movie inspired manifesto

In the last three weeks I’ve seen four movies … American Dreamz, Da Vinci Code and (tonight) V for Vendetta at the theater and Saved on video. Oddly enough, seeing the four movies in such a short time frame gives one an interesting perspective on our world and the part we’re asked to play in it.

First to give a two second plot summary of the four flicks. Feel free to skip this bit if you’ve seen them.

American Dreamz features a president and vice president satirically like our own. Our country is at war against the Iraqistanis and the prez’s poll numbers are way down. The answer to all questions of the government’s actions is “We’re at war with the terrorists.” Meanwhile in Hollywood, America is gaga over American Idol, I mean American Dreamz hosted by Simon, I mean Hugh Grant. Throw in Al Qaeda, a war hero, some contestants and an assassination attempt and you get the picture (literally).

V for Vendetta takes place in England and is essentially an Orwellian look into the future of what might happen if the people of a nation trade freedom of thought and civil liberties for tea and crumpets every morning and censorship by night. Throw in a comic book villain/hero and some Nazi tinged images for good measure. There can be no questions about the government because, well, have we told you about the terrorists?

Da Vinci Code … well, no need to go into that I don’t think except to repeat IT’S FICTION.

Saved takes place in a Christian High School, where the students don’t act very much like followers of Christ as they look down on their classmates at the same time as they claim to be “Down with Jesus.”

My first thought was that American Dreamz and V for Vendetta are both obviously political commentaries on our War on Terror and corresponding War on Civil Liberties. One approaches it with humor, the other with a frightening portrayal of where the combination might lead. But both essentially say to us, do you know where your country’s going?

Saved & Da Vinci Code are also in a weird way mirror images of each other. Saved paints a nasty picture of the Christian Evangelical world. Da Vinci Code continues some nasty stereotypes about the Catholic Church. Both highlight the more extreme elements. And those extreme elements don’t seem to be thinking very clearly while they do some pretty un-Christian things in the name of religion.

It’s almost 10 o’clock at night and I haven’t quite put my finger on what happens when you put all four movies together. Except to say that it’s easy to think that we are right, that we have the one and only answer, the correct brand of Christianity or whatever else. It’s easy to focus on the fact that we’re better than those heathens or “Iraqistanis” or terrorists or “freedom haters” or even other Christians. It’s also easy to turn a blind eye to the bad acts committed by our friends in high school or by our nation in our name. But we’re called to more. We’re called to take responsibility in our personal lives and in the public sphere. We’re called to respect ourselves and our fellow travelers on earth. And in each of these movies, at least one of the characters makes this realization and takes a stand. In the Da Vinci Code it was the French policeman. In V for Vendetta it was the people of London. In American Dreamz it was oddly enough the President. And in Saved it was the queen bee of the High School. Where do you need to take a stand in your life? Where do I?

Movie inspired manifesto over. Night John Boy.