Religion and Film: An Introduction

by Melanie Wright

From silent films to contemporary blockbusters, religion has always proved a popular theme for the cinema. However, all too often religion and film are discussed from narrowly confessional perspectives, with the result that the field has long been dominated by the question of a film's fidelity to a religious text or worldview, or its value as a tool in ministry and mission. "Religion and An Introduction" seeks to redress this balance, and argues for a new, holistic approach to the subject that draws on work from cultural studies, religious studies and film studies alike. Wright argues that the 'meanings' of a film are not encoded by its textual organisation, but are bound up with its interpretation by viewers in specific contexts. Focusing on religiously diverse films like "The Ten Commandments", "La Passion de Jeanne d'Arc", "Kadosh", "Lagaan", "My Son the Fanatic", "Keeping the Faith", "The Wicker Man" and Mel Gibson's "The Passion of The Christ", the author looks at varied screen representations of religion; at films shaped by strong convictions about the place of religion in society; and at the roles that audiences play as consumers of film.
The book will have strong appeal to students as well as general readers interested in all aspects of the inter-relationship of religion and the cinema.

252 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[John]

This is a really great and scholarly take on the topic of religion and film. The book does not only look at Christianity but the intersection of other religions with film as well. After two introductory chapters, each of the following movies get a chapter each: The Passion of Joan of Arc, The Ten Commandments, The Wicker Man, My Son the Fanatic, Keeping the Faith, Lagaan, and, in the conclusion The Passion of Christ.

The way the book is set up makes it possible to refer back and forward in the book instead of reintroducing specific discussions that are again relevant. Each chapter adds inn new aspects of religion in film, and then in the end you have a broader picture of the genre. However, the book will feel a bit dry as it is highly analytical and uses scholarly language. For me, it is refreshing, but also a little bit tiring as I feel that the movies are a bit overanalyzed. That is also a thing that separates this as a book from a simple blog review of the film, as the author can dive deeper and build upon everything else in the book.

It's a great book, but I would not call it "an introduction" as "a deeper dive" would be more accurate.

[Stephen Cranney]

Reading this book will make more sense once I've actually seen the movies.