10. Well-Crafted Bible Movies Will Use Tricks
Slide 10 of 10
We don’t talk much about genre when discussing Bible movies—maybe because we don’t like to think of religious entertainment as something people make. It’s easier to say that the movie moved me because “the spirit was moving.”
While it’s true that something spiritual may move us as we watch a movie, that shouldn’t be our knee-jerk response. If loving God with our minds means developing discernment, it includes considering what makes different entertainment work. Part of loving the creative gifts God has given us includes learning that each craft (movies, books, music, etc.) has tricks and tropes.
When I understand what makes a particular movie genre work, I can think about whether the filmmaker used their gifts well. If the Bible movie is styled like a costume melodrama (like One Night with the King), what makes a good melodrama? If the Bible movie is styled with suspenseful moments (The Passion of the Christ), what makes a good suspense movie?
The process especially helps with controversial movies like The Passion of the Christ. The movie sparked many conversations about its content, including some good conversations about how Jesus movies should portray Jewish people. However, the movie did not simply get strong responses because of its script; it got strong responses because its style shocked everyone. Mark Kermode noted that it was directed by someone well-versed in “exploitation cinema,” where you learn how to shock an audience quickly to keep them interested. The more important question is whether The Passion of the Christ shocks its audience for the right reasons.
Every Bible movie balances many elements: past and present, creative vision and budgets, cliches and new research. The best ones take all these elements and produce something that is entertaining yet makes us think more about the Bible’s teachings.
Further Reading: Top 10 Bible Movies of All Time
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