'The Last Temptation of Christ': Was Jesus a uniter or divider?

This is the famous marketplace scene from the Bible as depicted in Martin Scorsese's 'Last Temptation of Christ' starring Willem Dafoe.  I like the way Jesus is humanized in this film. This scene shows Jesus in the marketplace attacking the money-changers. 

What I think this film is about

I think the film is about conflict; conflict between good and evil, the spirit and the flesh, man and woman, man and God. This society, in which Christianity is the dominant religion, that puts “in God we trust” on its dollar bill, that celebrates a pagan holiday named after Jesus Christ—this society is not unlike the society that crucified Jesus 2,000 years ago--rebellious! He even says--according to scripture-- that upon his return, he will go to war with the world. 

Jesus, in this film, is a revolutionary and is vilified in much the same way as today's revolutionaries like Fidel Castro, Martin Luther King, Louis Farrakhan, Martin Luther, William Wallace, Mahatma Ghandi, Che Guevara, Castro,  etc.

Throughout 'The Last Temptation,' there is the conflict between his (Jesus') fleshly desires for a wife and his ultimate destiny, which is dying on the cross. 

Quotes of conflict: 

In Jesus, time, Rome was the dominant world government but Jesus spoke of overthrowing the world, which, he says, belongs to Satan, the “God of this world”

Mark 3:25 “And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.”

Matt 10:34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.”

Romans 12:2 "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.”

Luke 12:49-56 “I have come to set the world on fire, and I wish it were already burning! 50 I have a terrible baptism of suffering ahead of me, and I am under a heavy burden until it is accomplished. 51 Do you think I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I have come to divide people against each other! 52 From now on families will be split apart, three in favor of me, and two against—or two in favor and three against.”

Romans 12:2 “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

You would get most of the world (including family and friends) to go against you with this verse out of the book of Jeremiah, in chapter 10 and verses 3-5 in particular: 

“For the customs of the people are vain;

    for with the axe one cuts a tree out of the forest (Christmas tree!),

    the work of the hands of the workman.

4 

They deck it with silver and with gold;

    they fasten it with nails and with hammers

    so that it may not move.

5

They are as a scarecrow in a cucumber field,

    but do not speak;

they must be carried,

    because they cannot walk.

Do not be afraid of them,

    for they cannot do evil,

    nor can they do good.”

A closer look at a scene from the film 'Network'

A perspective of the film 'Network'

Sydney Lumet's 'Network' describes the transformation of news into entertainment and propaganda.

It’s ironic that the film makes a comparison between how society responds to real news and how society responds to spectacle, again a commentary on how entertainment has dumbed down an American society that prefers titillation over facts and rational analysis. For example, Diana points out that when Beale said the word “shit” on the air the show’s ratings—and his popularity- went up by 5 points. And now, the biggest newspapers in the country are lavishing free press on the television station because of Howard Beale’s unpredictable behavior instead of the actual news content of the show itself. Although Howard is stirring the people up on righteous issues, the attention seems to be more on “how” he delivers that message rather than on the message itself.

Scene from 'Network':Idealism

A perspective of the film 'Network'

In this scene, Max breaks the news to Howard that they have to take him off the air. Howard, though, has 2nd thoughts now that his show is gaining in popularity. He believes that he has a divine calling and that he speaks for the people. Beale gives an incredible speech and when he finishes he passes out as if unplugged from a wall socket. 

To me, this scene represents idealism and how the media caters its messages to viewers’ preferences. Like politicians, the media tells us exactly what we want to hear, that we are important, that we matter, that we are individuals. But behind the scenes the people who supply what we see on television only care about money. A good example of a company combining propaganda and advertising is the National Rifle Association and their position on the 2nd amendment of the Constitution. At the same time, the NRA gets most of its money from the gun industry and individuals so the positions the NRA takes on Americans’ Constitutional rights to bear arms benefits the gun manufacturers that donate money to the organization. 

Notes: 

from money.cnn (date unknown) Authors Blake Ellis and Melanie Hicken

“Since 2005, the NRA Political Victory Fund has received nearly $85 million in contributions from individual donors. After the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting, donations to this political action committee surged as gun owners worried that their rights to buy and own guns were at risk.

The call for stricter gun control laws from leaders like President Obama in the wake of this tragedy fueled these fears and prompted the NRA to rally its members to fight against new regulations.

As a result, gun sales soared, and so did donations. Donations in the 2014 election cycle were up by more than 50% compared to the prior two years, and nearly doubled from a decade ago.

"Americans look to the NRA to defend their constitutional right to self protection," NRA spokesperson Jennifer Baker told CNNMoney. "When gun control advocates ramp up their efforts to pass gun control people voice their opposition by donating to the NRA."

Contributions came from nearly 30,000 donors, with around 90% of donations made by people who gave less than $200 in a single year. According to the NRA, the average donation is around $35.”

Members at a NRA annual meeting.

The NRA's ability to raise so much money from small donations is highly unusual for a special interest group, demonstrating its wide reaching support, said Sarah Bryner, research director at the Center for Responsive Politics.

From Business Insider Jan. 16, 2013, 1:25 PM, Author Walter Hickey

“Since 2005, the gun industry and its corporate allies have given between $20 million and $52.6 million to it through the NRA Ring of Freedom sponsor program. Donors include firearm companies like Midway USA, Springfield Armory Inc, Pierce Bullet Seal Target Systems, and Beretta USA Corporation. Other supporters from the gun industry include Cabala's, Sturm Rugar & Co, and Smith & Wesson.

The NRA also made $20.9 million — about 10 percent of its revenue — from selling advertising to industry companies marketing products in its many publications in 2010, according to the IRS Form 990.”

Taxi Driver: a perspective

Taxi Driver's Robert De Niro

The character arc in this story goes from New York Cabbie Travis Bickle (Robert DeNiro)--a socially inept, angry white male, seeking self-gratification in the form of love--hating society, to planning to kill a lying politician, to wanting to see his neighborhood “flushed down the toilet.” Then coming around full-circle to what he did as a Marine for his country and risking his life for others, in this case, the child-prostitute named Iris played by Jodie Foster.  

Travis Bickle and Iris are one and the same, both flawed but at the same time redeemable. Out of all of his faults—he loves watching pornographic movies and he’s also a racist, there is something basically good about him that compels him to rescue Iris and this is what Betsy discovers when he becomes a hero for doing so. The fact that Iris’ character is a child prostitute also suggests that Travis’ faults are innocent faults because he hasn’t been exposed to anything else by which to judge the things he does or thinks as good or bad. But at the end of the film he is vindicated because he becomes aware through his experiences with Iris that he isn’t a bad guy taking the good with the bad and that as dark and filthy as the world seems there is something in it worth saving.  

Overstimulated: A perspective of the film 'Network'

Summary

This is a behind the scenes look at the Howard Beale show from the movie Network directed by Sydney Lumet. The employees all seem indifferent and going through the motions. The station has been getting bad ratings and Howard Beale’s announcement that he’s going to commit suicide on the air gives the station a big boost in ratings. 

Analysis

The people behind the scenes producing this show is how our society is today:

• bored 
• overstimulated (as represented by the many monitors)
• distracted -- It takes something sensational and violent like suicide to get people’s attention

This scene also shows the transition from news to sensationalism in how Howard Beales’ falling ratings get a big boost when he announces his suicide on live television. Even today anything that’s lurid or controversial goes into a 24 hour cycle where everything else is ignored for the sake of that 1 news item. These events play on every channel until the next big news--big ratings draw-- replaces it (The cops shot in Dallas and Baton Rouge, black men killed by cops in routine traffic stops, OJ, etc.).

Pre-suicide Howard Beale (here played by Peter Finch) represents traditional straight-down-the-line news. After he announces his suicide on the air, he is “born again” and transformed into the spokesman for society’s popular rage (Donald Trump) and the champion of the individual. 

Avatar: a dash of Tarzan and a pinch of anime!

This is a review of James Cameron's 2009 science fiction film 'Avatar'.

The Tarzan theme in Avatar has not been really talked about much. Let's keep it real; the Na'vi are Africans and Jake Sully is the White savior. What got me is that he 1st learns how to ride the Banshee and in doing so becomes the best Banshee Rider. Next, he tames the 'Last Shadow,' the biggest of all winged predators and becomes Toruk Makto. That thing hadn't been ridden for thousands of years and this dude just got there and in a month goes from learning to ride a little Banshee to mastering the biggest and baddest bird of prey. Then,  he becomes a 'mated pair' with Netyri. What about Tsu Tey? He gets kicked completely to the curb! Finally, Jake 'Sooly' leads all of the clans against the White invaders and succeeds in forcing them off the planet. I'm not saying that this is the only message in this movie but it is, as they say, the proverbial 'elephant in the room.' Overall, though, Avatar is a solid piece of entertainment and for what it set out to do, did so better than any of its peers. Effects-wise, Avatar did go 'beyond the beyond' as Cameron often boasts. But this Tarzan theme in the movie somehow got lost in all of the 3D hype. 

Another thing I want to point out about Avatar are the elements it borrowed from Japanese animation. Yes, that's right, this film borrowed heavily from anime, you just have to know which ones. Back in the mid 90's, there was an anime series called 'Visions of Escaflowne' about a planet called Gaea that had the same 'floating mountains' that are in Avatar. The exo-suits in Avatar also look exactly like the 'labors' in the anime Patlabor, exactly the same! The Na'vi which are piloted by humans are the same, in theory, as the organic life-forms called Evas in 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' that are also piloted or driven by humans. In pointing out these similarities, I don't want to give the impression that Avatar is completely derivative, but I think that the animes that informed it should be recognized. 

Will The New 'Ghost In The Shell' Film Live Up To The Anime?

Being that this will be a "Europeanized" interpretation of GITS  and that most of the people seeing this film will not be familiar with the story's Japanime pedigree, I look for this film to stray from a lot of the deep philosophical and political themes the anime is known for. I, personally, have no problem whatsoever with Scarlett in the title role. She is at the very forefront of female action stars right now BAR NONE  with Lucy, The Avengers, Captain America, and Under The Skin most recently. However, being that this film is adapted from a story set in Hong Kong and the lead being recast from a Japanese woman to a white woman, I would have something to say about this if I were Japanese. But if they have no problem with this then why should I, right? Another factor that may affect this film's success is its long delay in being made and the director (Rupert Sanders) who's a virtual unknown. As anyone who's followed this film from Mamoru Oshii's original (based on the manga by Masamune Shirow) to the recent 'Arise' prequels knows, GITS, which itself is influenced by the film 'Blade Runner,' has been cannibalized by so many films from the Matrix on, that it may come across like a copycat of the films that copied it. I do believe that a director like Nolan, Greengrass, or even the Wachowski's could have at least guaranteed this film an intelligence close to that in the anime. I will see this film but I will go in the theater with realistic expectations of seeing nothing more than a dumbed down westernized live-action anime adaptation with loads of action and cool gadgets programmed to make as much money as possible.