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Reviews
Martin Luther (1953)
The truth in scripture: Retelling of Martin Luther's life
When asked "And what, dear brother, is God's righteousness?", Martin Luther replies with "Exactly what the scripture says, father. That it delivers and does not merely judge". This conversation and the further debate about the role of Latin and wider circulation of the Bible amongst the laymen built the foundation for theological and philosophical arguments and ideas that are portrayed in this movie. A 1953 biopic titled "Martin Luther" retells the story of a German priest of the same name who is known for beginning the movement of Protestant Reformation within Western Christianity in the 16th century. The movie is well-directed and gives a quite detailed educational background for those wishing to gain a deeper knowledge about the beginnings of the Protestant movement. However, the movie's depiction of Martin Luther needs to be taken with a grain of salt since despite largely keeping true with the major historical developments of its time, the movie contains a certain level of bias and creates an idealistic and nearly perfect image of the protagonist.
One of the major tasks accomplished by Irving Pichel's biopic is the successful depiction of the overwhelming and all-encompassing nature of religion and the church during that time. As pointed out by the narrator in the very beginning, the people pledged allegiance both to the emperor and to the pope. This dual allegiance portrays the inter-woven and interdependent relationship between religious institutions and royalty of the time and helps the viewers to comprehend one of the most important phenomena in the history of religion. As mentioned previously, the film's bias against the teachings of the Catholic Church at the time are pretty clear from, among many other things, their depiction of Pope Leo X as frivolous and acquisitive. Despite this fact, the filmmakers largely succeeded at transmitting the atmosphere of religious establishments playing an incredibly significant role in both public and personal lives of the people. As put by the narrator, the "church demanded absolute and unquestioning obedience of the people" and this background helps us to better understand the motivations behind Martin Luther's rebellion. The movie starts off by depicting the inner struggles of the young priest who struggles to find love for God who has only been depicted as an angry and merciless judge. This depiction of his personal conflicts and his conversations with the people around him contribute to creating a more personal and humane character. The film's classification as a biopic rather than a traditional documentary allows it to take certain creative liberties, but the major historical accounts are still followed pretty thoroughly. One of such historical accounts is the moment of Luther's publication of his monumental work titled "Ninety-five Theses" in which he opposes the sale of indulgences as a way of people seeking forgiveness for their sins. It is exactly this act of dissent that helps him to build a supportive and loyal following and leads to his excommunication and condemnation. This momentous development in the history of religion is depicted rather skillfully and interestingly in the biopic under examination by building a more detailed and nuanced picture of not only Martin Luther himself but also the notable figures around him. One of the most thought-provoking parts of the movie contains the depiction of the conversations between political and religious leaders of the time regarding the course of action they need to take regarding Luther's activities. The following observation is out of the scope of this essay and I do not obtain the necessary information, but one may argue that Luther's ability to gain support and spread his ideas had a lot to do with historical and ideological developments in the realm of governance and politics of the time. Unlike many other people condemned as heretics by the Church, Luther was spared harsh and violent blowback. In the movie, the Duke Frederick appeals and insists to bring Martin Luther to fair trial by maintaining that while as his subject Luther owes him loyalty, as the prince he owes him protection. This conversation depicts a new development in the history of nation-states and the relationship between the governors and their subjects. This part of the movie serves as larger food for thought on the topic of how public institutions and ideologies of the time may have contributed to Luther's ability to gain as much acknowledgement and exposure as he did.
The 1521 Edict of Worms is considered by many as the beginning of the Protestant reformation movement and the biopic in question does a good job in depicting this monumental process. Obviously, it's hard to tell without a scholarly background whether the many nuanced details of this process have claims to historical accuracy, but from a cinematic point of view this significant scene seems well-balanced and quite easy to comprehend. Overall, this biopic provides a very thorough and compelling narration of an incredibly influential man's life and may serve as a good starting point for those wishing to learn more about the history of Christianity.
Nattvardsgästerna (1963)
God's Silence
From an all-involving guardian of social order and an architect of public opinion to a more and more marginalized part of one's secular life, many argue that the Church and the extent of its influence have been declining around the world. We see this overall trend depicted through one man's personal crisis of faith in Ingmar Bergman's 1963 classic, Winter Light. Bergman tastefully depicts pastor Tomas' struggles with his identity not only as a believer, but as a clergyman as well. For Tomas, his turbulent relationship with his faith seems to stem from, as described by the pastor himself, God's silence in regard to him. After finishing the mass, the pastor meets with Karin and her husband, Jonas. Karin tells Tomas that her husband has become distressed and disengaged upon finding out that China is building atomic bombs capable of mass destruction. Tomas attempts to comfort Jonas but does so unsuccessfully since he is going through a test of faith of his own. Finally, Jonas ends up committing suicide and the tormented feelings of the pastor after this event propel the movie in its further attempt of depicting a clergyman's struggle with God's silence.
Though released more than 50 years ago, Winter Light is more than relevant today as more and more of us become distanced from highly institutionalized religious rituals and grapple with teachings of traditional religions. This notion of debating and questioning the nature of the religion and its counterparts applies to Christianity very well. As we know, the main schisms of the religion took place because the opinions of followers or religious leaders began to diverge when it came to questions like Jesus' identity and the role of the Church at large. If such examinations of the religious teachings lead to such substantive events such as the creation of various branches of Christianity, it's no surprise that even the clergymen may find themselves questioning the strength of their faith. One of the most powerful scenes in the movie is the conversation between pastor Ericsson and Algot Frovik that revolved around the moment of Christ's crucifixion. In that scene, Algot argues that Jesus' worst hardship was not the physical pain, but rather the feeling of abandonment and that his preaching has turned out to be nothing but a lie. This seems to resonate with Tomas as he himself feels his connection to God shaken and his belief weakened. On the other hand, this also applies to the larger issue of the nature of Jesus Christ and how that question has led to years and years of debate in the Christian community. If indeed, as put by Algot, Jesus felt abandoned and questioned the truthfulness of his teachings, wouldn't that make him human like the rest of us? If one assumes that Jesus is one with God, does one also believe that God himself went through all of those feelings? The question of nature of Jesus is one of the many issues that have been a subject of debate and inspection in the Christian community. Though we never really find out what exactly makes pastor Ericsson question his beliefs, we can see how certain aspects of the Christian doctrine can propel some followers to search for more clarity and information.
Increasingly with a rapidly broadening scope of scientific human knowledge, more and more people seem to start questioning not only the logic and soundness of certain religious teachings, but also the moral underpinnings of those beliefs. While many people seem to succeed in weaving together their religious beliefs and parts of their identity as feminists, representatives of the LGBTQ+ community or scientists, many choose to leave their religious beliefs behind. Ingmar Bergman's Winter Light does an incredible job of depicting one man's journey through a personal crisis of faith and what it means to the larger society if that man is also a clergyman tasked with preaching the very values, he is found himself questioning. However, one could also argue that this movie is larger than a single character, this is also a movie about human perception of God at large, not really God himself, since as put forward by the pastor himself, the Father is silent in this film. The intricacies of human relationship with higher powers is tastefully depicted through the heart-wrenching speech of an atheist in love with a pastor represented by Martha, a thoughtful interpretation of Christ's struggles by the Church sexton represented by Algot, and a silent inner struggle and bitterness of a pastor preaching to a shrinking congregation represented by Tomas. This extremely well-edited film makes the viewers focus on the dialogues and inner struggles of all characters, especially the masterful depictions of Marta by the magnificent Ingrid Thulin and of pastor Ericsson by the incredible Gunnar Björnstrand. Overall, Winter Light is not only an incredibly visually satisfying watch, but also presents interesting food for thought about our perception and relation to God.
Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)
What it takes to make sushi
A note to those who, like myself, don't really care for sushi or Japanese cuisine as such: this movie is about much more than sushi. The main character of the documentary, Jiro Ono is a legendary sushi chef whose restaurant is famous not only for the quality of food served, but also for the fact that they offer nothing but sushi and have only 10 seats. Along with beautifully capturing the daily lives of Jiro and the people that surround him, David Gleb's film provides viewers with a little snippet into the way the great master's brain functions and what motivates him to lead his life in such a peculiar way. The filmmakers are able to decipher the web of principles and beliefs behind this craftsman's impeccable work ethic and extreme determination.
Growing up in a community that glorified East Asian traditional values of adherence to a strict hierarchy and hard work, I found this documentary to be a fascinatingly detailed description of the way a person's belief system and devotion to certain principles unify in order to lead them to perfection of their chosen craft. While the film largely stays away from discussing the issues of religion directly, traces of certain philosophical teachings such as Confucianism and Taoism can be found scattered throughout the depiction of the characters' daily actions and explanations behind their motivation. One of such moments is the depiction of Jiro's relationship with his sons and his own parents. At a certain point in the film, Jiro visits his parents' grave with his older son, Yoshikazu, by his side. There he remarks that his parents never really cared much about his well-being, to which his son warned him not to talk about their ancestors in such a careless manner. This exchange presents an example of a deep-rooted East Asian tradition of respect and subordination to one's ancestors and especially parents, that could be argued to derive from Confucian teachings. Throughout the movie we witness the incredible amount of loyalty and respect that Jiro's own sons seem to display towards him. As pointed out by the legendary chef himself, he doesn't consider himself to have been a good father, even mentioning that he was somewhat of a stranger for his kids during their formative years. Despite this fact, both of his sons have chosen to continue his legacy by becoming sushi chefs and by enduring his demanding training process.
In Analects, there is a saying such as: "To go acknowledged by others without harboring frustration - is this not the mark of an exemplary person?". Indeed, adherence to social hierarchy and unified morality have often been described as one of the most imperative framing beliefs of many East Asian societies. Jiro does not only expect great devotion and impeccable work ethic from himself - it's something he seems to naturally expect from everyone around him. From his sons and apprentices to his suppliers of rice and fish - to a certain extent, they all embody that principle of admirable dedication to their craft. In teachings of Confucianism, social hierarchy and rituals serve as building blocks of a dignified society, which in turn constitutes something resembling a Victorian dance, where steps have been learned and roles have been assigned to everyone involved. The professionalism exhibited by people surrounding Jiro allows him to avoid certain social frictions and run his business as smoothly as possible. Many experts believe that it is exactly this devotion to communal responsibility and respect that have led to fascinating economic and social growth in East Asian countries.
Along with traces of Confucianism, the movie depicts certain aspects that could have been derived from certain Taoist teachings. When talking about the quality of fish and the shrinking of the tuna population, Yoshikazu states that businesses ought to strive to strike a balance between achieving profit and sustaining the environment. This attention to fostering a harmonious relationship between humans and nature speaks back to Taoism and the seminal text of Dao De Jing in particular. In Dao de Jing, this interconnectedness between these two entities can be found in Chapter 25, which states: "Human beings emulate the earth, the earth emulates the heavens, the heavens emulate way-making, and way-making emulates what is spontaneously so (ziran)". This delicate attention given to nature by Jiro and those surrounding him may have been influenced by this synergy of many philosophical teachings that have guided the societies of East Asia for centuries, with Taoism being one of them.
Using a blend of world renown and newer pieces of classical music as a delicate and a remarkable touch, this documentary captures something humans have always been mesmerized by - mastery of highest sorts. Jiro's devotion to his craft, concern for nature, and relationship to others represent the blend of religious philosophical teachings that have framed East Asian societies for many centuries. In this film, we are faced by a person whose love for his craft and intense work ethic have turned sushi-making into an art form. Overall, the filmmakers' attention to detail and inclusion of characters' own explanations behind their actions allows us to notice the many ways ancient philosophical beliefs have contributed to shaping these societies.