Saturday, January 29, 2005

KEEP YOUR MOVIE OFF OUR WORLDVIEW!

One of the most galling things about Million Dollar Baby is that the characters are actually pagans dressed in Christian clothing. Why did they have to make them us?

First of all, the career ambitions of the main characters, Frankie Dunn and Maggie Fitzgerald, all have to do with beating the crap out of other human beings for sport. I found this troubling as a human being, not even as a Christian. In the Rocky movies, his need for a blessing before a match seemed to have much more to do with him not getting killed, then with killing the other guy. And I found those scenes to always be played with a touch of irony. There is no irony in the religiosity of Frankie and Maggie.

Further, I find the spectacle of women beating the crap out of each other for sport, to be even more abhorrent, again, as a human, not as a Christian. The ultimate victory of radical feminism seems to be that we women are now free to be worse then the piggiest man. Rah. (A lot of the ambivalence in theatergoers as regards this film can certainly be credited to this. The idea of women fighting each other feels kind of obscene...Somebody help me, did the Roman Empire, even in its most depraved days, ever entertain itself with female gladiators? I'd be interested to know.)

But, whatever... I will grant - although I don't believe it - that it is possible for Frankie Dunn to be a basically good man who trains people to be more effectively violent in the ring. I will also grant that it is possible for Frankie to have gone to daily Mass for 32 years, and yet never made the connection that pummeling people's faces to pulp is an un-Christlike thing to do. I'll grant that.

The galling part has to do with the euthanasia part of the movie. The characters in the film do not handle this tragedy like Christians. They are effectively pagans.

Instead of accepting her disability as the wages of her bad life/career choices - people who box will get hurt more than other people - Maggie rebels. She decides that a) her life has no value because it isn't the life she wants, and b) she has the authority to end her life. Neither of these are Christian.

Frankie, has nothing to say to Maggie's suffering. Nevermind as a devout Christian, he doesn't even have anything to say to her as a coach. Just on the level of good screenwriting, this was absurd. This is a man whose life has been spent in motivating people to push themselves beyond their own limits. His whole life has prepared him for this moment when this young woman would need him to coach her out of her self-pity, and beyond incomparable limits. She will be fighting herself, and not someone else now. But no, Frankie just stands there staring. His mute anguish is absolutely pathetic. It certainly doesn't rise to the level of even plain old human love -- nevermind the love of a devout Christian.

The foul-mouthed priest who makes the assinine statement early in the film that "the only reason someone goes to Mass every day is because he has a guilty conscience" (good grief!!!! No priest on the planet would say this!) also is a pagan disguised in Christian clothing. He has no pastoral counsel to give in this moment of suffering. He morphs from being, Fr. Hip and Cynical into being a stammering parody of Jonathan Edwards, "You'll be eternally damned if you do this!!" Even a very, very bad priest, half asleep and with a head injury, could do better than this. See, end of life moments are what priests have the most practice for. That's when people really come to them searching and open.

As Christians, we have TONS to say about the end of life questions. We've got pastoral counsel to burn on the value of suffering, the sanctity of even wounded human life, and the power of God even when man's efforts come up empty. We've got articulate positions on pain, dying, suicide, mercy-killing, and euthanasia. (For the record, the Church would have no problem with turning off Maggie's respirator. No one has to submit themselves to having a machine breathe for them. We do object to the notion of killing people with injections. The first is to let the body die. The second is to kill....just for the record.)

But no, in Million Dollar Baby, the "Christian" characters have nothing to say in the face of tragedy and suffering. It is implied that for Frankie to be a heroic friend (ie. a killer), he will have to be a bad Christian! Being a hero and being a good Christian are incompatible, the film concludes.

The thing is, this film would not be half so offensive if it had the courage to claim its worldview as pagan. If the film played out as the story of how godless people handle devastated dreams, I would have probably given the thing a pass as a dire warning about what humanity without God will come to. (That is, I would have given it a moral pass -- the artistic problems in the film are so pervasive that I could never give it a craft pass...)

Why did they have to make these characters Christians? Why did we need to see Maggie's ever-present golden cross around her neck? Why did it have to be sprawled awkwardly under her chin in the close up in which she asks Frankie to kill her? Why does Frankie need to be defined as a daily Communicant? Why did the film have to manufacture a dilemma where there really was none? (ie. Just turn off the damn respirator! No one has to accept extraordinary life-sustaining means.)

Why couldn't the filmmakers make the film an occasion to articluate their own worldview and leave us out of it? Why not just embrace the ramifications of paganism instead of trying to dress the characters up as something they are clearly not: lovers of God. The characters could look at one another and shrug their own atheistic ideological platitudes, "This is what it is to be a pagan in an end of life moment. Suffering is the worst thing that can happen, so if you have to kill to stop it, so be it. We are sovereign over our own lives, so we can kill ourselves. We think it is loving to put people down sometimes like thoroughbreads with broken legs."

Million Dollar Baby, articulates the culture of death worldview that has no part nor parcel in Christendom. John Paul II expresses the culture of death worldview as, (paraphrase) "You know you've bought into the culture of death, when you ever think a human problem can be solved by killing someone."

There's only one reason the filmmakers would go to so much trouble pushing the characters' Christianity at us for two hours. This film is really not about boxing, nor is is a love story, nor is it even about euthanasia, as much as it is about the impotence of Christianity in human experience. The film ultimately is making the case that being Christian offers nothing to those who suffer. What Frankie learns is that being Christian is irrelevant when the chips are down. Dogma is silly in the face of real human pain, and the strong man can shake it off to do what he needs to.

It's nasty because in order to acheive the goal of making Christianity look impotent, the film can't allow Christianity to really have a voice. It's what my screenwriting friend Karen Hall calls, "defining Christianity from the outside." The film is a distortion of Christianity so as to lead the audience to reject it. This is the definition of propaganda.

28 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi All,

I think the movie "Million Dollar Baby" portrayed the importance and feasibility of growing toward our dreams as we all approach death. The transition of Clint Eastwood from the beginning to the end of the movie represented how men are fortunately being pressured toward more "feminine" values in society.

The movie was about the relationship between man and woman, but it also symbolized the relationship between feminine and masculine. The final scene, where he euthanizes her, represented his last rebellious transition (in the context of religion) from the traditional male to the more modern (empathizingly emotive) male. It was beautiful.

Isn't it interesting how Clint attended Catholic mass for over 20 years, but he only truly found himself by empathizing and caring for a woman?

Forget about the bible, that old and irrelevant book, and find peace in deep empathy and compassion. Forget about religion, seek inner truth and spirituality.

Peace,
Chris

Anonymous said...

Never seen the movie, but it sounds like you might be reading a little too much into it, albeit, you are right. I think you've touched on some very questionable themes common to...ohhh...I'd say about 95% percent of all movies. So often that it makes you think: Is there some sort of collective effort to influence audiences a certain way? A good movie should just tell a story and entertain without the incessant subtle barrage of morals, symbols, philosphies, and politics.

Anonymous said...

Yeah that was a good game. This week should be a good one too. Payday Loans Cash Advance

Anonymous said...

Hi there blog owner! I am searching blogs to find information and sources to help with my website:http://www.horse-lover-gift-ideas-central.com/horse_figurine.html My site is fairly new about 8 months old and have a google pr of 3 and get about 50 people a day to visit. My site has clearance home decor and is all affiliate merchandise.
This is a new frontier for my wife and I and don't have very much experience but a friend suggested searching blogs to get ideas about how people sale and also what kind of information they offer their customers and clients. We are begining to make some good money selling clearance home decor related articles but I also want to offer my customers some quality information to go along with good deals. If you make it to my site and can offer some constructive critisizm I will take it into consideration or if you have some ideas it will be greatly appreciated. Remember we are on a budget and we do all the work ourselves.

Best Regards,

clearance home decor

Anonymous said...

Hi there! While out blog surfing today for specific info on bridal shower gift basket, I ended up on your page. Your site shows that I ended up a little off base...funny how we end up finding things while we surf. Should you ever need it, there is plenty of information on this site about bridal shower gift basket.

Anonymous said...

Fruit baskets make great gifts for:
College students: College students are notoriously poor eaters. Especially during stressful times surrounding midterms and final exams, college kids do not receive the proper nutrition-and proper nutrition will allow them to excel in their studies.
Find out more about fruit basket layout

Anonymous said...

The most important thing about a fruit basket is indeed the fruit itself. When looking for what fruits to add to a fruit basket, consider these popular options This hearty fruit is a fruit basket favorite. Most everyone loves an apple, so you do not have to worry about less adventurous tastes avoiding the goodies. Also, apples tend to travel or ship well and have a long shelf life, so you do not have to worry about the fruit in your basket arriving spoiled or crushed.
Find out more about fruit basket yaoi

Anonymous said...

Look to the recipient to determine his or her tastes. College students are the perfect recipients for fruit baskets, since they are most likely tempted to stray from healthier foods and indulge in junk food. .Find out more about wedding bathroom basket

Anonymous said...

Look to the recipient to determine his or her tastes. College students are the perfect recipients for fruit baskets, since they are most likely tempted to stray from healthier foods and indulge in junk food. .Find out more about basket gift gourmet michigan

Anonymous said...

Hello, I have a fairly new website that has been online for about 8 months. I am doing research as per a fellow website owner suggested to gather information about delivering good content to my visitors. I looked at alot of websites that are in my area christmas home decor . I have done the internet MLM thing and really got disgusted at the whole thing. So my wife and I thought since we love horses we should build a website around that. We have done pretty good so far but I always want to improve. I didn;t realize it would be so time consuming though. But we love it and hope to improve and offer some of the best recourses and products available. Hence the search for content new products and information about what we have.

Thank you for your BLOG.

Regards,

christmas home decor

Anonymous said...

Hello, I have a fairly new website that has been online for about 8 months. I am doing research as per a fellow website owner suggested to gather information about delivering good content to my visitors. I looked at alot of websites that are in my area clock personalized wall . I have done the internet MLM thing and really got disgusted at the whole thing. So my wife and I thought since we love horses we should build a website around that. We have done pretty good so far but I always want to improve. I didn;t realize it would be so time consuming though. But we love it and hope to improve and offer some of the best recourses and products available. Hence the search for content new products and information about what we have.

Thank you for your BLOG.

Regards,

clock personalized wall

Anonymous said...

Hi there, I have came by in search of information. I was told that blogs have some of the best and most relevent information for any given subject. Mine happens to be a christmas gift horse lover gift website that has anything from jewelry to horse tack. So I am looking for new products and information based on christmas gift horse lover to offer my customers and possibly some good marketing ideas for my website.

Websites that I have and all the work involved in keeping several of them going and updating blogs I am at best posting once a month.

I have enjoyed your blog and am thankfull to be able to sort of pick your brain without actually bothering you. Blogs tend to stand out because a lot of them people don't try and sale so much as to write about things that they enjoy or what they like to do.
Most of which comes out in there writing.

I want to grow and build my website to be the best and know I have much to learn and fix to even come close.

I have been online for 8 months now so yes we are very young.

We have taken what we love and have turned it into a business.
I hope you come by to visit. I am not trying to sale you anything but would love to here if you have any ideas.

Thank you for your time.
christmas gift horse lover

Anonymous said...

Hi there blog owner! I am searching blogs to find information and sources to help with my website:http://www.horse-lover-gift-ideas-central.com/horse_home_decor.html My site is fairly new about 8 months old and have a google pr of 3 and get about 50 people a day to visit. My site has clock iron wall wrought and is all affiliate merchandise.
I have been in MLM companys for the past 8 years offline mainly and have never made a dime. This is a new frontier for my wife and I and don't have very much experience but a friend suggested searching blogs to get ideas about how people sale and also what kind of information they offer their customers and clients. We are begining to make some good money selling clock iron wall wrought related articles but I also want to offer my customers some quality information to go along with good deals. If you make it to my site and can offer some constructive critisizm I will take it into consideration or if you have some ideas it will be greatly appreciated. Remember we are on a budget and we do all the work ourselves. We have alot to offer in this general area clock iron wall wrought and building. Thank you for your time.

Anonymous said...

Hi there blog owner! I am searching blogs to find information and sources to help with my website:http://www.horse-lover-gift-ideas-central.com/horse_home_decor.html My site is fairly new about 8 months old and have a google pr of 3 and get about 50 people a day to visit. My site has handmade sterling silver jewelry and is all affiliate merchandise.
This is a new frontier for my wife and I and don't have very much experience but a friend suggested searching blogs to get ideas about how people sale and also what kind of information they offer their customers and clients. We are begining to make some good money selling handmade sterling silver jewelry related articles but I also want to offer my customers some quality information to go along with good deals. If you make it to my site and can offer some constructive critisizm I will take it into consideration or if you have some ideas it will be greatly appreciated. Remember we are on a budget and we do all the work ourselves.

Best Regards,

handmade sterling silver jewelry

Anonymous said...

Hi there blog owner! I am searching blogs to find information and sources to help with my website:http://www.horse-lover-gift-ideas-central.com/collector_plate.html My site is fairly new about 8 months old and have a google pr of 3 and get about 50 people a day to visit. My site has clock outdoor wall and is all affiliate merchandise.
I have been in MLM companys for the past 8 years offline mainly and have never made a dime. This is a new frontier for my wife and I and don't have very much experience but a friend suggested searching blogs to get ideas about how people sale and also what kind of information they offer their customers and clients. We are begining to make some good money selling clock outdoor wall related articles but I also want to offer my customers some quality information to go along with good deals. If you make it to my site and can offer some constructive critisizm I will take it into consideration or if you have some ideas it will be greatly appreciated. Remember we are on a budget and we do all the work ourselves.

Thank you for your time.
Prosperous Regards,
clock outdoor wall

Anonymous said...

good post

Anonymous said...

Search for apply for government grants. Running late, but had to post. Was searching for apply for government grants sites and found your site. Anyway, not exactly what I was looking for, but good stuff.

Anonymous said...

Some of these signs of a cheating spouse are "Tongue in cheek" while others are tell tale signs that commonly appear with a cheating husband or a cheating wife, there is no copyright.
Link to this site: online dating relationship
http://relationship-faq.info/

Anonymous said...

Just checking out blogs, and thought I would stop and read yours since we have some of the same interests and ideas. Some ideas are a little much and some are right on. I am glad I stopped by just to say hi I hope you don't mind. Some people consider it spam I DON'T but if they don't want people to post why do they leave it open for the world to see. I have some great wedding information and articles available for free around 2000 savings ideas so stop on in if you want... Thank you.father daughter wedding songs

father daughter wedding songs

Anonymous said...

Hi just checking out blogs and thought I would stop and read yours since we have some of the same interests and ideas. Some of the ideas are a little much and some are right on the money. I am glad I stopped by just to say hi I hope you don't mind. Some people consider it spam but if you don't want people to post why do they leave it open for the world to see. I have some great wedding information and articles available for free around 2000 savings ideas so stop on in if you want... I also have some of the most informative sites on yoga and baby gifts and baby showersbuilding. Hope you enjoy Thank you for your time.men's diamond wedding rings

men's diamond wedding rings

Anonymous said...

Hi people!!! Very interesting blog.
CYA later and ...Good Luck!
Charlotte

Anonymous said...

You have a nice blog. Good job! Lola

Anonymous said...

Nice christmas gift blog. You should visit mine also at - christmas gift

Anonymous said...

Very well written! Based on the content of your blog, I think you might enjoy some of the articles at my christmas gift site and hope you will give it a peek.

Anonymous said...

Hello. I was just out viewing blogs and came across yours. I have website about examples of bridal shower invitations that you can visit at: http://www.bridalshowermall.com when you have some time. Thanks!Jimexamples of bridal shower invitations

Anonymous said...

Nice blog. If you are interested in other funny gift ideas related blogs visit funny gift ideas

Anonymous said...

painted christmas ornaments Baby's 1st Christmas Ornament ideas. Please visit painted christmas ornaments

Chuck said...

Wow, you have a great blog.

Happy Valentines to you!