Christian Movies to be watched during lent

[Νεκτάριος]

Amadeus.  While not to be views as an historical documentary, it does a wonderful job of giving a bit of context and meaning to some of Mozart's music for lay fans of classical music.  Watch it and then listen to Don Giovanni or Requiem.   

[PeterTheAleut]

Amadeus.  While not to be views as an historical documentary, it does a wonderful job of giving a bit of context and meaning to some of Mozart's music for lay fans of classical music.  Watch it and then listen to Don Giovanni or Requiem.   

Okay. I agree it's a great movie, even if not historically accurate in some details, but how is it a Christian movie to be watched during Lent?

[orthonorm]

Amadeus.  While not to be views as an historical documentary, it does a wonderful job of giving a bit of context and meaning to some of Mozart's music for lay fans of classical music.  Watch it and then listen to Don Giovanni or Requiem.   

Okay. I agree it's a great movie, even if not historically accurate in some details, but how is it a Christian movie to be watched during Lent?

How is LotR?

Give me a break.

[Shanghaiski]

Lenten movies? Why, when there is the PBS pledge drive. It promotes thoughts rivers of fire, lamentations, and generally ends in turning off the TV in despair and repenting, that is, doing something better with your life.

[Asteriktos]

Amadeus.  While not to be views as an historical documentary, it does a wonderful job of giving a bit of context and meaning to some of Mozart's music for lay fans of classical music.  Watch it and then listen to Don Giovanni or Requiem.  

Okay. :-\ I agree it's a great movie, even if not historically accurate in some details, but how is it a Christian movie to be watched during Lent? ???

How is LotR?

1) LOTR was written by JRR Tolkien.
2) Tolkien knew C.S. Lewis.
3) C.S. Lewis knew G.K. Chesterton.
4) G.K. Chesterton wrote a book called "Orthodoxy".
5) ???
6) Profit!

[PeterTheAleut]

Amadeus.  While not to be views as an historical documentary, it does a wonderful job of giving a bit of context and meaning to some of Mozart's music for lay fans of classical music.  Watch it and then listen to Don Giovanni or Requiem.   

Okay. I agree it's a great movie, even if not historically accurate in some details, but how is it a Christian movie to be watched during Lent?

How is LotR?

You mean you can read or watch LOTR and not see that it's replete with sacramental Christian imagery, to include that of the long, arduous, ascetic journey we call Great Lent? (Are you aware that J. R. R. Tolkien was a devout Roman Catholic for most of his life, and that he was instrumental in the conversion of his friend, C. S. Lewis, to Christianity?)

Give me a break.

Give me a break first.

[Iconodule]

Amadeus.  While not to be views as an historical documentary, it does a wonderful job of giving a bit of context and meaning to some of Mozart's music for lay fans of classical music.  Watch it and then listen to Don Giovanni or Requiem.   

Okay. I agree it's a great movie, even if not historically accurate in some details, but how is it a Christian movie to be watched during Lent?

How is LotR?

You mean you can read or watch LOTR and not see that it's replete with sacramental Christian imagery, to include that of the long, arduous, ascetic journey we call Great Lent? (

I'm guessing you're not familiar with the music of a certain Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

[PeterTheAleut]

Amadeus.  While not to be views as an historical documentary, it does a wonderful job of giving a bit of context and meaning to some of Mozart's music for lay fans of classical music.  Watch it and then listen to Don Giovanni or Requiem.  

Okay. I agree it's a great movie, even if not historically accurate in some details, but how is it a Christian movie to be watched during Lent?

How is LotR?

You mean you can read or watch LOTR and not see that it's replete with sacramental Christian imagery, to include that of the long, arduous, ascetic journey we call Great Lent? (

I'm guessing you're not familiar with the music of a certain Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Actually I am VERY familiar with the music of a certain Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Why should I not be? I'm a classically trained musician brought up in the traditions of Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven. Hell, I even wrote a research paper on Mozart for one of my classes! I've also watched the movie Amadeus. Though Mozart composed a lot of music for use in church, so did many of his contemporaries. That doesn't necessarily mean, however, that Christianity was a very important part of his life, and I've not seen any other evidence from his life that it was. The movie brought a lot of that out by showing Wolfgang to be somewhat of a pervert at times. I simply don't see how Amadeus can be considered a Christian movie.

[Νεκτάριος]

I simply don't see how Amadeus can be considered a Christian movie.

At least to me the final scene of Don Giovanni is so palpable in calling out to the soul the need for repentance.  The Requiem haunts in a similar way.  I suppose repentance and spiritual struggle have nothing to do with lent. 

[FormerReformer]

Amadeus.  While not to be views as an historical documentary, it does a wonderful job of giving a bit of context and meaning to some of Mozart's music for lay fans of classical music.  Watch it and then listen to Don Giovanni or Requiem.  

Okay. I agree it's a great movie, even if not historically accurate in some details, but how is it a Christian movie to be watched during Lent?

How is LotR?

1) LOTR was written by JRR Tolkien.
2) Tolkien knew C.S. Lewis.
3) C.S. Lewis knew G.K. Chesterton.
4) G.K. Chesterton wrote a book called "Orthodoxy".
5)
6) Profit!

The only problem with the above list is that it refers mainly to the book, and not it's movie adaptation. Once we factor that in, we get a much more complete picture:

1) LotR was written by JRR Tolkien.
2)Tolkien was Catholic, which is kind of like Orthodox.
3) Peter Jackson adapted the book into a movie. This is the weak link, but we're getting there....
4)The movie was filmed in New Zealand.
5) Irish Hermit lives in New Zealand.
6) Orthodox!

[PeterTheAleut]

I simply don't see how Amadeus can be considered a Christian movie.

At least to me the final scene of Don Giovanni is so palpable in calling out to the soul the need for repentance.  The Requiem haunts in a similar way.  I suppose repentance and spiritual struggle have nothing to do with lent. 

I just watched Stephen King's miniseries, The Stand, which has a lot of the same palpable imagery of the call to repentance and the spiritual struggle to discern the will of God in the battle against evil, yet I wouldn't call this a Christian movie. The same with Amadeus.

[Νεκτάριος]

I simply don't see how Amadeus can be considered a Christian movie.

At least to me the final scene of Don Giovanni is so palpable in calling out to the soul the need for repentance.  The Requiem haunts in a similar way.  I suppose repentance and spiritual struggle have nothing to do with lent. 

I just watched Stephen King's miniseries, The Stand, which has a lot of the same palpable imagery of the call to repentance and the spiritual struggle to discern the will of God in the battle against evil, yet I wouldn't call this a Christian movie. The same with Amadeus.

The operative words in my post were "to me".  I've nowhere claimed that everyone ought to accept some sort of objective merits regarding the film.  I don't feel that a film has to blatantly and explicitly Christian in order to have value. 

[William]

I simply don't see how Amadeus can be considered a Christian movie.

At least to me the final scene of Don Giovanni is so palpable in calling out to the soul the need for repentance.  The Requiem haunts in a similar way.  I suppose repentance and spiritual struggle have nothing to do with lent. 

I just watched Stephen King's miniseries, The Stand, which has a lot of the same palpable imagery of the call to repentance and the spiritual struggle to discern the will of God in the battle against evil, yet I wouldn't call this a Christian movie. The same with Amadeus.

The operative words in my post were "to me".  I've nowhere claimed that everyone ought to accept some sort of objective merits regarding the film.  I don't feel that a film has to blatantly and explicitly Christian in order to have value. 

Nice straw man.

[PeterTheAleut]

I simply don't see how Amadeus can be considered a Christian movie.

At least to me the final scene of Don Giovanni is so palpable in calling out to the soul the need for repentance.  The Requiem haunts in a similar way.  I suppose repentance and spiritual struggle have nothing to do with lent. 

I just watched Stephen King's miniseries, The Stand, which has a lot of the same palpable imagery of the call to repentance and the spiritual struggle to discern the will of God in the battle against evil, yet I wouldn't call this a Christian movie. The same with Amadeus.

The operative words in my post were "to me".  I've nowhere claimed that everyone ought to accept some sort of objective merits regarding the film.  I don't feel that a film has to blatantly and explicitly Christian in order to have value. 

Nice straw man.

Indeed, considering that I'm not disparaging as valueless those movies that I don't call Christian movies. I know many movies beyond Amadeus and The Stand that can be seen as having great value in spurring us toward the Christian struggle of repentance that I would nevertheless not call Christian movies. However, the OP didn't ask for just every movie we think may have value during Lent; rather, he asked us to name Christian movies that may have value during Lent.

[orthonorm]

PtA, you like overwrought, pulp for kids. Great.

It's OK.

And who cares about authorial biography? That has to be the weakest argument I've ever heard in my life for anything.

Magic Flute > LotR.

It is slightly heretical, but less so than LotR, which is Manichaeism for kids.

[Asteriktos]

PtA, you like overwrought, pulp for kids. Great.

It's OK.

Ima Let you finish, but LOTR is bein some of the best movies of all time... of all time!

[orthonorm]

For an examination of grace, repentance, damnation, and forgiveness:

Magnolia

It has sex, violence, language, all that.

But there is also a plague of frogs falling from the sky.

[orthonorm]

PtA, you like overwrought, pulp for kids. Great.

It's OK.

Ima Let you finish, but LOTR is bein some of the best movies of all time... of all time!

You are such an adorable nut.

lulz at your avatar. You just love messing with people.

[Achronos]

For an examination of grace, repentance, damnation, and forgiveness:

Magnolia

It has sex, violence, language, all that.

But there is also a plague of frogs falling from the sky.

Love that movie.

[Asteriktos]

Since we're going out on limbs here, I suppose I Spit On Your Grave could be seen to mirror many stories in the Old Testament...  fwiw I prefer the 2010 remake...

[biro]

If you like documentaries, there's one you can get from Netflix that's a three-DVD history of the Orthodox Church. I forget the title, sorry, but it's one of the few things that comes up if you search for the word Orthodox on their site.

[JamesRottnek]

The Living Wake

[Νεκτάριος]

I simply don't see how Amadeus can be considered a Christian movie.

At least to me the final scene of Don Giovanni is so palpable in calling out to the soul the need for repentance.  The Requiem haunts in a similar way.  I suppose repentance and spiritual struggle have nothing to do with lent. 

I just watched Stephen King's miniseries, The Stand, which has a lot of the same palpable imagery of the call to repentance and the spiritual struggle to discern the will of God in the battle against evil, yet I wouldn't call this a Christian movie. The same with Amadeus.

The operative words in my post were "to me".  I've nowhere claimed that everyone ought to accept some sort of objective merits regarding the film.  I don't feel that a film has to blatantly and explicitly Christian in order to have value. 

Nice straw man.

Indeed, considering that I'm not disparaging as valueless those movies that I don't call Christian movies. I know many movies beyond Amadeus and The Stand that can be seen as having great value in spurring us toward the Christian struggle of repentance that I would nevertheless not call Christian movies. However, the OP didn't ask for just every movie we think may have value during Lent; rather, he asked us to name Christian movies that may have value during Lent.

So what is the difference?  I understand Lent as a season of repentance and spiritual struggle.  I recommend a movie that for me highlighted these themes.  While I understand that in reality spirituality and repentance have nearly nothing to do with Orthodoxy, I fail to see what your definition of "Christian movie" is.  The Bells of Saint Mary's and that is?

[Agabus]

This game is fun. Let me try:

2001: A Space Odyssey

Because —

1). The sequence of space flight near the beginning of the movie seems to take forever, just like Lent.
2). An odyssey is a journey, like Journeys to Orthodoxy. Many people also consider Lent to be a journey, because some metaphors never get tired.
3). HAL represents the passions, which try to kill us.
4). If we persevere to the end, we get transformed into a giant space baby.

[augustin717]

Left behind? Is Lent long enough though to go through the whole movie (in case the movie is as long as the book series)?

[Adela]

Babette's Feast is a great movie, and might be good to watch during Lent.


The following is from the Journal of Religion and Film by Wendy Wright:
http://www.unomaha.edu/jrf/BabetteWW.htm
[16] On still another level the film plays with Christian symbols. It seems to ask the question: what does it really mean to live the hope held out by the Christian faith? Does it mean that one is to endure the present world as a place of testing, where the forces of evil are loose, tempting one to turn one's eyes from a truer, not yet realizable fulfillment? Does discipleship consist of moral rectitude, avoiding sin and doing good works? Or is the Christian life perhaps about the realization, at least partially, of that fulfillment here and now? Is discipleship about celebration? About the recognition and embodiment of that final banquet? Is the world a sacrament, a visible means of access to what is yet invisible?

[Ansgar]

Babette's Feast is a great movie, and might be good to watch during Lent.

Thank you. It's nice that we're being appreciated

I really have to watch that movie someday.

[Adela]

Babette's Feast is a great movie, and might be good to watch during Lent.

Thank you. It's nice that we're being appreciated

I really have to watch that movie someday.

Oh, are you in Denmark?    Yes, this movie is great!  Danes are definately hardy people!

[Ansgar]

Babette's Feast is a great movie, and might be good to watch during Lent.

Thank you. It's nice that we're being appreciated

I really have to watch that movie someday.

Oh, are you in Denmark?    Yes, this movie is great!  Danes are definately hardy people!

Thank you. 

[Carl Kraeff (Second Chance)]

Amadeus.  While not to be views as an historical documentary, it does a wonderful job of giving a bit of context and meaning to some of Mozart's music for lay fans of classical music.  Watch it and then listen to Don Giovanni or Requiem.  

Okay. I agree it's a great movie, even if not historically accurate in some details, but how is it a Christian movie to be watched during Lent?

How is LotR?

You mean you can read or watch LOTR and not see that it's replete with sacramental Christian imagery, to include that of the long, arduous, ascetic journey we call Great Lent? (

I'm guessing you're not familiar with the music of a certain Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Actually I am VERY familiar with the music of a certain Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Why should I not be? I'm a classically trained musician brought up in the traditions of Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven. Hell, I even wrote a research paper on Mozart for one of my classes! I've also watched the movie Amadeus. Though Mozart composed a lot of music for use in church, so did many of his contemporaries. That doesn't necessarily mean, however, that Christianity was a very important part of his life, and I've not seen any other evidence from his life that it was. The movie brought a lot of that out by showing Wolfgang to be somewhat of a pervert at times. I simply don't see how Amadeus can be considered a Christian movie.

Amadeus is not a Christian movie. Honestly PtA, I do not understand the younger generation.

[Carl Kraeff (Second Chance)]

I think that Groundhog Day should be considered as well.

[Νεκτάριος]

What is the definition of a Christian movie?  The definition that I'm working with is a film that is thought provoking and the thoughts provoked tend to lead in the direction of any of the various Christian virtues or other Christian themes.

I've just downloaded the film Царь (run the Russian wiki through google translate as the English version has no information).  The review from Fr. Daniil Sysoev is intriguing.  Hopefully I'll get around to watching it Friday or Saturday.     

[NicholasMyra]

Gladiator, because there is a 2 second shot showing hypothetical early Christians teaching kids about Jesus by yelling with twigs.

Plus, you get to watch Gladiator.

[Asteriktos]

Gladiator, because there is a 2 second shot showing hypothetical early Christians teaching kids about Jesus by yelling with twigs.

Plus, you get to watch Gladiator.

One of the only movies that makes me tear up... man, that ending when he dies and they're carrying him... 

[NicholasMyra]

Gladiator, because there is a 2 second shot showing hypothetical early Christians teaching kids about Jesus by yelling with twigs.

Plus, you get to watch Gladiator.

One of the only movies that makes me tear up... man, that ending when he dies and they're carrying him...  

I suppose there is a redemptive, Christian element there, a man dying to restore his kingdom.

And yes, many tears at that scene. The soundtrack is also fantastic and worth getting.

[PeterTheAleut]

What is the definition of a Christian movie?  The definition that I'm working with is a film that is thought provoking and the thoughts provoked tend to lead in the direction of any of the various Christian virtues or other Christian themes.

That to me does not in and of itself make a movie Christian. Part of what makes a Christian movie Christian, IMO, is that it is written by Christians with the specific intent to express Christian themes. Either that, or it's based on a book, such as Lord of the Rings, that adheres to those guidelines.

Again, I'm not saying that movies that don't follow these loose rules can't have redemptive value in a Christian sense, since I see a lot of that value in The Stand. I'm not even saying that they're not valuable watching during Lent, for they very well may be. I just wouldn't call such movies Christian.

[That person]

Gladiator, because there is a 2 second shot showing hypothetical early Christians teaching kids about Jesus by yelling with twigs.

Plus, you get to watch Gladiator.

There was a proposed sequel written by Nick Cave where Maximus got in a squabble with the Roman gods in the afterlife, so they reincarnated him and made him immortal. Some of his first actions involve protecting early Christians. He then becomes an American, fights in WWII and Vietnam,and gets a job with the Pentagon in the present. I swear I'm not making this up, and I really wish it got through.

[NicholasMyra]

Gladiator, because there is a 2 second shot showing hypothetical early Christians teaching kids about Jesus by yelling with twigs.

Plus, you get to watch Gladiator.

There was a proposed sequel written by Nick Cave where Maximus got in a squabble with the Roman gods in the afterlife, so they reincarnated him and made him immortal. Some of his first actions involve protecting early Christians. He then becomes an American, fights in WWII and Vietnam,and gets a job with the Pentagon in the present. I swear I'm not making this up, and I really wish it got through.

Unbelievably radical.

[Νεκτάριος]

What is the definition of a Christian movie?  The definition that I'm working with is a film that is thought provoking and the thoughts provoked tend to lead in the direction of any of the various Christian virtues or other Christian themes.

That to me does not in and of itself make a movie Christian. Part of what makes a Christian movie Christian, IMO, is that it is written by Christians with the specific intent to express Christian themes. Either that, or it's based on a book, such as Lord of the Rings, that adheres to those guidelines.

Again, I'm not saying that movies that don't follow these loose rules can't have redemptive value in a Christian sense, since I see a lot of that value in The Stand. I'm not even saying that they're not valuable watching during Lent, for they very well may be. I just wouldn't call such movies Christian.

I don't get compartmentalizing my life with such semantics.   

[Agabus]

Gladiator, because there is a 2 second shot showing hypothetical early Christians teaching kids about Jesus by yelling with twigs.

Plus, you get to watch Gladiator.

There was a proposed sequel written by Nick Cave where Maximus got in a squabble with the Roman gods in the afterlife, so they reincarnated him and made him immortal. Some of his first actions involve protecting early Christians. He then becomes an American, fights in WWII and Vietnam,and gets a job with the Pentagon in the present. I swear I'm not making this up, and I really wish it got through.

Unbelievably radical.

This is absolutely a real thing.

I am sure if it was made it would be required lenten watching.

[PeterTheAleut]

What is the definition of a Christian movie?  The definition that I'm working with is a film that is thought provoking and the thoughts provoked tend to lead in the direction of any of the various Christian virtues or other Christian themes.

That to me does not in and of itself make a movie Christian. Part of what makes a Christian movie Christian, IMO, is that it is written by Christians with the specific intent to express Christian themes. Either that, or it's based on a book, such as Lord of the Rings, that adheres to those guidelines.

Again, I'm not saying that movies that don't follow these loose rules can't have redemptive value in a Christian sense, since I see a lot of that value in The Stand. I'm not even saying that they're not valuable watching during Lent, for they very well may be. I just wouldn't call such movies Christian.

I don't get compartmentalizing my life with such semantics.   

I'm not asking you to compartmentalize your life with semantics. I'm just asking that we tighten up our definition of what counts as a Christian movie for the sake of this discussion.

[Shanghaiski]

It would be good if there were a documentary on the evils of textured vegetable protein. In lieu of that, I'd watch Star Trek IV.

[FormerReformer]

What is the definition of a Christian movie?  The definition that I'm working with is a film that is thought provoking and the thoughts provoked tend to lead in the direction of any of the various Christian virtues or other Christian themes.

That to me does not in and of itself make a movie Christian. Part of what makes a Christian movie Christian, IMO, is that it is written by Christians with the specific intent to express Christian themes. Either that, or it's based on a book, such as Lord of the Rings, that adheres to those guidelines.

Again, I'm not saying that movies that don't follow these loose rules can't have redemptive value in a Christian sense, since I see a lot of that value in The Stand. I'm not even saying that they're not valuable watching during Lent, for they very well may be. I just wouldn't call such movies Christian.

Just for the sake of argument- by what criteria are you judging JRR Tolkien to be a Christian as opposed to Stephen King? Is it just that you like Roman Catholicism better, or that you believe Tolkien's devout Catholicism is Christian whereas King's jaded Methodism isn't? If The Lord of the Rings is a Catholic book because it was written by a Catholic, even if it doesn't necessarily have the intent to be Catholic, what do we make of a work the author intended to be a work of dark Christianity?

[Νεκτάριος]

To me Christian means in line with Christian sensibilities in this context.  Hence I understood it to mean something that promoted some sort of virtue and also wasn't violent or pornographic.   On the other hand you could have your Christian movie about 1) a family giving their daughter over to be gang raped 2) a father murdering his daughter or 3) a jealous husband forcing his wife to have an abortion.  Time to grab some popcorn!

[PeterTheAleut]

What is the definition of a Christian movie?  The definition that I'm working with is a film that is thought provoking and the thoughts provoked tend to lead in the direction of any of the various Christian virtues or other Christian themes.

That to me does not in and of itself make a movie Christian. Part of what makes a Christian movie Christian, IMO, is that it is written by Christians with the specific intent to express Christian themes. Either that, or it's based on a book, such as Lord of the Rings, that adheres to those guidelines.

Again, I'm not saying that movies that don't follow these loose rules can't have redemptive value in a Christian sense, since I see a lot of that value in The Stand. I'm not even saying that they're not valuable watching during Lent, for they very well may be. I just wouldn't call such movies Christian.

Just for the sake of argument- by what criteria are you judging JRR Tolkien to be a Christian as opposed to Stephen King? Is it just that you like Roman Catholicism better, or that you believe Tolkien's devout Catholicism is Christian whereas King's jaded Methodism isn't?

That would be a valid comparison if I was aware before entering this discussion that Stephen King was a Methodist.

If The Lord of the Rings is a Catholic book because it was written by a Catholic, even if it doesn't necessarily have the intent to be Catholic,

I believe Tolkien later acknowledged that, despite his intent, Lord of the Rings was essentially a Christian work.

what do we make of a work the author intended to be a work of dark Christianity?

Considering that I hadn't known of Mr. King's religious persuasion until now, I'm not really prepared to answer this question.

[Tags:]

OrthodoxChristianity.net > Moderated Forums > Orthodox Family Forum > Topic: Christian Movies to be watched during lent