http://www.scriptureworkshop.net/movies Reading Film, Thinking God, and Drinking Coffee Tue, 12 Jan 2010 20:47:28 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en http://www.scriptureworkshop.net/movies/?p=58 http://www.scriptureworkshop.net/movies/?p=39 Network is a must see for film buffs who are curious about the effect of the TV upon the world of filmmaking. Lumet is a phenomenal director who's repertoire of films puts most other directors to shame; with over 50 films made since 1957, he is also known for being the leader of a pack of directors that made successful transitions from TV to film. This move from one medium to the other can almost be felt in this movie's "affair" with TV. Once again, beware, for here be spoilers... ................................................................................................................................................................... From the moment of Network’s opening montage of Howard Beale in competition with other newscasters of his day, the narration of his declining rating and market share quickly gives us the sense that it is more than simply his shrinking audience that we are to be concerned about. In a way that will become more apparent as the film goes on, it is the very value of Beale’s life that is tied to his market share, a sad fact that goes far beyond the central characters in the story. In a world driven by TV broadcasting and high-stakes consumerism, there is only one bottom line: how one can ultimately turn the events of life into profit. Sydney Lumet’s Network grants us a comical – and at times frightening – vision of a world where capitalism itself has become a god to be served, and a man’s value is determined by how much money he can make for his superiors. It is a world not too far from our own...]]> http://www.scriptureworkshop.net/movies/?p=23 This post was originally a paper for Gary Schnittjer's Film, Culture, & Theology class at Biblical Seminary in the Summer of 2008. WARNING: Here be spoilers... The question of whether we are ourselves without our memories is what lies at the heart of Michel Gondry’s visually stunning Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. The film asks us the question of whether we would opt for a procedure that could wipe away painful memories and leave us in a state of ignorant bliss; a kind of “blank slate” for our lives. Lacuna, Inc., the company that has developed this process, claims that any kinds of painful memories can be wiped away, allowing the patient to “move on” without the ghost of recollection to bring the pain rushing back again. For many, this might seem a wonderful miracle, allowing a life without regrets, but for our protagonists Joel & Clementine, the immediate gratification of relational amnesia comes with a steep price tag...]]> http://www.scriptureworkshop.net/movies/?p=8 http://www.scriptureworkshop.net/movies/?p=17