The Encyclopedia of World Religions

94 S cinema and religion

nialism. They do so by challenging the British to a cricket match. Most North Americans and Europeans would probably miss the references to Krishna in Lagaan, but they may notice allusions to the Jesus story more easily. Perhaps for that reason North Ameri can and European filmmakers have used elements of the story of Jesus widely. One series of Westerns— Shane (1953), Pale Rider (1985), The Quick and the Dead (1995), and perhaps other films as well—provides an alterna tive to a savior who suffers and dies. They celebrate a gun-slinging savior who comes to town, defeats the forces of evil in a shoot-out, and rescues the helpless townspeople. The films tell this story from different angles. Pale Rider develops its story with the help of motifs not only from the Jesus story but also from the Book of Revelation ( see R EVELA TION , B OOK OF ). The title of The Quick and the Dead comes from the traditional translation of Christian CREEDS . It tells the story of a female savior who openly rejects the teachings of Jesus. An old tradition in E ASTERN O RTHODOX C HRIS TIANITY celebrates “holy fools.” Starting with the writings of Fyodor Dostoyevsky and Friedrich Nietzsche in the 19th century, a motif in Western literature has also connected Jesus with madness or insanity. Such figures are sometimes called “Christomaniacs” and are found in films such as the Argentine film Man Facing Southeast (1986), K-Pax (2001), and perhaps less obviously One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975) and Being There (1979). Less frequently, films make use of the Jesus story told from a perspective of G NOSTICISM . Good examples are Blade Runner (1982) and the The Matrix (1999). FILMS THAT EXPLORE RELIGIOUS ISSUES Most films touch upon the problems and chal lenges that human beings face, even if they do not explore them with much depth. As a result, given enough ingenuity most films can lead to reflection on religious issues. There is little point in trying to survey such films comprehensively, but it might be helpful here to list a few films generally avail

clothes. Others find the brusque Jesus in The Gos pel According to Matthew (1964) by the Italian director Pier Paolo Pasolini more realistic. In The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) Martin Scors ese portrayed a mentally fragile Jesus in order to explore the struggles of a human being trying to fulfill divine expectations. Two rock operas from 1973 provide a different, nontraditional take on Jesus: Jesus Christ Superstar and Godspell. Mel Gib son graphically portrayed the physical sufferings of Jesus in The Passion of the Christ (2004). Viewers may find, however, that none of these films, or the many other films about Jesus, quite fit their image of what Jesus was like. That is because stories that are heard or read, unlike cinema, allow their audi ences to imagine characters and settings as they see fit. People seem to have imagined Jesus in various ways. Cinema can explore and highlight many dimensions and nuances of religious stories. In this way, it continues to do in a new medium what religious art, music, and literature have been doing for centuries. At times screenwriters invent entirely new stories. They also frequently use elements and motifs from stories that they and their audiences already know. Among other things, these familiar elements make it easier for the film to communicate. Many films have used religious elements in this way. Japanese anime films are filled with mythic themes, including Christian ones. The Star Wars saga is filled with mythic themes, too. It draws them mainly from the ideas of Joseph Campbell (1904–87), an interpreter of the psy chologist Carl Gustav J UNG . Islamic resistance to foreign occupation forms the subject of Lion of the Desert (1981), which details the resistance led by Omar Mukhtar in Libya against Mussolini’s Italy. Lagaan (2001), a Hindi film available in many video shops in the United States, uses Hindu themes. It alludes to stories of K RISHNA , Radha, and the gopis and to Krishna’s salvific LILA or play as it tells a story of Indians resisting British colo FILMS THAT USE ELEMENTS FROM RELIGIOUS STORIES