Paradox or hidden truth: The enigma of Christian motifs in secular film By Ben Konuch Film and television are a medium uniquely suited for effectively telling stories that move us with a fusion of underlying themes with emotional weight through visual performance. We feel the weight of Tony Stark's sacrifice in "Avengers: Endgame" because of the multiple movies that we spent watching this character come to life. The high-quality writing and an outstanding performance instilled an emotional attachment and connection with us. When films or television use that connection to tie into a belief or a theme instead of a particular character, such as how the 2014 horror film "The Babadook" instills a message about grief and letting go of the past through its use of fear and horror imagery, the message resonates with us far more than in other mediums. The motifs and imagery ha tt,es film u mean something, and are utilized for a pacific effect. So what does it mean when film and television from filmmakers with secula( worldviews rep atedly feature Christian motifs and imagery? Throughout the history of film, movie and t levis on alike repeatedly showcased Christian {Tlotlfs, imagery allegory and element drawn straight from the Bible. You may think that it only makes sense due to older Hollywood productions when Christianity was more positively viewed in America, but motifs of Christianity still appear in films and television today. Films as recent as 2023's "The Creator" or Zack Snyder's interpretation of Superman in the DCEU feature the use of a narrative "Christ-figure," which is a character whose life and actions primarily follow the pattern of the gospel account of Christ's life. The "Christ-figure" is very much not a picture or representation of Christ, but rather is a character who follows a similar narrative path in their journey as Jesus's own life, death and resurrection. One of the best examples of Christian motifs and a "Christ-figure" in modern cinema comes from 201 B's "A Quiet Place." Many of the presuppositions of the film actually fit very well with a Christian worldview, such as the importance of the family, the sacredness of human life and the value of sacrificial love. Its use of the "Chri t-figure" is abundantly evident in the fath~r•s life and his relations Ip with his eldest daughter. She goes throughout the film thinkin~ her father hates her rebelliousn ss, only to learn that hes loved her by witnessing the greatest act of love: sacrific ng his life to save his children. his film howcases a picture of redemptive sacrifice that very strongly ec:hoes the theme of Christ's sacrifice for us, despite the fact that writer, director and lead actor John Krasinski does not 6 CED.RS believe in Christianity. Dan Clark, who serves as a professor of English at Cedarville University and teaches a class on Christian motifs in film, explained why this may be. "The tropes that we see in many films, especially action films, reiterate the familiar element that at some level rings true to us: that we are weak and that we are in need of a hero or a savior because we can't save ourselves " Clark said. "This is why you'll often have a hero go int~ a community to bring them a calling to a different kind of life, and whether that be in films such as 'The Matrix' or even most modern superhero films, there's something in that that I think we as an audience recognize at a basic level. "We daydr •am about bet more s rious level rear e o own fra " M ch of our W tern sto by f based v ues. Altha shifttfilg away fro i once did th c cultures n e still remain strong. While our culture may no longer recognize the significance of these values. audiences still resonate with many of the themes and principles in our Western storytelling from our Biblical foundations. Many of these themes and values still evoke a response in us and stand as a testament to God's truth that can shine through from even the most unlikely of places. Perhaps It is due to the secular nature of Hollywood or the often anti-Biblical messaging, but it seems these heavily used motifs and their importance get overlooked. Many Christian films are notonous for having their obnoxiously shoved in the face of the v· like "A Quiet Place" actually proa:tlif!tf sanctity of human life e better way than ny "As Chrlstf ' abundantt obvious t op nty hostile to Chris ~ '"!'•-~ ~Ill'! gnize it," Clar id. "Yet wh -• -~~a ,Im that has those underlyi world • can parallel Christianity we may not notic the n ces, but instead recognize them as truth without really even noticing them." tn the end, how do we make sense of these Christian motifs that appear in stories that may even be antithetical to the Christian faith? For one, we can acknowledge there is something within the story of Christ, within the idea of a redeemer, a savior or Graphics by Angela Delano Fall 2023
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