Rant Against the Machine
[audio:RantAgainstTheMachine.mp3|titles=Rant Against the Machine|artists=Christian St John]
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Begin rant: “Dear Mr. Movie Producer why do you always get it wrong – why do you excite us with images of angels and demons fighting a spiritual war and then butcher everything by adding what can only be described as stupid unbiblical ideas. I mean come on… people taking out fallen angels with sub-machine guns? The Arch Angel Gabriel as a bad guy wielding a huge razored mace? God losing the plot? What’s with that? Is it too much to ask you to make a supernatural thriller in which you try and stick to biblical truths?” End rant.
I have just finished watching the trailer for the upcoming supernatural action flick Legion. The movie looks interesting in that there are angels of darkness descending upon the world to wipe mankind from existence and I must admit it looks like there will be some nice FX eye candy to be seen. However, this movie can also be seen as yet another attack on the whole God exists and He loves us truth.
One only has to look at the unbiblical, anti-God movies that have been produced over the last few years to know that Hollywood isn’t in the habit of producing anything that remotely paints God in a good light. I read an interview with a Christian movie producer who said that one time before he was a believer a new writer mentioned to him that The Bible would be a good source of material. He told this writer that Hollywood had been doing that for years only with a few nips and tucks added here and there.
Some examples of this “nipping and tucking” include:
The confusing end-time cop vs. satan movie End of Days starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. In this movie Arnie battles satan in typical Arnie fashion and yet there is nary a mention of God.
The theologically messed up movie Constantine with Keanue Reeves playing a man who escapes from hell to fight the powers of darkness. Although this movie presented some thought provoking ideas at the end of the day it falls into the same “humans know better than God and we prove it with our wisecracks and smart ass comments” scenario as most other movies in this genre.
The Prophecy trilogy starring Christopher Walken as the angel Gabriel who hates humans and thinks that God has lost the plot. As such he spends three movies trying to undermine God and his plans.
The movie Gabriel in which the archangel is this time presented as the good guy who fights to bring light back to purgatory – a place where darkness rules – and save the souls of the city’s inhabitants; just think The Matrix crossed with Dark City crossed with Blade Runner and you’ll get an idea of what this mess looks like.
And now in the new movie Legion Gabriel is once again the angel who turns out to be the bad guy, while the angel Michael is presented as a tortured soul on a mission he’d rather not be on.
Just a quick question, has Hollywood forgotten that Gabriel was the Arch Angel sent by God as the messenger who told Mary that she was carrying the saviour of the world? Biblically speaking, he’s a good guy! Either it’s a slip of the mind or the movie-makers just don’t care – and I’m guessing it’s the latter.
Call me a cynic but for some time now I have been thinking that Hollywood is nothing more than a big nasty “machine” that is all about pushing moral boundaries and making money. Sure some movies get made because of a director’s passion and to share a story/message they wish to be told, but for the most part the “machine” churns out movie after movie in the hopes of reaping in a harvest of our cash.
With that said I like movies as much, if not more, than your average Joe. And I will be the first to admit that I do like a big action blockbuster. But I am saddened that while there are millions of people out there who are interested in the spiritual world many people learn most of what they know through the movies they watch. And what are they learning if the “machine” is saying that God has lost the plot, that He’s incapable of feeling sympathy let alone love, and that human smart asses can save the day better than God ever could?
The whole synopsis of Legion, as presented in the trailer, has left me angry and yet hopeful. The trailer more than alludes to the fact that God is again mad with humans – the voice over tells us that God has lost faith in us. The first time this happened, thus says the trailers voice over, God sent a flood. This time however, he is sending a legion of angels to destroy the world.
Well firstly I don’t think God would ever lose faith in humans because I don’t think He’s ever put His faith in humans in the first place. Do you not think that the God of the universe, the Great I Am, and creator of all, doesn’t see what we’re capable of? Does He not see the pain we cause one another? Is He blind to the suffering caused by our greed? Has He closed His ears to our pleas for help and salvation? The bottom line is we are to have faith in him not the other way round. Side note: Some believe that God does in fact have faith in our abilities and so on, but I would say He has faith in His Spirit’s abilities working in us and through us.
And this is where I am hopeful because I am hoping that people see movies like Legion as Hollywood hokum, but that it will spark in them an interest in the spiritual world around us. And I pray that the people who watch movies of this genre will find out that God hasn’t lost the plot, instead He loves mankind so much that He was willing to give all He had for them… His own Son. Oddly enough this is the part the “machine” loves to leave out. Why? Because there’s no room for guessing and wondering if they’ll be a sequel. There’s not going to be a cliff-hanger. The end is foretold in Scripture and it’s a good and happy ending for those who have put their faith in Jesus.
Try as it may but the “machine” will never be able to hide or cover up this truth. And as to the idea that that the “machine” has, that hardcore biblical truth will not sell movies without the added “nips and tucks” – well I would challenge them to look at the book sale figures which estimate that The Bible has sold in excess of 6 billion copies. Now you can’t argue with that!
Christian St John M.Div, BChM, ACS
August, 2009
When I saw the trailer for this, I was like “Did they even READ the Bible?” It seems in all these end time scenarios, God is thwarted by the actions of man. To me it’s ironic that they pilfer the story from the Word, and then alter it.
Great post.
Very well stated. What ever happened to the Hollywood that wasn’t afraid to
make great biblical movies like The Ten Commandments and Ben Hur or even
Jesus of Nazereth. Thank you Mel Gibson for the Passion Of Christ. When I saw
the Legion trailer, I thought the same as you, what a joke. The producer should be
laughed out of the business. When I saw that Gabriel was going to be the bad guy, I
thought for sure the good angels name was going to be Lucifer. I guess the morons
in Hollywood aren’t that bold, Yet. Anyway, great post. Thanks for taking a stand.
Thanks Jim for your comment. There are some great faith-based movies coming out at the moment, but alas Legion is not one of them. The reviewer at PluggedInOnline said it was probably the worst movie he ever saw. I for one will not waste my time on the anti-Gospel according to Hollywood.
I don't see that Gabriel was presented as the 'bad guy'…he was presented as the angel that obeyed God most faithfully and carried out his orders. He would have done the same thing by appearing to Mary to announce her bearing of Jesus. In fact, many times during the film, particularly during the fight scene at the end it showed that Gabriel himself was struggling with the decision God made, but his loyalty to God was stronger than any misgivings he may have had.
Personally, I think the whole movie was whack! But that's just my opinion. I was hoping that Legion would be an angels vs. demons kind of movie… it was a big letdown. Even people who are not adherents to faith disliked this one… much the the Schwarzenegger turkey "End of Days".
Wow ….it's a MOVIE , not real nor did they ever claim it was based on actual events. Get over it. Stop looking for reasons to complain and spend your time celebrating your faith.
You and I know it's a movie, but how many unbelievers know that it's not based on Scripture. We live in a post Christian generation and as such many people don't have the slightest idea as to Christianity, the Bible, God, Jesus, angels, and demons. I appreciate and respect your view, please do the same for mine