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How Movies Helped Saved My Soul
At its best, film can transport you to what C.S. Lewis called a "thin place," where the line between harsh reality and the transcendent is so subtly blurred that for a moment, you find it difficult to tell the difference. Film, in the final analysis, can do for you what all great art does--irritate and heal, challenge and affirm, inspire and sadden. "How Movies Help Save My Soul explores the profound possibilities of movies to guide, critique and provoke the postmodern Christian journey. The book examines more than 50 films to see beyond simple multiplex fodder to encounter something transcendent in film.
176 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
November 29, 2018
For the last few years, reading has dominated my spare time (and a fair amount of my non-spare time, too, if I am honest!). Before that, however, I was, for several years, a movie fanatic and there are still about 200 DVDs dotted around the house waiting for me to re-watch them. Maybe one day that will happen.
Gareth Higgins is also a movie lover, but he takes it far more seriously than I ever did. As a consequence, he knows a lot more about movies than I do and this is clear as you read. One of the most interesting things about this book is seeing the connections Higgins makes as he leaps from, say, Disney to Tarantino perhaps via Spielberg or Kubrick. From my movie watching days, I have seen a lot of the films Higgins refers to (with the exception of the horror movies because I never watched any of those, although this book says I really should watch The Exorcist).
The title of the book is a clue as to its purpose and its content. Higgins believes that movies can contribute to spiritual growth, that they can be a place where people can encounter God. He is writing from a specifically Christian viewpoint and he is looking at movies that help him demonstrate his views in a Christian context. But his scope in terms of movies he considers is very broad: there are many films referenced here that nearly all churches would advise their members NOT to watch (see the above mention of The Exorcist, for example). The book is structured as a series of chapters each of which takes a different topic. Within each chapter there is generally an introduction that looks at what Higgins considers to be the key movie in that area followed by a review of several other films covering similar topics followed by the wrap that pulls it all together. Mixed in with the reviews, Higgins makes his own comments about how he sees these movies revealing something about God or spiritual life. He is particularly keen on community which is, of course, much broader than the Christian church but which he believes the Christian church needs to take far more seriously. So, we have chapters on brokenness, conspiracy, death, community, fear, God, justice, love, quest, outsiders, power and war. Plus The Matrix gets a chapter all to itself.
I think my favourite chapter is the one on God. It starts with a look at the film Koyannisqatsi which is part of a trilogy (three of the 200 DVDs in my house that I mentioned). This is a powerful movie with no dialogue but a remarkable score by Philip Glass. It is about nature (or creation, depending on your viewpoint) and the way man has damaged it and it communicates is message by the use of contrasting images that build into a montage. But the real reason I like this chapter best is that it then goes on to look at Scorsese’s film The Last Temptation of Christ. This was very controversial in its time and most churches declared it blasphemous and made it clear their members should not watch it. The night I plucked up all my rebellious courage and sat down with the DVD is one I will never forget, partly because I had a sneaking suspicion I was condemning my soul, but mainly because it turns out the movie is an powerful, moving and, in fact, spiritual view of the crucifixion of Jesus. It taught me new things about my faith and about Jesus and it made the crucifixion more real and meaningful. Howe can that be blasphemous? Plus it has a brilliant sound track from Peter Gabriel (I think it is the only movie soundtrack I have bought the audio CD of to listen to over and over again).
I found the sections of each chapter that concentrated on a single film more interesting than the sections that then tried to cram in as many other related films as possible. Some of the commentary is insightful and thought provoking. It was, overall, an interesting book to read but the chatty informal style started to wear on me a bit towards the end and probably cost it part of a star.
3.5 stars rounded down.
Gareth Higgins is also a movie lover, but he takes it far more seriously than I ever did. As a consequence, he knows a lot more about movies than I do and this is clear as you read. One of the most interesting things about this book is seeing the connections Higgins makes as he leaps from, say, Disney to Tarantino perhaps via Spielberg or Kubrick. From my movie watching days, I have seen a lot of the films Higgins refers to (with the exception of the horror movies because I never watched any of those, although this book says I really should watch The Exorcist).
The title of the book is a clue as to its purpose and its content. Higgins believes that movies can contribute to spiritual growth, that they can be a place where people can encounter God. He is writing from a specifically Christian viewpoint and he is looking at movies that help him demonstrate his views in a Christian context. But his scope in terms of movies he considers is very broad: there are many films referenced here that nearly all churches would advise their members NOT to watch (see the above mention of The Exorcist, for example). The book is structured as a series of chapters each of which takes a different topic. Within each chapter there is generally an introduction that looks at what Higgins considers to be the key movie in that area followed by a review of several other films covering similar topics followed by the wrap that pulls it all together. Mixed in with the reviews, Higgins makes his own comments about how he sees these movies revealing something about God or spiritual life. He is particularly keen on community which is, of course, much broader than the Christian church but which he believes the Christian church needs to take far more seriously. So, we have chapters on brokenness, conspiracy, death, community, fear, God, justice, love, quest, outsiders, power and war. Plus The Matrix gets a chapter all to itself.
I think my favourite chapter is the one on God. It starts with a look at the film Koyannisqatsi which is part of a trilogy (three of the 200 DVDs in my house that I mentioned). This is a powerful movie with no dialogue but a remarkable score by Philip Glass. It is about nature (or creation, depending on your viewpoint) and the way man has damaged it and it communicates is message by the use of contrasting images that build into a montage. But the real reason I like this chapter best is that it then goes on to look at Scorsese’s film The Last Temptation of Christ. This was very controversial in its time and most churches declared it blasphemous and made it clear their members should not watch it. The night I plucked up all my rebellious courage and sat down with the DVD is one I will never forget, partly because I had a sneaking suspicion I was condemning my soul, but mainly because it turns out the movie is an powerful, moving and, in fact, spiritual view of the crucifixion of Jesus. It taught me new things about my faith and about Jesus and it made the crucifixion more real and meaningful. Howe can that be blasphemous? Plus it has a brilliant sound track from Peter Gabriel (I think it is the only movie soundtrack I have bought the audio CD of to listen to over and over again).
I found the sections of each chapter that concentrated on a single film more interesting than the sections that then tried to cram in as many other related films as possible. Some of the commentary is insightful and thought provoking. It was, overall, an interesting book to read but the chatty informal style started to wear on me a bit towards the end and probably cost it part of a star.
3.5 stars rounded down.
December 27, 2016
Good news first: I appreciate Higgins' open-minded, community-focused Christianity. (And I do mean open-minded: I never would have expected a Christian movie guide to encourage viewings of Quills, Hannibal, Eyes Wide Shut, Bad Lieutenant, The Big Lebowski, or A Clockwork Orange). He calls out hypocrisy and highlights what's really important; the Power chapter is one solid example. His enthusiasm added some films to my to-watch list.
Unfortunately, I'm less impressed with some of his analysis (though he does have some excellent insights; it's a mixed bag), and downright irked by his writing style. There are too many meh jokes, pet phrases, and awkward or incorrect sentences. He never explains some of his blanket judgments (Star Wars ruined film, for example). He also references himself a bit more than necessary, including portraying himself as a lazy reviser: "I'm in a grumpy mood today, so I'll let it stand," "There's a line in a film somewhere...they all seem to blur into one," "I needed three examples and was tired when I wrote this." That gambit works for a quick blog post, not a book that (hopefully?) went through rounds of editing. Also, how does a book like this not have an index or at least a film list?? I was amused that it instead ended with an ad for a magazine featuring "Beyonce Knowles," (back before she dropped the last name and gained an accent mark) but that wasn't exactly helpful.
4 stars for purpose/perspective, 3 stars for analysis, 2 stars for writing and style
Unfortunately, I'm less impressed with some of his analysis (though he does have some excellent insights; it's a mixed bag), and downright irked by his writing style. There are too many meh jokes, pet phrases, and awkward or incorrect sentences. He never explains some of his blanket judgments (Star Wars ruined film, for example). He also references himself a bit more than necessary, including portraying himself as a lazy reviser: "I'm in a grumpy mood today, so I'll let it stand," "There's a line in a film somewhere...they all seem to blur into one," "I needed three examples and was tired when I wrote this." That gambit works for a quick blog post, not a book that (hopefully?) went through rounds of editing. Also, how does a book like this not have an index or at least a film list?? I was amused that it instead ended with an ad for a magazine featuring "Beyonce Knowles," (back before she dropped the last name and gained an accent mark) but that wasn't exactly helpful.
4 stars for purpose/perspective, 3 stars for analysis, 2 stars for writing and style
March 22, 2009
Gareth Higgins writes not just as a movie lover, but as someone who digs deeply into movies searching for hidden, or not-so-hidden, truths. Each chapter tackles a theme, discussing movies that illustrate this theme (death, fear, love, etc.). Higgins does not focus on popular recent movies, instead he looks at many classics and movies that did not strike a wide-audience due to not fitting in with mainstream Hollywood. This is appreciated but also demands some effort from the reader. The purpose of this book is not to discuss only movies everyone has seen (though, some of those are in there) and to then show easy lessons from them. Rather, the purpose is to point the reader to films that provide these deep lessons, then the reader must go watch them. I have already added many movies to my future watch list that I had never seen before (High Plains Drifter, Magnolia, Crimes and Misdemeanors, Fearless).
Higgins writes in an easy-to-read style which makes this book accessible to any person who enjoys movies and seeks to learn from them. I think this book would be especially helpful to pastors and others who seek to minister to those outside the Church for people who do not know the Bible do know and watch movies.
The book did have a few flaws. First, more editing was needed. Higgins mentions the movie Apocalypse Now in chapter 15 with a footnote that states this movie will be further discussed later. Yet he discussed it in an earlier chapter of the book. There were some other errors that were missed. Also, the book is uneven. The first seven chapters are structured exactly the same: introduction to theme, discussion of 2-3 movies, "a primer" in the theme, and the wrap which sums up the chapter. But chapters 8-16 appear almost haphazard: one chapter has "the wrap" and "the primer" in the same heading, other chapters only have one or the other, and one chapter has a lengthy introduction in the style of what appeared under "the wrap" in other chapters. Perhaps this was an intentional artistic device to keep the reader interested and attentive, not allowing us to take for granted what happened next. But in a topical book, where each chapter is practically stand alone, and where the first seven chapters have the same format, it looks more like either sloppy editing or a rush to finish.
Despite that, the book is very helpful and interesting. Now to the movies!
Higgins writes in an easy-to-read style which makes this book accessible to any person who enjoys movies and seeks to learn from them. I think this book would be especially helpful to pastors and others who seek to minister to those outside the Church for people who do not know the Bible do know and watch movies.
The book did have a few flaws. First, more editing was needed. Higgins mentions the movie Apocalypse Now in chapter 15 with a footnote that states this movie will be further discussed later. Yet he discussed it in an earlier chapter of the book. There were some other errors that were missed. Also, the book is uneven. The first seven chapters are structured exactly the same: introduction to theme, discussion of 2-3 movies, "a primer" in the theme, and the wrap which sums up the chapter. But chapters 8-16 appear almost haphazard: one chapter has "the wrap" and "the primer" in the same heading, other chapters only have one or the other, and one chapter has a lengthy introduction in the style of what appeared under "the wrap" in other chapters. Perhaps this was an intentional artistic device to keep the reader interested and attentive, not allowing us to take for granted what happened next. But in a topical book, where each chapter is practically stand alone, and where the first seven chapters have the same format, it looks more like either sloppy editing or a rush to finish.
Despite that, the book is very helpful and interesting. Now to the movies!
January 24, 2009
Do you love movies? Do you love reading? Are you on a spiritual journey? If you answered yes to all three of these questions then this book is for you. Make sure and keep a pen and paper handy as you read, and possibly consider signing up for Netflix, because you'll have a very big list of movies that Gareth (the author) will have recommended you watch. (PS My sister is good friends with Gareth so I'm privelaged to have a signed copy of this book!)
May 21, 2010
If you love movies and go to church regularly, you'll find this book as much fun as I have. As Lex Luther said in Superman, "Some people can read War and Peace and come away thinking it's just a simple adventure story, other people can read a chewing gum wrapper, and unlock the secrets of the universe."
April 22, 2024
Fantastic reference book. Higgins writes about a couple dozen movies from a Christian worldview, but it's not snobbish or prude. I recommend to anyone who wants to think of film in higher terms than just pure entertainment.
Review written on November 11, 2013
Review written on November 11, 2013
February 9, 2008
Overall, interesting and fun to read. Mostly opinions based off of one man's experience, but if you're into movies and like thinking about them after you've watched them, this is for you.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews