WT03.06 Breaking the Waves (1996)

Watching Theology June 17th, 2009

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God's Silence Series: no. 4. When Bess married Jan, it united an outsider and an insider, an oilworker and a member of a strict religious community. Their marriage was a happy one: sensual, fun, passionate. All that ended when Jan returned to his oil platform and Bess was left alone. She resumed prayers to a talkative God, a being who once was her only confidant. When Bess asked God to bring Jan back home to her, she took a significant step to a time of trial and a … (Read More)

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WT03.05 Mean Streets (1973)

Watching Theology June 6th, 2009

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God's Silence Series: no. 3. [NOTE: Explicit Content] Sometimes God is silent. Sometimes he's shut out of the conversation. In Martin Scorsese's breakthrough film Mean Streets, Charlie is trying to find his own way to stay out of Hell. He is the saint of Little Italy, just not the kind of saint anyone would canonize. Although God offers him absolution, Charlie prefers real atonement. He is the savior of the dregs, but his first priority is to save himsel … (Read More)

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WT03.04 Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)

Watching Theology May 7th, 2009

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God's Silence Series: no. 2. In part two of the "God's Silence" series, Watching Theology considers the profound link between ethics and God's existence. If God exists, He must care, and if God cares, He must punish. So if Martin Landau were to, say, kill Anjelica Huston, you might expect a lightning bolt or two, right? Not according to Woody Allen's masterpiece of tragedy, comedy, existentialism, and literary binaries. Join this episode f … (Read More)

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WT03.03 Winter Light (1962)

Watching Theology April 19th, 2009

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God's Silence Series: no. 1. Ingmar Bergman's films have become synonymous with existential terror. In 1962's Winter Light, Bergman explores what could be a typical Sunday for a struggling pastor, except that this pastor may not believe in God. Winter Light is the first episode in a 5 part series on religious doubt, specifically on how "God's Silence" is explored in movies.

(Note: this episode references Arthur Gibson's book Silence of … (Read More)

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Watching Reading – Reading Watching

Watching Theology January 8th, 2009

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Not that you don't have something better to do with your money – like giving to Key Life. But for those listeners who can't get enough movie stuff, the fine folks at Watching Theology offer a collection of film readings. Watching is a mixed collection of articles, papers, reviews and other ramblings from the various projects of Joe and Melissa Johnson (Film-Philes, Watching the Directors, Watching Journal, Watching Theology). We can't promise that y … (Read More)

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