Tension, Conflict.
How do you show the best (or is it the worst) possible conflict that a character or group encounters in a way that make the resolution the all the more poignant?
Without compromising Christian morals, beliefs and values?
Bringing someone to a potential downfall in a moment of violence, lust or terror can be quite compromising of a person’s morals and values. But then, the more contrasting the conflict to the resolution the more powerful and memorable the story. Obviously there are exceptions where the conflict is more subtle. I think that they did quite well in the film: FireProof where the husband was faced with a potential internet chat with another woman. Yet through out the film most of what happened was implied. It could have watered down the story? But in this case it did not.
What about violence and horror? There was a good discussion over at the Cloud Ten Pictures Blog about Christian Horror. Just how far do you go before you make the conflict a threat to another Christian’s relationship with God and or his own family?
Having said that, the Bible is full of stuff that could make you cringe, blow you away or make you dumbstruck. Just read about David, Jacob, Lot or the Songs of Songs. The Bible has incest, harlots, war, murder, violence, you name it; the true nature of man is there at it’s worst. So why can’t we make film’s like that? Imagine a film of Lot and his daughters, PG18 stuff.
I don’t know what you think, but from a Christian perspective: I think that there is a fine line between using sin to illustrate truth and plain old sinning.
So what do you think? Does this water down Christian Film? Should we risk making them more real?
[Image created from photos by: djking and insightimaging]
You have to look at the intent and the portrayal. I don't know if you've read "Redeeming Love" by Francine Rivers (I recommend it highly!), but the book deals with sex a lot. It's a retelling of the book of Hosea, and the female lead begins as a prostitute. Her life is described but it is never vulgar or explicit. Sometimes it's metaphorical. But the impact is never lost, and the book feels very honest. Ted Dekker did the same kind of thing with suspense in "Three".
I think if Christian filmmakers used their tools like that, they'd be portraying sin as evil without the films being evil. The Bible, as you said, is full of adult situations. If we made a movie of that, it'd probably be to intense for many. The trouble is, real people use bad language, think bad thoughts, do bad things. Christian films in my experience seem to gloss over that in favor of simplistic stories where you can figure the plot out in 5 minutes. Personally, I'd deal with some questionable stuff if the story rang true.
Ok, I'm rambling on now. Good questions.
Not sure if I'll read Redeeming Love – I think my wife has (will ask her about it), but Ted Dekker intrigues me – wasn't "Three" made into a movie?
I think that I will make a point of watching more Christian Movies. From movies like Fly Wheel and Facing the Giants to Dangerous Calling.
As for bad language – I can understand the controlled use of it given the right circumstances but not for arb situations like what seemed to be common in movie from the 80's.
Yeah, I didn't really think I'd like Redeeming Love, it being more of a "romance" type novel, but I couldn't put it down. Not sure what that says about me, but hey!
And yeah, Three was made into a movie. I haven't seen it, but I didn't hear good things about it.
Think I'll watch both.
But the books will most likely be better – the general case (Christian or not)
yet I am still to find a Christian Novel better then Piercing the Darkness and This Present Darkness.
To me, the big advantage of books is that so much is left up to the imagination of the individual. A situation can only be as scary or horrific as the mind allows. When you put it into film though, you end up 'telling' people what to think or believe. So yes, that puts a huge amount of responsibility onto the shoulders of film makers, especially if you're trying to make a film with Christian morals / values! I think the thing that annoys me most about many Christian films though, is that it falls into the typical stereo-type of what people believe Christians to be. I agree with you Josh- characters often come across as weak and simplistic. That's not for the most part what I have experienced. Life, even with Christ, can often be messy and confusing and a challenge. I don't have any answers, but look forward to people tackling this issue!
I was thinking about the fact that books can let you imagine the scene while movies show you when I was commenting before. In this case, it's an "advantage" that written media has. I don't have any idea how it can be done in film, but I've seen shows and movies that accomplish it (for me anyway).
Yeah, books leave a lot of power in the imagination of the read – good or bad. Film kind of locks you in to the interpretation of the Director and Actors.
Some interesting questions about "Christian" film, what should be portrayed, what should be implied, how real should it get in portraying ungodly behavior in order to create the necessary conflict and tension in a character for a satisfying redemptive resolution.
I've got some of my own thoughts about this, as a Christian filmmaker myself my over-riding desire is to tell stories that illustrate God's forgiveness, grace and redemption of mankind from his/her constant internal battle with a corrupt and sinful nature. This blog post doesn't really say much, it doesn't offer much in the way of answers, but does ask the questions.
I've been dealing with these questions for a number of years, and feel that the story should come first. The Bible is full of gruesome reality, of sin, and of the effects and results of sin. Much is toned down from the original languages in which it was written, and parts of God's word would certainly be close to an R rating if portrayed faithfully through a cinematic eye.
Too many Christian films fail completely because they are too hung up on these questions. I don't think it matters, my take on it is that if your audience is made up of other believers, sure, you don't want to put stumbling blocks in their path with nudity and violence or language that may offend them, but I honestly don't see any point in making films for this audience.
However, in my opinion, if the goal is to engage unbelievers, then the dirtier the better (to a certain extent) in order to fully illustrate just how corrupt and fallen we (even the best of us) are, and therefore how extreme God's grace actually is towards us. In any well told story there must be extremes of conflict, there must be reality, that's what people on the street want. If it's not believeable and fully engaging, then it's nothing but religious propaganda, and religious propaganda is what 99% of "Christian" films are.
God has spoken to me through mainstream cinema on a number of occasions. Not once have I felt satisfied watching a "Christian" film.
Have you ever read the book Flickering Pixels? by Shane Hipps and his thoughts on how the Medium you use changes the message. Preaching the message in Film, apologetically Christian film, show Christians to be unreal, squeaky clean and in touch with their feminine side. The message can then come out flaky and ineffective. Whereas using a theme within a gritty story where characters are not even Christian can plant a seed, almost subliminally and make people think (hmmm, not many of those movies nowadays).
It possible that audiences would prefer to have an ah-ha moment afterward than go thru the film thinking "well dahhh" Now I am rambling
rlackeyjr – here here!
I stumbled on this forum using the phrase “the problem with christian films” in google after suffering through yet another awful & unsatisfying Christian film on the local praise channel. They only come on at 2am on Sunday nights. Good thing I’m a typical musician/writer with night owl hours.
The movie I just watched had only one interesting twist, & it actually made me cry a little, but had nothing at all to do with the milktoast story. It was made in 1994, but was billed for 2009 because they brought back the actors to put a 4-minute tag on it. Unfortunately, the preceding 86 minutes were a typical agony of terrible acting mixed with veteran greats.
1994: In The Living Years was updated to 2009: A Letter To Dad
The tension was so manufactured & so lackluster (bad acting didn’t help) that it was really hard to stick with it. But I watch these to learn. 100% of the time, I learn what NOT to do.
Enough of the preaching to the choir screenwriting. Please!
As a solution, I write for a secular audience. I don’t cause anyone to sin. I show a believable & palpable & relatable conflict, then I offer the redemption we’re all looking for. The realization that we’re all really messed up humans in need of God’s help.
My current project is the true story of 18th century pirates. Now there are some sinners! There’s a redeeming story to be found, & I’m telling it. I’ll never call it a Christian film, but I think it can truly change lives. & I really hope it doesn’t fall into the hands of Christian filmmakers, because from what I’ve seen, I can’t trust them to do it justice.
Sad but true.
18th century pirates? Nice. Sound interesting.
Maybe it should not be pushed as a Christian Story, rather be pushed as an adventure with the theme of redemption.
yep. I personally think Christian film overall would do better if the cinematic audience was not expecting it to be Christian. I’ve seen plenty of secular films that have moved me with a message that has stuck with me (Braveheart comes to mind).
A Spielberg may be a driving force, but it all began with a compelling script with a great message. Some are PG-13. A few are R (though my personal rule has me watching them edited for PG audience).
It all starts with a great screenplay. If you have that, even bad actors can’t totally ruin it, but of course it will attract good actors, so it will be a win-win for everyone.
Christian Films tend to be a bit stereotypical and 'chessy'
would it be more effective to illustrate God's grace and Christian Principles through a non-Christian film?
like: The Blind Side staring Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw and Quinton Aaron
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0878804/
"The story of Michael Oher, a homeless and traumatized boy who became an All American football player and first round NFL draft pick with the help of a caring woman and her family"
Thank you for talking about this, it really is a question on so many 'Christian' filmmakers minds. My first feature hits the cinemas Easter 2010 and it's an animated 'bible' film called 'The Lion of Judah' which made all moral debates easy (bar the full frontal pig fart scene). I'm a Christian film maker, but like so many Christian singers, am I going to be stereotyped. We don't all get to make an acceptable 'Narnia' or 'Lord of the Rings',, those opportunities are few and far between. I'd really love to make something in the 'Jason Bourne', action, thriller genre. I also know so many Christian singers are stuck entertaining Christians. Anyway – thanks for processing this, still not 100% confident of what I'd accept or turn down, but I pray for wisdom and then take steps of faith – God is good.
oh wow, saw a segment on the film sometime ago on TV. I remember thinking how awesome it was that the animation was all done by South Africans. Looking forward to watching it
I remember when I was a teenager. As a Christian I was quite irritated that I could not easily find great contemporary christian music, ok I was also a bit into rap. But it seemed that anyone and everyone was jumping in, granted there was not much money in it. Things have changed a lot since then. The same is happening with books.
However with Christian film, the bit problem is money. Who is going to say yes to financing a R150,000,000 budget of "How an atheist becomes a Christian after his wife dies and he starts questioning his own ideals".
Not in this country.
Actually, I was listening to two filmmakers talking in SABC, the one mentioned that if District9 was offered to South African producers as a R300,000,000 film they would have laughed.
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Hey, I was wondering I saw that Corin played in the film Hidden Secrets, which is obviously a christian film?
Louise
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