Coming to a Classroom Near You: Religion in Film
David W. Stowe
The good news is I'm in the process of creating a new class on Religion in Film. The really good news is that I don't even have to start teaching it next week. Beating the procrastination bug for once, I've still got a few months to pull it together. Being constitutionally averse to reinventing the wheel (also lazy these days), I remembered to flip back through RiAH postings and was glad for it: many useful tips emerged. Even a full 2008 post by Kelly Baker on teaching American religion through film, with readers' suggestions and other links.
Lots of movies have been released since then, of course, and undoubtedly many of you out there have discovered or taught films old and new. So let me reopen Kelly's invitation for suggestions, with a twist: what are some films set outside the United States that can teach us about religion? Jesus of Montreal (1989) comes to mind, or Pasolini's The Gospel According to Saint Matthew (1964).
But what about films on religions other than the one starring Jesus? I've screened the All Jolson Jazz Singer (1927) in more courses than I care to remember. The one I'm developing now is offered by the department of Religious Studies, so there's no need to stick to North America or Christianity. (The not overly informative online course description: "Film representation of religions and spiritual traditions through their representations in film.") I'll ask my colleagues at MSU what they have had luck with when we finally get together next week, but any thoughts from the RiAH community are welcome. Ideally a course like this would be partially team taught, possibly with a few guest spots even the first time out.
Along these lines, in closing, more "news" of the pre-Labor Day variety: next week I start teaching a new class on music in American literature: music as a theme in literature, literature about music, music as literature. It's been a while since I created a new class so it feels invigorating to shake off some of the cobwebs. On the other hand there's that worry: what if I'm overlooking some perfect text? It's never too late; if you have any favorites (fiction, poems, plays) I'd be happy to know about them.
The good news is I'm in the process of creating a new class on Religion in Film. The really good news is that I don't even have to start teaching it next week. Beating the procrastination bug for once, I've still got a few months to pull it together. Being constitutionally averse to reinventing the wheel (also lazy these days), I remembered to flip back through RiAH postings and was glad for it: many useful tips emerged. Even a full 2008 post by Kelly Baker on teaching American religion through film, with readers' suggestions and other links.
But what about films on religions other than the one starring Jesus? I've screened the All Jolson Jazz Singer (1927) in more courses than I care to remember. The one I'm developing now is offered by the department of Religious Studies, so there's no need to stick to North America or Christianity. (The not overly informative online course description: "Film representation of religions and spiritual traditions through their representations in film.") I'll ask my colleagues at MSU what they have had luck with when we finally get together next week, but any thoughts from the RiAH community are welcome. Ideally a course like this would be partially team taught, possibly with a few guest spots even the first time out.
Along these lines, in closing, more "news" of the pre-Labor Day variety: next week I start teaching a new class on music in American literature: music as a theme in literature, literature about music, music as literature. It's been a while since I created a new class so it feels invigorating to shake off some of the cobwebs. On the other hand there's that worry: what if I'm overlooking some perfect text? It's never too late; if you have any favorites (fiction, poems, plays) I'd be happy to know about them.
Comments
In the 2003 film 'Onmyoji II', the story of Amaterasu (played by Kyōko Fukada) is revisited when the main character, based on Abe no Seimei (played by Mansai Nomura), assumes the role of the dancer in bringing the goddess back to earth. Susanoo is also a character in the film, played by Hayato Ichihara.
In the 'Stargate' series, Amaterasu is a Goa'uld system lord who comes to Earth after Anubis's demise to the ancient device in Antarctica to form a temporary truce between Earth and the Goa'uld. She comes along with Lord Yu and Camulus.
In 'The Three Treasures' Toshirō Mifune portrays Susanoo.
In 'Little Prince and the Eight-Headed Dragon' Susanoo wishes to follow his mother, Izanami, to heaven when she dies, but his father, Izanagi, tells him he cannot."
A few links regarding Hinduism and film:
http://www.imdb.com/list/rgV89dVlwzw/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Films_about_Hinduism
http://www.hinduismtoday.com/modules/smartsection/item.php?itemid=1341
http://www.brillonline.nl/entries/brill-s-encyclopedia-of-hinduism/hinduism-and-film-bollywood-COM_000386
http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/southasia/Culture/Cinema/hinduism_bollywood.html
http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Hinduism/2006/04/The-Widows-Of-Water.aspx
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1300684/Julia-Roberts-converted-Hinduism-making-Eat-Pray-Love-film.html
http://www.csmonitor.com/2001/0926/p13s1-almo.htmlhttp://www.amazon.com/Islam-related-films-TV-series/lm/R3B9E4EW4TYYIX
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Films_about_Islam
"The Mission" (DiNiro) would be good.
"Mosquito Coast" has an underlying Science v. Religion theme.
If you want to tackle portrayals of race in film, what about "The Green Pastures?"
How about something more theologically driven like "The Adjustment Bureau?" or even "The Village."
"Syriana" could be employed to discuss religion and international (ME) politics...
Following on Kristian's reminder, it would be possible to pull out scenes that are religious in nature or speak to a certain view of religion from films that are otherwise not 'religious'. The famous scene from "The Gods Must Be Crazy" is a good example, as would be some of the scenes in "Breaking the Waves", "Pi", etc.
The real trick will be showing a film about Judaism that isn't about either the Holocaust or that simply represents 'cultural Judaism' (e.g., Woody Allen) rather than truly religious Judaism. Same with other 'national religions' and the cultures they are a part of or engender - or, more to the point, films that focus on the cultures of nations with what are to Americans exotic religions. The question, 'how does one consider religion apart from culture and culture apart from religion' is interesting, as is simply attempting to define religion (cf. William T. Cavanaugh's survey of such definitions in "The Myth of Religious Violence: Secular Ideology and the Roots of Modern Conflict", Oxford University Press, 2009).