As I sit in my home study writing this article, my children have tuned into Disney+. They turned on what they claim to be ‘the best movie ever.’ They’re watching the 1973 animated Disney classic, Robin Hood. It has me thinking, why is the story of Robin Hood so good? After all, he is an outlaw, a brigand, and a criminal, and yet we have cheered the merry men on for centuries! I find myself agreeing with my kids, it is ‘the best movie ever,’ because it tells us a familiar and true story that speaks to our hearts.
Nearly two thousand years ago, an event occurred that changed the world: the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. The momentum and reality of the gospel story and the Christian church have transformed society (and our lives) in ways that we can barely begin to comprehend. One area of our lives that the resurrection changed was the way we tell stories.
Some time ago, Eastern Orthodox Christian, icon carver, and symbolist, Jonathan Pageau, discussed this on a popular Catholic YouTube channel, Pints with Aquinas. Pageau recognized that since the resurrection of Jesus Christ, all stories have glimmers of the gospel. He says it this way, “the image of the strong person who is willing to fight and defend the weak and sacrifice himself for those who can’t fight for themselves. That is a Christian story. There was none of that in the pagan world. Pagan heroes are all jerks; they’re all selfish, like boorish people who only care about their honour, whereas the knight has that idea that you can fight for the weak.” He continues, “The image of the hero who gets knocked down and, you know, kind of stays down for a while, and you feel he’s going to lose and he’s going to be beaten, and then he gets back up at the end, it’s such a cliché, but without the resurrection, that story just wouldn’t be part of our of our tropes. So, I try to point to people that say how much the story of Christ has imbued all our forms.”
Jonathan Pageau is right. The story of Christ has imbued modern storytelling, and it is plain to see in Hollywood films. A contemporary response to modern film is that it might be commercialized, full of tropes, and not worth watching. That may have some truth, but what is truer is the gospel story that glimmers in most movies.
It is worthwhile to watch movies, not only because of their power as a storytelling medium but also because we can discover the greatest story ever told, the story that ministers to our souls and reminds us of the gospel truth that we desperately want to hear, Christ was crucified, for you!
Two thousand years ago, Jesus walked this earth ministering to a hopeless people. Jesus not only told his followers and anyone who would listen what the kingdom of God would be like, but he also showed them. He knew that his people were lost. They needed healing, saving, and a redeemer. He was that redeemer. He sacrificed himself upon the cross, died and was buried, and rose again in three days to show what the kingdom of God is like. The kingdom of God is a kingdom of new life because of Christ’s sacrifice for the hopeless. Jonathan Pageau recognized the storytelling patterns between Hollywood films and the Christian story.
Tolkien imbued this in his Lord of the Rings trilogy, and Peter Jackson, the director of the movies, showcased it brilliantly on film. It is a chore to select one moment to highlight. Still, the Battle of Helms Deep in The Two Towers shows it best when Gandalf says, “At dawn, look to the east.” Gandalf arrives at the final hour, when all hope seems lost, with a redeemed Eomer and his Riders of Rohan to save the besieged and hopeless people from the attack of Saruman. We see two glimmers of the gospel here: Gandalf redeems the outcast who falsely accuses Eomer and brings life to those destined for death inside Helms Deep.
I was reminded of Jonathan Pageau’s assessment of modern storytelling while watching the 2005 film Kingdom of Heaven, directed by Ridley Scott. It’s clear from the title that this movie might have some glimmers of the gospel. Balian, the protagonist, finds himself in charge of the defences of Jerusalem while being attacked by Saladin’s army. He finds himself in that role through a series of events that show the viewer that Balian is not searching for glory or power; he actively rejects both by freeing a captive and turning down the throne. As Balian prepares Jerusalem for the oncoming attack, he cries out, “We defend this city not to protect these stones but to defend the people living within these walls!” Balian is seeking life, not death. He is willing to sacrifice himself for the weak around him. His character counterpart in the story, a noble named Guy de Lusignan sought power and glory. He finds himself captured and ridiculed by Saladin, underlining the Christ-like actions of our hero, Balian.
At the core, Kingdom of Heaven gives us a clear image of the gospel. Balian is an unlikely hero willing to sacrifice his own life for those around him. As Pageau says, “pagan heroes are all jerks, they’re selfish and boorish, and only care about honour.” Balian, like Christ, cares about those who cannot save themselves.
It is not just these beautiful images of redemption and sacrifice in historical or fantasy epics; we can also see glimmers of the gospel in the movies that highlight more subtle sacrifices. In the 2000 film Finding Forrester, Sean Connery plays a reclusive award-winning writer who befriends a high school student, Jamal Wallace. The movie showcases their relationship: two people with complex stories and unique positions in life helping one another. The relationship between Forrester (Connery) and Jamal is one the brings about new life. A new life of meaning for the reclusive author and new opportunities for a young high school student seeking success from the hardship of the Bronx. Forrester must sacrifice the comforts of his reclusiveness to free Jamal from the accusations of a haughty professor. In other words, Forrester plays a redeemer, offering a justification for Jamal when the judge, the professor, is trying to condemn him for plagiarism, or in contemporary Christian language, Forrester is a justice seeker.
Watching these films makes the hair on my arms stand up straight. The truth that is portrayed in these stories resonates deep within me causing a visceral reaction to the narrative. This is the power of movies; they can draw us into a world of struggle and redemption so deeply we can recognize the truth of the gospel during it. Rarely do I have the same reaction when reading stories.
Hollywood movies are not a waste of time. Pageau reminds us that nearly every story since the resurrection is a story about Jesus. A brave character sacrifices something dear to them for the helpless around them. Gandalf and Eomer sacrifice for Rohan in The Lord of the Rings, Balian puts his life at risk to save the women and children trapped in the besieged Jerusalem in Kingdom of Heaven, and the reclusive author Forrester sacrifices his identity and pride to enter the wide world to seek justice for Jamal in Finding Forrester.
Our knowledge of the biblical story opens our eyes to the retelling of the familiar narratives when we see them on film. You might often find yourselves watching movies on the couch with your kids or grandkids. From films as funny and lovable as the 1973 Robin Hood to historical and fantasy epics to urban dramas, the gospel story is being told in living rooms everywhere. If we have the eyes to see it, we can have wonderful conversations about the implications of Jesus’ death and resurrection on our lives and the world around us. These glimmers of the gospel remind us of the truth of who Jesus is and what he has done for you and me. He has redeemed us.
Curtis Meliefste
Bibliography
Jackson, Peter, Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, and Viggo Mortensen. 2002. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Action, Adventure, Drama. New Line Cinema, WingNut Films, The Saul Zaentz Company.
Pints With Aquinas. 2021. Marvel Movies Are Just Retellings of the Story of Christ w/ Jonathan Pageau. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vh081sS-NMY.
Sant, Gus Van, Sean Connery, Rob Brown, and F. Murray Abraham. 2001. Finding Forrester. Drama. Columbia Pictures, Finding Forrester Productions, Fountainbridge Films.
Scott, Ridley, Orlando Bloom, Eva Green, and Liam Neeson. 2005. Kingdom of Heaven. Action, Adventure, Drama. Twentieth Century Fox, Scott Free Productions, BK.