Showing posts with label Films. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Films. Show all posts

Blood Diamond

(Jon's rating: 15) Very thought provoking but pretty violent in portraying the anarchy of civil war in Sierra Lionne. Raises questions about human nature: "my heart tells me people are essentially good, but my experience tells me they are essentially bad," and our culpability in buying goods whose supply has been the cause of war and strife.

Reflection: By taking office in the corrupt Babylon, Daniel's example would suggest that merely being part of a system (such as capitalism) that causes evil is not necessarily sin. However, when we are aware that our actions are likely to contribute to the oppression of others, we are surely more culpable (James 5:1-6).

So we must be concerned where possible not only to buy fair trade food and clothing, but fairly traded diamonds. The best policy seems in reality to just buy as little as possible, and when we do, second hand. This is about the only way you can be more certain your actions are benefitting (when through charity shops) rather than harming others and not adding to the rapid consumption of our world's resources.

Blood diamond.

Flightplan

(Jon's rating: 12) Tense Jodie Foster thriller that keeps you guessing and on the edge of your seat. There are messages about paranoia over terrorism, handling bereavement and fear for our children, but above all this is just a good film with no swearing or sex, and only a little violence.

Flightplan.

The Village

(Jon's rating: 15) A fascinating and original film of which little can be said without giving it away. Teaches much about fear and alienation in our modern world and our instinctive desire for a heaven where evil and pain will be excluded. Though a little frighening in parts, this is not a horror movie.

The Village.

Family Man

(Jon's rating: 15) Sadly a couple of scenes make me rate this above a 12. Nevertheless the main message is a great one about what is important in life. A materialistic, success driven, self made man is given an insight into what life would have been like if he had married a past girlfriend and raised a family.

Family Man.

Sophie Scholl

(Jon's rating: PG) A quite superb film. Inspires us not to take injustice sitting down and points us to the ultimate source of strength against tyranny and evil. Its contemporary lesson is of the need of objective truth as to morality and justice and our instinctive awareness that there is such a thing. (Is subtitled, but worth it even if this usually puts you off).

Sophie Scholl.