Religion and Film 2020

Shamanistic ritual often involves pain and bloodshed in an effort to reach an altered state of enlightenment or consciousness. The drawer deprives Jack Starks of his physical mobility yet he is able to travel through time both forward and backwards in able to alter his timeline for the better. He uses his powers to help others in spite of the knowledge of his own impending death on the horizon. In a way, Jack knowing of his own death is a healing experience. In the life where he’s stuffed in the drawer he’s a lab rat for Becker but Becker has gifted Jack with the ability to escape and develop his own enlightenment by improving the lives of others around him. Throughout the film symbols representing improvement spring up when Jack is following the right path. One symbol in particular helps indicate what reality Jack is in. The dreamcatcher in Jackie’s car represents the two worlds. In the reality where Jackie’s mother is dead the dreamcatcher is torn and faded, representing the grim rea...

Kurtz draws parallel to Kurtz in Heart of darkness he is a representation of man gone savage yet ironically enough he is much more philosophical than the officer. The officer played by Duvall is more insane than Kurtz but he enacts violence under a banner and the guise of war so therefore, his actions are justified. The purpose of the parallels of the insanity between Kurtz and the officer is to show just how maddening war really is. The apocalypse in the sense of the film is more of an end to the sane rational thoughts of man and the subsequent descent into madness. The war itself represents how the hypocrisy of those in power can be equally as evil as those they fight against, paralleling the hypocritical nature that religious organizations can take on certain stances. Many people complain that modern religion and churches mar the message that religion tries to convey in the pursuit of monetary gain.

In Cold Fever the main character Hirata experiences transcendent significance throughout his adventure to perform his parent’s ceremonial last rites. During his journey to the site of his parents death Hirata is continuously and mercilessly faced with roadblocks and obstacles that seem to test him and his dedication to his parents rite of passage. The adventure to the site in itself is a ritual. From the process of purchasing and overpaying for the Citroen DS from a self proclaimed psychic and subsequently traveling across the icelandic countryside, getting robbed, experiencing icelandic western culture, drinking the strongest liquor in iceland and traveling through the tundra for  a stent on horseback. All the twists and turns in Hiratas adventure would cause most people looking from the outside in to question why he doesn’t just give up or wait for better weather. As individuals we often refuse to quit once we’re headed for a goal, regardless of what inconvenient obstacles are t...