Strange and interesting things happen to religious ideas when filmmakers get hold of them! This course unit explores the way Judaeo-Christian stories and beliefs have been taken up and transformed in a selection of classic and popular films, ranging from the Hollywood blockbuster to the European art film.
After an introductory session on the theological interpretation of film, the course examines the cinematic depiction of Moses and Jesus in such films as The Ten Commandments and The Last Temptation of Christ. The remainder of the course considers how the Christian notions of sacrifice, salvation, and eschatology have been transposed to non-biblical and often non-Christian contexts. Among the films studied are Cool Hand Luke, The Mission, The Matrix, and The Seventh Seal. A further theme of the course is to examine the role of religious motifs in the cinematic representation of gender and ethnicity.
Aims
To explore the way Judaeo-Christian stories, beliefs, and symbols are featured in a selection of classic and popular films
To examine the cinematic representation of gender and ethnicity in a selection of religious films
To equip students with the skills necessary to interpret primary and secondary sources in Theology and Film.
Teaching and learning methods
The methods to be employed are:(1) Blended learning – Online delivery of lectures. (2) Live Seminars analysing film clips and discussing scholarly articles on the films studied on the course
Knowledge and understanding
By the end of this course you should normally:
have gained an understanding of cinematic techniques for conveying the sacred
have become acquainted with the biblical epic and with cinematic representations of Moses and Jesus Christ
have acquired an understanding of the cinematic representation of the themes of sacrifice, salvation, and eschatology
have acquired an understanding of the cinematic representation of class, gender, and ethnicity in a selection of religious films
Intellectual skills
By the end of this course you should normally:
be able to translate a critical awareness of film into individual research for seminars and essays
be aware of and able to account for social and historical factors that contribute to the religious themes explored in the films studied
be familiar with the visual style employed to illustrate subtextual religious themes by the filmmakers studied
Practical skills
By the end of this course you should normally:
have developed skill in observing, describing, analysing and assessing film
have consolidated and advanced your essay writing skills
Transferable skills and personal qualities
By the end of this course you should normally:
have sharpened your skills in independent research, critical thinking, and essay writing
be aware of how religious ideas permeate popular culture and an ability to identify and analyse cultural expressions of these ideas
Employability skills
Other
Be able to empathize with a range of different religious viewpoints and their ethical and cultural implications
Assessment methods
Essay
50%
Exam
50%
Draft introduction to an essay and plan
0% (formative)
Feedback methods
Feedback method
Formative or Summative
Essay plans
Formative
Summative Essay
Summative and Formative
Essay tutorials
Formative
Online open book examimation
Summative and Formative
Recommended reading
Louis D. Giannetti, Understanding Movies, multiple editions (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1993-2013)
Joel Martin and Conrad Ostwalt (eds), Screening the Sacred: Religion, Myth, and Ideology in Popular American Film (Boulder; Oxford: Westview, 1995)
Eric S. Christianson, Peter Francis, and William R. Telford (eds), Cinéma Divinité. Religion, Theology and the Bible in Film (London: SCM, 2005)
John Lyden (ed.), The Routledge Companion to Religion and Film (London: Routledge, 2009)
Adele Reinhartz, Bible and Cinema: An Introduction (London: Routledge, 2013)
