a wardrobe the magical world of Narnia, filled with creatures beyond their imagination – talking animals and mythical creatures like fauns and centaurs. Narnia however is cursed by the evil White Witch, to be in perpetual winter – “but never Christmas.” Under the guidance of the noble and mighty lion, Aslan, the children battle the Witch to free Narnia from her spell forever.
Lewis’ imaginary world of Narnia is so magical that it took more than half a century since the publication of LWW in 1950 for it to be brought to the big screen. One likely reason is that only today’s film technology and the latest advances of CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery) would be able to make Narnia and her inhabitants as realistic as possible. Though the film does not include everything in the book, and there are even slight changes made, it is essentially a faithful adaptation and fans will not be disappointed.
While cherished as a wondrous fairy tale with mythic motifs on one level, a deeper perspective reveals beautiful Christian allegories. The Christ figure is found in Aslan (lion in Turkish; the Lion of Judah in Rev 5:5 is Jesus!), who willingly lays down his life amidst the mocking and jeering of his foes, yet resurrects and breathes a new spirit of life back to creatures cast to stone by the Witch, and who eventually destroys her to save all in Narnia. The paschal mystery expressed metaphorically will be obvious for anyone familiar with the fundamentals of the Christian faith and not only is Christmas experienced in Narnia but Lent, Easter and Pentecost as well.
Edmund, one of the children who betrays his siblings and succumbs to the Witch (being tempted by his weakness – Turkish Delight), and on whose account Aslan sacrifices his life, can be viewed to represent fallen humanity. What is beautiful to see in the film is Edmund’s transformation after being redeemed. Although we do not hear him say “I’m sorry” as we do read in the book, his repentant face and disposition speak louder than words, and the forgiveness of his siblings is also illustrated in emotive actions before our eyes. Reconciled and united as a family, the children display fraternal love triumphing over past disagreements and conflicts.
In Lucy, the youngest child, we could draw a parallel to the words of Jesus in Matt 18:3, that we must change and become like children to enter the Kingdom of heaven. In her innocence, purity, and great sense of wonder, Lucy is the first to enter the magical world of Narnia. Deeply hurt by Edmund’s duplicity, she nevertheless spontaneously hugs him in the reconciling scene mentioned above. Through Lucy, we learn how to be child-like again.
Some Christians may object to having Father Christmas in the story. Yet his presence heralds the arrival of Aslan since Narnia does not experience Christmas until Aslan arrives. As we listen to the jingling bells of Santa’s sleigh, bells may also be ringing in our heads to remind us that Jesus too had a precursor, John the Baptist. Father Christmas in Narnia emphasizes his gifts to the children as being tools, in contrast to the real Gift of Aslan – his life. A point of reflection that makes this movie a wonderful Christmas film is to realise that indeed all we receive this Christmas are mere tools (to build the Kingdom of God) compared to the true Gift of Jesus himself.
As winter melts in Narnia with the arrival of Aslan, and the beauty of spring budding forth ravish audiences’ eyes, the verse from Song of Songs 2:11 could come to mind, “the winter is past….the flowers appear… ‘tis the season of songs.” – a splendid allegory of Christmas joy and hope brought forth with the arrival of Jesus into the world and in our hearts.
Finally, the White Witch clearly symbolises the devil. She and her brood of vipers are defeated in the final battle scene. Pacifists may object to the rather long battle sequence in the film which took only two pages in the book. However being a Disney film, there are no gory scenes and all killing is implied rather than graphically depicted. Ultimately, the battle could serve as a metaphor for the ongoing battle within each of us, to overcome evil and the temptations of the devil (of selfishness, greed, etc) with love, sacrifice and courage. “Impossible!” some may say, just as Susan utters when she first stumbles into Narnia and repeated by the Witch when she sees the “resurrected” Aslan. But, “with God, all things are possible.” (Lk 1:37). As in Narnia with the power of Aslan, we too with the grace of God, can win the battle where good will always triumph over evil.
While adults may be able to appreciate enriching faith parallels from the film, it is not necessary to impart to young children the spiritual aspects of the story yet. It may be wiser to just let them enjoy and experience the story for themselves first, and discover the richness of the allegories later, as their faith matures.
Sr. Wendy Ooi, fsp A tip - Stay in your seats after the credits roll for an extra scene to discover why Professor Kirke never doubted Lucy.
HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE
Harry is in his fourth year at Hogwarts which opens its doors to host the international Triwizard Tournament. Although officially under aged, he is named the 4th champion to compete in the tournament and faces the greatest challenge of his life.
The Harry Potter books and their film adaptations are secular stories. In Goblet of Fire, Christmas is celebrated in a secular way in the Yule Ball. There is no mention of the main reason for the season, Jesus Christ himself. Professor McGonagall even describes the evening as one of “well mannered frivolity.”
Nevertheless, there are Christian and moral values that can be gleaned from this film, and Harry Potter, the atypical hero who still suffers moments of being the underdog, can be a point of reflection for Christians committed to live Gospel lives.
The Narrow and Difficult but Right Path
Harry consistently chooses and does the difficult and right, not the easy. During the tournament, Harry continually faces the choice between winning and ensuring the safety of the others. He consistently and courageously chooses the latter.
From the very start, Harry shares with fellow competitor Cedric Diggory, about the first task – dragons are involved. In the second task, Harry ensures that all hostages come up from the lake, and rescues not only his hostage Ron but also Fleur’s siste, at the risk of his own life and the certainty of not winning. To everyone’s relief, he is rewarded by the judges for his “outstanding moral fibre.”
Faced with further moral dilemmas in the third task, Harry again acts on his conscience, giving priority to the welfare of others instead of self. He runs back to Fleur and signals help as she is swallowed up by the creeping labyrinth, and later saves Cedric in the coiling roots of the maze. Even as they face the cup, Harry insists that Cedric touches the cup at the same time as him so that they both will be winners. Harry’s honest and humble declaration, “I don’t want eternal glory,” is evident in his actions throughout the film.
Accompanying this maturity, Harry and his friends also have to deal with the growing pains of teenage angst and the awkwardness of young crushes. Yet romance is also in the air for their giant friend, Hagrid who is amusingly smitten in this film.
From Dumbledore we gain further insights as he warns Harry, “Curiosity’s no sin Harry but you have to exercise caution.”
The film’s rating of PG clearly indicates its suitability for older children as young impressionable minds may be terrified by some scenes especially the final battle scene when the Dark Lord, Voldemort regains his body and is seen as his evil self by audiences for the very first time. A darker story than its predecessors, Goblet of Fire has deaths at the beginning and the end. It could be too frightening an adventure for younger children, with the added complexity of Rowling’s usual twists and turns of characters of good guys turning out to be bad guys.
Regrettably huge chunks of the original book were not included for the film adaptation; most noticeably the Dursleys, Mrs Weasely, and Hermione’s campaign to free house elves from slavery. Nevertheless, Dumbledore expresses author Rowling’s stand against prejudice and discrimination in his speech at the end of the Triwizard Tournament, “We come from different places and speak in different tongues but our hearts beat as one.”
The spectacular sets and effects of Goblet of Fire makes the fantasy almost a reality. Those who watch it will not be disappointed in being entertained. It is a film which will make you laugh, tremble, shiver, and possibly even cry. Hopefully it will also inspire – to always do the right and difficult rather than the easy.
Sr Wendy Ooi, fsp
EXORCIST: THE BEGINNING
Directed by Renny Harlin
“The best view of God is from hell."
Set in 1949 Africa, Exorcist: the Beginning traces the story of how Fr. Merrin became a sought-after exorcist in the 1970s, seen in The Exorcist. After witnessing the atrocities of the second world war by the Nazis, Fr. Merrin (Stellan Skarsgard) loses faith in God and in his priestly vocation. Trained as an archaeologist, he is approached by an antiquities collector to find an ancient relic hidden in a mysterious Byzantine church, recently unearthed in Kenya. There, he is joined by the young Fr Francis (James D’Arcy) from the Vatican whose role is supposedly to supervise the religious aspects of the excavation. As unusual and horrific individual deaths begin to descend on the villagers, Fr. Merrin realises that there are darker secrets to be uncovered.
While there are some moments of suspense and terror, the real horror and evil in Exorcist: the Beginning are not so strongly depicted in the demonic possession and the grisly scenes of maggots, flies, hyenas and gore, but more so in the inhuman, heartlessness, and meaninglessness of the violence of war, seen in the Nazis’ brutality (during Merrin’s flashbacks and nightmares), and the confused massacre among soldiers between and within camps – a scene we still witness today in war torn countries. As Fr. Merrin says, “It’s easier to talk about evil as an entity. But it’s inside us. It’s part of the human condition.” Yet as heinous acts are witnessed and the exorcism is conducted on screen, viewers are reminded to “hate the sin and not the sinner”
Ultimately the film is about a man’s struggle between belief and doubt. Yet even in the midst of his desert of cynicism, Fr. Merrin still displayed his Christian compassion and care to the hurting and unfortunate. The flicker of faith and hope left in him is rekindled and set aflame in the face of dire evil. Sometimes indeed one has to be in “hell” to see God.
Sr. Wendy Ooi, fsp |