The following are films that have been reviewed by members of our Faith Issues in Films covenant group. If you'd like to join that small group, or one of the many other small groups available through our small group ministries, please click here.

Letters From Iwo Jima - Review by Dona May Smith-Powers

"Letters From Iwo Jima", directed by Clint Eastwood, is not an ordinary war film, simply showing the good guys and the bad guys in conflict. Rather, its depiction of the battle for this tiny island gives the viewer compassion for 'the enemy' and shows how like us they are. The Japanese and Americans both thought their enemies were savages and cowards, but learned otherwise. With ingenuity and courage, the Japanese military dragged this battle out for 40 days, not the one week we had expected.

This is a spiritual film in four ways. It centers on the conflict between duty and moral responsibility. It helps us to see that 'the enemy is us' and challenges us to love our enemies. It underscores the potential within the military leadership to treat its own troops and even the enemy with compassion. And finally, via the letters that were written home by Japanese soldiers and discovered decades later, it shows the incredible love and hope between mothers and sons, husbands and wives. 141 minutes. Rated R for graphic war violence.

Questions this film might raise: Is war obsolete? Could relating to (loving) our enemy keep us from choosing the war option? How might that relating take place?

Amazing Grace - Review by Jim Gibbs

Amazing Grace (2007), directed by Michael Apted, is the story of William Wilberforce, the 18th century British evangelical Christian who was a major leader in the struggle to end the slave trade--and slavery itself--in the British Empire. One of the youngest men ever elected to parliament, he was a brilliant orator and tactician who considered devoting himself solely to his faith. Instead, mentored by John Newton, reformed slave ship captain ship who, in repentance, wrote the hymn "Amazing Grace," Wilberforce combined church and politics in pursuing social reform.

The film suggests parallels with contemporary politics and social justice efforts, as in the interactions of Wilberforce with his Cambridge classmate and close friend, William Pitt, the Younger-- the youngest Prime Minister in British history. The film's complex plot uses flashbacks to show that the slave trade was embedded in British commerce, politics, and relations with France and America. Against this backdrop, the abolitionists fought their uphill battle.

No paean to piety, Amazing Grace celebrates valiant political action propelled by faith, without misleading us about the complexities faced by those who choose that path. (Rated PG, 110 minutes.)

Himalaya - Review by Don Hildenbrand and Jim Gibbs

Directed by a Frenchman who lived in Nepal for several decades, and set in the remote Dolpo region of Northwestern Nepal with a cast of native villagers, this epic film is a fictional account of the generational strife between an older, traditional leader (Tinle) and younger community members who are seeking change. The story opens as the elder has just learned of the death of the son who was to replace him, while leading a yak caravan to trade salt for grain. A friend of the son (Karma), also on the caravan, relates the incident, and now wants to replace the lost son as leader. Tinle is suspicious of the young man’s motives, and vows to lead his own rival caravan on another salt trip. There is high drama and tension as Tinle's caravan tries to cut off four days by using a narrow, dangerous path reserved for devils.

As the journey progresses, the character traits of courage, pride, spirituality, ambition, stubbornness, and forgiveness are much in evidence. The film also embodies coming of age, loss, death, the afterlife, transition, and love--all related to faith issues. A very specific religious issue is the tension between mainstream Buddhism and folk shamanistic practices such as divination.

Filmed in the region described by Peter Matthiessen in the best seller “The Snow Leopard”, the mountain scenery and stunning cinematography are magnificent. ""The dance between authenticity and story telling works beautifully. Valli (the director) shows us how this enormous, powerful terrain influences everything, from the ardors of the caravan journey to the close connection between the people and their spirituality (Desson Howe)."

Directed by Eric Valli (1999). Nominated for an Oscar as Best Foreign Film and the winner of seven awards–including for cinematography and music. 104 minutes. In Nepali and Tibetan, with English subtitles. Not rated. No objectionable aspects.

An Inconvenient Truth - review by Leo Lotter

An Inconvenient Truth (2006) is a documentary film conceived by and starring Al Gore. It vividly argues that global warming does exist and that much of it is due to the man-made burning of fossil fuels. Significant to people of faith, Gore drives home the point that global warming is not only a political issue but a moral one as well.

The film's power stems from its dramatic use of vivid slides, often in before and after contrasts, that demonstrate climatic changes and their effects on places and on populations of both animals and people. Graphs and diagrams are used effectively as well, to quantify and dramatize the concept of global warming and the factors that comprise it. However, the greatest strength of the film is Gore himself as he makes his compelling argument about global warming, reinforcing it with film clips of his and his family's life to complement the slides that are the heart of the film.

Visually and conceptually intense, the film won Oscars as "best documentary" and for best original song and many other awards. Directed by Davis Guggenheim, 100 minutes, rated PG for mild thematic elements.

The Sea Inside - review by Vija Lusebrink

The Sea Inside (2004), produced - directed, and co-written by Alejandro Amenabar - deals with an emotionally compelling exploration of euthanasia. The film is based on the autobiography of Ramon Sampedro, who became quadriplegic following a diving accident when he was 20 years old. Ramon (Javier Bardem) is bedridden, and cared for by his brother’s family on the family farm. He wants to die and has fought unsuccessfully with the Spanish government for his right ”to end his life with dignity” for 28 years. The film explores different reactions to Ramon’s death wish through his interaction with three women who love him. His sister-in law Manuella, who is main caretaker, respects Ramon’s rights, and his married attorney Julia, who is suffering from a degenerative disease, empathizes with him. Rosa, a single mother, tries to convince Ramon of the wonders of life, as does a visiting quadriplegic priest. Julia helps Ramon to write his life story but backs out of a suicide pact. Rosa’s love ultimately allows her to accept Ramon’s wish.

The film emphasizes the paradox of Ramon’s wanting to end his life despite his ability to evoke love in others and the love that surrounds him. This provokes reflection on the impact of dependency on both a quadriplegic and his caretakers as well as on the matter of faith issues surrounding euthanasia.

Javier Barden’s excellent portrayal of Ramon relies predominantly on close-ups of his eyes and facial expressions. The film was Golden Globe and Academy Award winner in 2005 for best foreign film, and it received numerous other rewards worldwide. 125 minutes., rated R. In Spanish, with English subtitles.

Gandhi - review by Jim Gibbs

This biographical, epic film spans five decades of history. On one level, it follows the life of Mohandas K. Gandhi as he went from being a small-time lawyer in South Africa in 1893 to become "The Mahatma," the famed political and spiritual personage who led India and Pakistan to freedom from the British Empire in 1948.

On another level it is much more than that. The film "vividly portrays how Gandhi's courage and determination united his diverse homeland under a banner of moral idealism and how his philosophy and personality left an indelible mark on his nation and the world [ www.spiritualityandpractice.com]." Moreover, it captures the spirit of both his philosophy of non-violent resistance and of the movements he launched directly, and indirectly inspired, in other parts of the world.

"A strong human story on a large canvas," Gandhi is visually stunning. It engenders rich discussion of the parallels between the life of Gandhi and Christ as well as between Gandhian and Christian principles. It also invites one to consider what The Mahatma would do in contemporary Iraq.

Directed by Sir Richard Attenborough, 1982. Starring Sir Ben Kingsley who won an Oscar for Best Actor for his role as Gandhi. The film won 7 other Oscars (including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Cinematography), and was nominated for 3 more. It also won dozens of other awards. Rated PG. Includes depictions of deadly violence, including large scale massacres.

The Cup - review by Jim Gibbs

Based on a true episode and filmed in a Buddhist monastery in the Indian Himalayas, this heart-warming, fresh film has a simple plot. By day, young monks are attentive to their routine of prayers, chants, and meditations. But, at night, they sneak into a nearby town to watch soccer matches leading up to the 1998 World Cup. . Two new novitiates, smuggled out of Tibet to escape Chinese oppression, complicate the plot as they become caught up in the playing out of the juxtaposition of the sacred and the mundane; of young and old; and of local culture and global culture.

The film is called a "comedy" and, true to that form, the young monks cajole the elderly Abbot and his middle-aged assistant into letting them watch the World Cup final between Brazil and France. But the film is more than a comedy. As the plot unfolds it subtly shows the teachings of Buddhism in practice. At its conclusion, it states some of them in a poetic, scriptural coda.

The Cup is visually attractive, capturing the beauty of the Himalayan setting, of transplanted Tibetan culture, and of Buddhist ritual and practice. Subtly touches on China's shadow over Tibet.

Original title: Phorpa. In Hindi and Tibetan, with English subtitles. Not rated, but suitable for children. 94 minutes. Directed by Khyentse Norbu, a Buddhist high lama--and filmmaker.

A Man for All Seasons - review by Shirley Eglington

A Man for All Seasons (1966) is a film biography of Sir Thomas More. When King Henry VIII sought to break with the pope (who would not grant him an annulment) and establish the Church of England under his own authority, More could not in conscience support him, thereby earning Henry's wrath. More, an intellectual much respected by the king and many people throughout Europe, had served in Parliament and as Undersheriff of London before becoming the Lord Chancellor. Although not a man of the cloth, he had lived at a monastery and held deep religious convictions. More refused to sign the Oath of Supremacy and Act of Succession, was sent to the Tower, and beheaded in 1535. The film raises questions about the relationship between private conscience and public duties, situations in which one would stand up for principles, and one’s reaction to people whose defense of principle is admirable even if one disagrees with the principle.

You Can Count on Me - review by Mitzi Henderson

You Can Count on Me" (2000) opens with a fatal car crash that leaves two young children orphaned. Years later, this brother and sister have moved into very different lives, but they still feel a deep bond of love. Rootless Terry, who has bummed around the country and has left his pregnant girlfriend, comes to ask his older sister Sammy, for money. She is a single mom, who works in the bank in the small upstate New York town where they grew up, and she struggles to raise her young son, Rudy. The visit causes turmoil for all. The film raised many questions: how we find meaning in life after tragedy, how to love someone flawed, the difference between belief and faith, the role of the pastor, confronting "sin", parenting dilemmas, balancing responsibility and the desire for freedom. It's poignant and funny. Some found it depressing, others very enjoyable.

Laura Linney, Matthew Broderick, and Mark Ruffalo star.

Rated R.

The Weeping Camel - review by Linda Busek

The Story of the Weeping Camel (2005) by two German film students is a narrative documentary about a nomadic Mongolian family who herds their sheep, goats, and camels in the Gobi desert. It portrays the slow rhythm of their life interrupted by a camel which rejects her albino calf after a very difficult birth. Since these animals are the family's livelihood it is important to save the calf from starving. A musician is brought in from a village 50 km distant. The vibrations of his instrument, and its soothing tones, including a woman's singing, relaxes the camel. Tears roll down her cheeks and she starts nursing her calf.

The film explores family life, intergenerational dependencies, and rituals to sustain survival in an extreme environment. The traditional folkways are contrasted with the more modern life in the village, as they are making inroads in the life of the nomads. It was nominated for an Academy Award in the documentary category.

Rated PG 87 minutes.

Motorcycle Diaries - review by Jim Gibbs

Motorcycle Diaries reconstructs the true 5,000-mile motorcycle trip around South America of 23-year-old Argentine medical student Ernesto Guevara, who later became famous as "Che," and his older friend, 29-year-old biochemist Alberto Granado. (Granado later founded the Santiago School of Medicine in Cuba.) Set in 1952, it is much more than a road trip movie or a buddy film. In striking cinematography Diaries portrays the variety and beauty of South America, the oppression of its many peoples, and the gradual moral and political awakening of Alberto and especially Che. Stimulates a viewer to think about the Che Guevara of later life, what we know of his roles in that period, and how and why we perceive them as we do. One of its themes, transformation, prompts other questions such as "In what ways was Che Guevara like and unlike Christ? " and "Is violence ever justified?"

Starring Gael Garcia Bernal (also known for the film Y Tu Mama Tambien) and Rodrigo de la Serna. Directed by Walter Salles. Rated R for strong language and sexual references,128 minutes. 2004. In Spanish with English subtitles.

What's Eating Gilbert Grape - review by Vija Lusebrink

"What's Eating Gilbert Grape" (1993) takes place in a small Midwestern community. Young Gilbert (Johnny Depp) is facing the misfortunes of his family, including the suicide of his father seventeen years ago, and taking care of his immobile, overly obese "momma," with a passive acceptance. Gilbert's main challenge is being "his brother's keeper" of Arnie (Leonardo DiCaprio), his mentally handicapped younger brother. A change is brought into Gilbert's life by a young girl, Becky, whose grandmother's Airstream van breaks down on its way through the town. Becky befriends Gilbert and Arnie, and her respectfully acceptance of the family gives them all the courage to try new ways. Ultimately, faced with the prospect of community ridicule of his mother's overweight body, Gilbert takes his fate into his own hands. Becky leaves the town, but the film ends on a hopeful note.

Depp's and especially DiCaprio's performances are an outstanding part of the film.

PG 13, 117 minutes.

Born Into Brothels - review by Vija Lusebrink

The Academy Award winning documentary film, "Born into Brothels" (2004), is directed by Robert Kaufman and Zana Briski, and it features Briski's work with children in the red light district of Calcutta. The children become fascinated by "aunty Zana's" photography, and Zana provides a group of children with cameras and instruction. Their photography and trip to the ocean, organized by Zana, offers the children a new view of their life.

One of the boys, Avijit, loses his mother to a "kitchen fire". His grief is attenuated through Zana's tireless efforts in working with the bureaucracy to enable Avijit to fly to Amsterdam, Holland, to be part of a children's jury at the World Press Photo Foundation exhibit. The work of all the children is exhibited at the Oxford Bookstore in Calcutta, thus giving a boost to their self-esteem. Zana's selfless dedication to the children obtains for them placements in boarding schools, financed by the sales of their photos through the non-profit organization Kids with Cameras.

Length 1hr.23 min. Rated R.

Beautiful Dreamers - review by Nancy Howell and Jim Gibbs

"Beautiful Dreamers" is a Canadian film, set in the Victorian era. After meeting renowned freethinker Walt Whitman (Torn) at a medical conference, Dr. Richard Maurice Bucke (Colm Feore), the newly appointed superintendent of the Asylum in London Ontario, adopts the poet's philosophy of love of life and compassion as a new approach to treating the mentally ill. Based on historical events, the film portrays the friendship between the two men and the early stages of psychiatry's shift from harsh physical and surgical methods to more humane ones. Themes include: compassion, equal treatment of women, and personal and institutional transformation. Directed by John Kent Harrison, 1990. Rating: PG-13

Daughters of the Dust - review by Jim Gibbs

The 1991 film, Daughters of the Dust, set in 1902, compellingly depicts a day in the lives of an African American family who live in the Sea Islands off the coast of Georgia and South Carolina. Their Gullah (Geechee) culture is infused with many surviving Africanisms. The story line revolves around the question of whether some family members who are about to migrate to the mainland North will forget their traditional African-derived ways and their family ties. Themes include personal struggles between the sacred and the secular and between Christianity and traditional African religion as well as the blending of religious traditions in people's lived spiritual practices. Cinemagraphically superb, but the narrative and the dialogue both sometimes are hard to follow.

Shadowlands - review by Vija Lusebrink

Shadowlands portrays C. S Lewis (Anthony Hopkins) as a don at Oxford University meeting Joy Grisham (Debra Winger), an aspiring American poetess and mother of a ten-year-old boy. Lewis is attracted to Joy’s spirited nature; in the movie their platonic attraction is interwoven with Lewis’ lectures about human suffering and God’s role in it. Lewis agrees to marry Joy as a technicality for her to stay in London. Joy’s struggle with bone cancer brings to Lewis an awareness of his deep feelings for Joy, so he now marries Joy before God and man. Joy’s cancer goes into remission, but she warns Lewis that their happiness will not last and that the pain makes the happiness real.

The film, which is essentially a true story with a few details changed, portrays the growth in the way Lewis deals with human suffering­from suppressing it, to glibly theorizing about it, to profoundly experiencing it.

1993 film. Rating: PG. Running time: 131 minutes

Black Orpheus - review by Jim Gibbs

This now classic film, loosely patterned on the Greek legend of Orpheus and Eurydice, a tale of Love and Death, plays out over two days of Rio's famed Carnival. Orpheus, a street car conductor, falls in love with Eurydice, who has fled her village in fear of a stalker. Orpheus' neglected fiancee makes serious trouble for the new young lovers, as does a mysterious figure costumed as Death. Indeed, one film theme is the role of death in the characters' lives and its reflection in a religious ritual. The main characters live in poverty, in strong contrast to the colorful costumes of Carnival and the stunning natural beauty of Rio--this beauty, the people, and the music of Brazil being the film's core. It introduced the world to the bossa nova, whose beat pulses throughout, and it contains actual Carnival footage. Directed by Marcel Camus, with music by Antonio Carlos Jobim, and Luiz Bonfa. Won many international awards in 1959, including the Palme d' Or of the Cannes Film Festival. In Portugese with English subtitles. Not rated.

The River - review by Vija Lusebrink

Jean Renoir's The River (1950) portrays three young girls' awakening to their first love. The story, set in colonial India, is told by Harriet, an adolescent English girl. The girls' love object, Captain John, is visiting India to recover from his war traumas. John's interaction with the girls, including consoling Harriet in her grief and guilt about her little brother's death, helps him to break out of his shell. The river Ganges and Indian life, festivities, and symbolism provide a rich but subdued background for the story. Parts of the movie seem dated, especially related to women's roles, but as a whole The River transcends its time and place by dealing with universal, though limited, themes of the human experience. For the Western viewer, the Indian background adds an unfamiliar spiritual tone to the movie.

Sugar Cane Alley - review by Jim Gibbs

Set in 1931 in the shanty towns surrounding a sugar cane plantation in Martinique, Sugar Cane Alley (1984) explores the lives of black cane workers through the eyes of an 11-year old orphan, Jose. He is being raised by his grandmother, Ma Tine, a cane worker, who makes great sacrifices so that he can get the education she sees as a way out of their poverty. On the surface, it is Jose's coming-of-age and rags-to-school uniform story. But this beautiful film is much more than that. Fueling its gripping story-line are many facets of the island's French colonial history (economic oppression, cultural imperialism, and racial and color stratification). Adding to both the narrative's richness and the film's visual appeal is the complex interplay of the African and European strands of Creole culture. Directed by Euzhan Palcy. French with English subtitles. Not rated. Won several awards at the French Cesars (Oscars) and at the Venice Film Festival.

Monsieur Ibrahim - review by Jim Gibbs

Monsieur Ibrahim (2003) is a low key, but magnetic coming of age fable, set mainly in a seedy district of Paris in the 1960s. It traces the unlikely friendship of an adolescent French Jewish boy (Moise/Momo) and an elderly neighborhood Muslim shopkeeper (Ibrahim) played by Omar Sharif. With a long-absent mother and a detached father, Momo seeks love from the neighborhood prostitutes. Ultimately, his father abandons him and Ibrahim becomes his surrogate father and spiritual guide, leading him on an emotional and geographical journey that changes their lives forever. Winner of a Golden Globe for the Best Foreign Language Picture of the Year, the film is a lesson in tolerance with a sound track full of period-appropriate American and French pop tunes and absorbing cinematography. Rated R for some sexual content, 94 minutes. Directed by Francois Dupeyran.

Contact - review by Tom Henderson

"Contact" (1997), based on the late cosmologist Carl Sagan's novel, is a fascinating film about the intersection between science and faith/religion/belief. Dr. Ellie Arroway (Jodie Foster), a totally focused astronomer, spends years in searching for extra terrestrial intelligence and finally hears a signal from deep space. The ensuing battle lines between science, faith, politics, and military culminates in the construction of a machine designed by "aliens" to permit Ellie to travel in space and make "contact" with them in what proves to be a transforming experience. Though the "religious persons" depicted are somewhat caricatures, the questions posed are ultimate questions.

The Last Temptation of Christ - review by Nancy Howell

Martin Scorsese's film "The Last Temptation of Christ" was charged with "blasphemy" by literal Christians when it was released in 1988. Fifteen years later we see this story as the attempt of writer Nikos Kazantzakis to visualize the struggle of Christ as an ordinary man called by God to an overwhelming task. The story emphasizes the sacrificial aspects: Jesus (played by Willem Dafoe) resists, he tries to refuse, and he recruits Judas (Harvey Keitel) to help him accomplish his task. During the time on
the cross, Satan disguises himself as an angel to tempt Jesus into a prolonged hallucination about having a life as an ordinary human being.

Tender Mercies - review by Tom Henderson

This gentle, slow paced 1983 film celebrates of recuperative power of the human spirit, as an alcoholic former folk singer (Robert Duval) is redeemed by the fidelity and love of a widow and her son. Based on a autobiographical story by Horton Foote, a well known Southern author, the film is realistically set in Texas. One reviewer said: "The message of the film is that we have no assurances, but we can respond in faith to the tender mercies which we have received." Among the themes treated in the film are Temptation, Redemption, and Compassion.

Rabbit-Proof Fence - review by Vija Lusebrink

The title of Phillip Noyce’s movie Rabbit-Proof Fence refers to a fence built across Australia to protect farmlands from rabbits. It helps half-caste sisters, Molly, 14, and Daisy, 8, to track their way back home after they and their cousin Gracie,10, have been forcefully abducted from their mothers and taken over 1000 miles away to the Moore River Training School. Molly leads the girls’ escape from the camp, run by Mr. Neville, “Protector of Aborigines in Western Australia”. Molly’s courage and intuitive resourcefulness help them to avoid their Aborigine tracker with Neville plotting the hunt. Gracie is recaptured, but a hawk, a “spirit bird” for the Aborigines, gives Molly and Daisy faith and strength to reach their mother.

The movie is a true story based on a book by Molly’s daughter. The policy to forcefully remove the half-caste Aborigines from their families lasted from 1900 to 1971, and it was designed to obliterate them by “breeding out” their Aborigine genes.
Rating: PG Running time: 95 minutes

Grand Canyon - review by Mitzi Henderson

Grand Canyon contrasts Arizona's Grand Canyon with Los Angeles, a metaphorical grand canyon with social and cultural gulfs separating families, races, classes, and individuals. Two families, one white, one black, try to find connections and meaning for their lives as they encounter random violence, uncertainty, generational tension, and divergent views of the world. They also experience unexpected gifts and hope as they haltingly construct new relationships across the divides. Are certain events miracles or merely coincidence? Why does a brush with death transform one person and not another? How do people experience transcendence and hope in the midst of a fallen world? Starring Danny Glover, Kevin Kline, Steve Martin, Mary McDonald and Alfre Woodard. Directed by Lawrence Kasdan.

The Body - review by Vida Kenk

The 2000 film, "The Body" (PG-13), directed by Jonas McCord, asks the provocative question: What would happen if Jesus' body were to be found? In a walled-up section of a rich man's tomb, an Israeli woman archaeologist finds a skeleton that shows evidence of crucifixion. Tantalizing clues suggest the shocking possibility that these are the mortal remains of Jesus, whose resurrection is a central tenet of traditional Christianity. Stunningly photographed on location in Jerusalem, the movie vividly conveys the spirit of the city where Christians, Jews, and Muslims all have reasons to manipulate or suppress this finding for their own purposes. Two Catholic priests, played by Derek Jacobi and Antonio Banderas, react to this challenge to their faith in different ways. The film explores the relationship between the scientifically rational archaeologist and the younger priest who eventually renounces his clerical collar but maintains his faith.

Nashville - review by Linda Busek

Robert Altman's 1975 watershed movie Nashville is a soap opera set to country and western music. Over a five-day period, the film tells the intersecting stories of 24 people connected to the music business, with a noisy political campaign playing in the background. The movie is a collage assembled from the lives of the characters, and it shows us the randomness of life as a parable of our time and recognizes the need for connection and love.

Nashville was a very original film back in the mid-70s when the Vietnam War was winding down and the political assassinations of the previous decade cast a pall over America and permeated its psyche. Despite its confusing and tangled plot lines and, for its time, unusual structure, it achieves a measure of greatness. Altman deals with everyday lives, heartbreaking struggles, sentimentality, superficiality, glitz, and religion, and shows that we can see meaning in everything. Running Time: 159 minutes Rating: R

Lone Star - review by Dona Smith-Powers

Lone Star is a movie about the checkered history of asmall frontier border town in Texas. Relationships involving evil, good, the misuse of power, love, romance, infidelity, and family are all part of the history of Frontera, where 95% of the people are Mexican and the rest are black, indigenous, and white. Yet, in the 1990's the power rests with the white man. Physical and relational boundaries and lines determine much of the culture and social action. Sam, the current sheriff, is searching for the truth about his father, Buddy, a former sheriff. His quest is the theme that moves the plot. The perennial questions in "Lone Star" become, "Which myths and facts will people choose to believe?", "How will relationships and history be interpreted?" and "Is it sometimes best to discount or ignore history altogether?" Choosing to acknowledge the facts of history becomes a painful decision for some characters.

Director: John Sayles
Cast: Stephen Mendillo, Stephen Lang, Chris Cooper, and Elizabeth Pena
Rated: R

Besieged - review by Vija Lusebrink

Bertolucci’s film Besieged takes place in Rome, in the villa of a reclusive pianist, Mr. Kinsky, whose only interaction with the outside world is through his few piano students. His housekeeper, Shandurai, is an African medical student whose husband is a political prisoner. She does not understand Kinsky or his classical music, and replies to his awkward marriage proposal: “Get my husband out of jail!”

Trying to understand African rhythms, Kinsky visits an African church service. As he sells off the villa’s artwork in order to free Shandurai’s husband, he becomes increasingly involved in life. Seeing letters from Africa about her husband’s upcoming release, and then Kinsky selling even his piano, opens Shandurai’s eyes to Kinsky’s efforts, and she realizes that she loves him. The next morning the husband arrives, ringing her doorbell…

The movie is rich in visual imagery, and the changes in music reflect the developing relationship between Kinsky and Shandurai.

Monsoon Wedding - review by Vija Lusebrink

Monsoon Wedding depicts a traditional wedding celebration in contemporary India. The bride Aditi is facing an arranged marriage to a young Indian living in the U.S. Her father is stressed emotionally and financially by the elaborate wedding, which lasts several days. Aditi has to terminate a relationship with a married man; nevertheless, her fiancé accepts her revelation of it, since honesty is important to both of them.

Meanwhile, the wedding Event Manager’s shy wooing of a servant girl stands in contrast to the arranged wedding.

Among the guests is “Uncle Taj” who has given financial support to Aditi’s father. Aditi’s cousin Ria exposes Taj’s molestation of her as a child, and the father has to face the difficult moral issue of whether to confront Taj.

Faith issues in the film are addressed through the importance of honesty, family, moral decisions, and forgiveness. The joy of celebration with its songs and dances permeates the film.

Color of Paradise (1999) - Review by Faye Morley

With perfect vision we see a world Mohammad only hears and feels. Mohammad is a blind boy schooled in Tehran's Institute for the Blind. The movie takes us on his journey with his father from school in Tehran through a spectacular, beautiful Iran to his home in a hillside village which he loves. There he is reunited with his granny and two sisters whose love for him is unconditional. However, Mohammad's father, a widower, is ashamed of him and sees him as an obstacle to his own future marriage. Against the granny's wishes the father apprentices Mohammad far from home to a blind carpenter. The sound track is rich with the sounds of nature...bird songs, woodpeckers, the wind, and ocean waves. All of this Mohammad interprets as he feels and "sees" God in the messages nature sends him. For viewers, it seems to take us even more into the gentle Mohammad's sightless world and his search. There is a dramatic climax at the end that brings father and son together in a truly moving way. No rating available. Directed by Majhid Majidi. Iranian language with English subtitles.

Elmer Gantry (1960) - Review by Mitzi Henderson

This story, set in the 1920s, stars Burt Lancaster as a man brought up in a religious family, who has become a womanizing, hard-drinking, opportunistic traveling salesman with a terrific gift of showmanship. He latches onto Sister Sharon Falconner and takes over and corrupts her traveling evangelical crusade with tragic results. It is a devastating expose of hypocrisy and materialism in the revivalist movement. Our challenge is to see glimpses of redeeming qualities in the characters, such as some tender moments, a desire for a more normal life, and at the very end the transformation of the leading character from a "manchild" to an adult with a quotation from First Corinthians: "When I was a child I thought as a child...When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me." No rating available. Richard Brooks, writer/director, won an Academy Award for his screenplay adaptation of Sinclair Lewis' novel, as did Shirley Jones for her portrayal of the prostitute. With Burt Lancaster and Jean Simmons.

Jesus of Montreal (1989) - Review by Mary Alice Thornton

A group of struggling actors is gathered together by a charismatic young man to help a church update its annual Passion Play. What they stage is well received by the crowds who attend the nightly performances, but proves too unorthodox for the Catholic Church. It becomes a play within a play as the actors' lives begin to mirror the Passion itself. Arcand directs an exhilarating story of faith as he tackles the most profound questions of existence as a spiritual person in contemporary society. No rating available. Writer/director Denys Arcand. Nominated for Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award, and winner of 12 "Genies" (Canadian Oscars), including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor. French with English subtitles.

City/La Ciudad (1998) - Review by Jim Gibbs

Four vignettes portray the lives of working-class immigrants from Mexico and Latin America to the outer boroughs of New York. It focuses on their struggle to survive as well as to support their families back home. Beautiful black and white cinematography reminiscent of The Bicycle Thief in its insightful depiction of urban life. Raises issues of viewing people through the prism of stereotypes, of social injustice, and the consequences of disparities in power. No rating available. North Star Films, New York Films video. Directed by David Riker, cinematography by Harlan Bosmajian, and with a cast of actual immigrants.

Breaking the Waves (1996) - Review by Jim Gibbs

Dramatic story of a young, sheltered Scottish woman of faith, Bess, who lives in a village whose community life is dominated by a dour, misogynist church. She marries an oil-rig worker named Jan, an outsider to the community. Her prayer that he will return early from his long stint on the oil rig is granted when he is paralyzed in a rig accident. Did her fervent prayer cause his accident? Can she atone for it and keep him alive by obeying his request that she provide him with vicarious sexual expression by having carnal liaisons with other men? If she does so, is she being virtuous or sinful? Would she be acting as a person of profound faith, or one worthy of the condemnation of her community's stern "wee kirk?" Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, of a Golden Globe Award for actress Emily Watson, and of several "best" awards from the National Society of Film Critics. Rated R for adult situations, language and nudity. Directed by Lars von Trier. Starring Emily Watson and Stellan Skarsgard.

The Apostle (1997) - Reviewed in 2002 by Tom Henderson

This is a gripping film in which Robert Duvall gives a spell-binding performance as "Sonny," a charismatic southern evangelist, who is deeply flawed himself. The film poses deep questions such as "Is Sonny merely feeding his own distorted ego in his ministry, or is he, though sinful himself, in fact able to call people to God? What did these people receive from his ministry? Was it something lasting?" Duvall's performance is compelling, and the performances of the local folks he used for other roles are extraordinary. Rated PG-13 for one scene of violence. Robert Duvall writer, director, producer and star.

Divided We Fall (2000) - Reviewed in 2001 by Polly Robertson

In Czech/German with English subtitles, but it is easy to follow the story line. This movie is intelligent and thought-provoking as it examines, without judgment, the human capacity for both good and evil in its portrayal of several citizens of a small town in Czechoslovakia during the Nazi occupation. It is rare for a movie to be so harrowing, funny, sweet, and heart wrenching without being contrived. The leading characters have names that are a form of Joseph and Mary, and at the conclusion a beautiful baby is born amidst the sadness, suggesting the wonderful renewing spirit of Jesus. Brilliant characterizations and unusually authentic evocation of time and place. Rated PG-13 but parents strongly cautioned. It has some scenes of violence and implicit sex. Directed by Jan Hrebejk.

Spitfire Grill (1996) - Reviewed in 2001 by Polly Robertson

Percy, upon being released from prison, goes to the small town of Gilead to find a place where she can start over again. She is taken in by Hannah, to help out at her restaurant, the Spitfire Grill. Percy brings change to the small town, stirring resentment and fear in some, but finally growth. A moving drama, sentimental but rewarding because of its Christian hope for redemption. Gilead Is the Balm, as the hymn so well puts it. A great deal of symbolism makes this film enjoyable to follow and gives it its spiritual aura. Rated PG-13 but parents cautioned that it includes tragic events that could disturb young children and one cuss word that is used to comic effect. Directed by Lee David Zoloff. Starring Ellen Burstyn, Marcia Gay Harden and Alison Elliot.

Shadrach (1998) - Reviewed in 2001 by Polly Robertson

In 1935, 99-year-old former slave Shadrach asks to be buried on the soil where he was born to slavery. That land is owned by the large Dabney family, consisting of Vernon, Trixie and their seven children. But to bury a black man on that land is a violation of strict Virginia law. The story deals with respect for age, tensions in race relations, the impact of the Great Depression, nostalgia for an earlier time, and hierarchical links between slaves and masters. But the central theme is compassion, about which it makes a moving and strong statement, giving the film a Christian uplift. Rated PG-13 for language and brief sexual nudity. Columbia Tristar Video. Directed by Susana Stryon. Starring Harvey Keitel and Andie McDowell.