Christianity and the Movies

I was reading reviews on a movie that I saw around a year ago.  You’ve probably heard of it: There Will Be Blood, which stars Daniel Day Lewis, who plays a greedy oil prospector in the early twentieth century.  I honestly had mixed feelings about viewing this movie before I actually did watch it.  “It’s anti-Christian!” some said.  Others were just opposed to the idea of lots of blood in a movie, although the fact is, there really isn’t that much (at least, compared to some of the torture porn movies…aka Saw series…favorited by many these days…yikes).  What I found after viewing it was a really good, thought provoking movie about greed and evil human nature.  If you want an excellent review from a Christian perspective, check out this one that was posted to the Christianity Today online magazine.  He came to the same conclusion that I did:  I wouldn’t recommend it for those who have impressionable ideas about Christianity, since Christian faith is not overtly represented in a positive way.  The guy that wrote this review is Jeffrey Overstreet, who is a Christian film reviewer and author.  You should most definitely check out this interview that he had with Christianity Today.  They asked some hard questions, and he had some very good answers:  Studying the Silver Screen: An Interview With Jeffrey Overstreet.

This brings up an excellent question though, and I’m sure that it’s one that you have struggled with as well if you are a Christian:  What movies are acceptable to watch as a Christian, and why should a Christian watch movies anyway?

Obviously, I can’t answer that question for everyone.  I have wrestled with this issue before though.  I really like what Overstreet said (in the above interview – bottom of the first page) in reply to a question about offenses to the conscience through the viewing of film:

“I’m learning to proceed with caution, but I’m also learning to reject the approach I learned growing up in the church. I want to quit lamenting culture and start engaging it. We need to approach movies the way we approach people. Jesus and the apostles got involved with messed-up people all the time and walked in to some of the most pagan places. But they did so with discernment, conscience, discipline, and, above all, grace.”

Right on, Jeffrey!  I usually come to the same conclusion that I always do when I think about such things, and that is this:  Perhaps the best way to live life is not in a state of extremity, but rather in a state of continual temperance through God-given wisdom and prudence.

Situational Prudence?

In an article a few days ago, I discussed moral prudence and the need to carefully choose that which you let into your life.  A question that I have for discussion is this:  In your opinion, is it Biblically acceptable to watch or to listen to immoral things outside of the company of others who are more sensitive to “adult issues”?  (Example: Not wanting to watch a PG-13 or R rated movie in front of young children, but watching it later in the company of adults or alone)

My opinion thus far is that the issue can be decided based upon what the intent of the production is.  Is the message of the production a good thing to meditate upon (that will stir us to good action and Godly lifestyle), or is the intent of the production to exploit, destroy morality and goodness, or corrupt?  Also, I do not think that moral compromises can be made with trivial things.  If there is no purpose other than to entertain, entertainment alone does not justify immoral content.  Certainly our primary source of meditation should be God’s word.  We should be filling ourselves primarily with Godly things, and we should let everything else be secondary, utilizing prudence to determine what is acceptable for Christians to partake of.  If we are cultivating a true relationship with God, His Spirit within us will chastise when we stray from the sanctified life that He is working to produce in us.