Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Movie Theology

I have never read the Harry Potter books. I'm sure they're a fun read but I'm not that into fantasy fiction and there are always other books clamoring for my attention. And I've never seen the movies from beginning to end. I've seen most of them in chunks on TV. This weekend there was a marathon and I kept seeing ten or twenty minutes here and there. On Sunday I just kept it on all day. I still wasn't sitting and watching so I still have holes in my understanding but there were things that I really liked.
I like that Harry is suspicious of his own specialness. In one scene his friends were talking up some of his feats and he said they were mostly about luck and nothing to envy. He wants to understand why he is who he is but he worries that his difference may make keep him separate.
Oprah has thing about not believing in luck. She says luck is about preparation and being ready when opportunity arrives. Some times. Maybe.
Earlier in the weekend the Matrix movies were in a marathon. It almost embarrassed me to admit how much I like those movies. The fight scenes are dance like and the mash-up of religion and philosophy makes me smile. I like the bring it on hand gesture.
There's a moment like that in one of the Potter films. He doesn't really want to fight but he really has no choice. Even though he has no choice it still matters that he makes one. He stands in the moment. I've always liked the hero journey thematically.
Maybe I felt the need for some kind of theological musing since it was suppose to be the end of the world.
A friend has been reading this book. I downloaded a sample and it's interesting. He talks about not being able to distinguish good things from bad. He mentions realizing that having Cancer brought him closer to his family and friends but the radiation caused the heart disease he has now.
Movie theology always has an arc. Life is more meandering. The rapture is rescheduled.
More time to prepare I suppose.

2 comments:

Cheryl Czekala said...

Just realizing you've been posting, Tish. I was assuming there'd be a FB link when you did.

I like this post and the idea of movie theology, which I kind of subscribe to, in that so often a film I discover has a direct link in to something immediate in my experience.

Keep writing, and I'll report in more assiduously! xo

Tish said...

There were FB links. It's easy to miss them. Anyway.Thanks for reading. XO