2 pages

Extra Credit Film Reviews Suggestions

Students looking for opportunities for extra credit in should consider writing a review of a film/videotape. During the semester we have talked about many themes, virtues, and ideas in Christianity. These are not limited to the material we find in churches or other specifically religious settings. In fact, Christian themes are present throughout the culture, including many popular movies available on streaming services, DVDs, etc. So here is my suggestion:

The Assignment:

Find a movie that has a major Christian theme in it, and write a critical review of the movie that discusses how the film presents that theme. 

Suggested Themes:

Christian themes to find in the films include the following, but are not limited to them:

  

Incarnation

Resurrection

Salvation

 

Faith

Love

Hope

 

Martyrdom

Sacrifice

Holiness

 

Forgiveness

Redemption

Sin

 

Reformation

Triumphalism

Militancy

 

Hospitality

Mission

Conversion

 

Spiritual   Gifts

Grace

Heresy

 

Interfaith Relations

Dissent

Revelation

 

The Imitation   of Christ

Modernism

Toleration

Suggested Movies

I have listed some movies that will work for this assignment below, but you are not limited to them. There are many, many others. 

  

Romero (in Library)

The   Apostle

 

Hanged   on a Twisted Cross (in Library)

The   Third Miracle

 

Entertaining   Angels (in   Library)

Luther

 

Left   Behind Series 

(any or all of the movies)

Beckett   (1964)

 

Lord   of the Rings Trilogy

(any or all of the movies)

A   Man for All Seasons

 

The   Shoes of the Fisherman

The   Messenger

 

Bonhoeffer: Agent of Grace

The   Last Temptation of Christ

 

The Passion of the Christ

The   Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe Series

 

Doubt

The   Nun’s Story (1959)

 

The Gospel According to St. Matthew (1964)

The   Ten Commandments (1956)

 

The Song of Bernadette (1943)

Elmer   Gantry (1960)

 

Galileo (1974)

Inherit   the Wind (1960)

 

Babette’s Feast (1987)

Lilies   of the Field (1963)

 

Dead Man Walking (1995)

The   Mission (1986)

  

Directions for writing film reviews: The number of points you get will depend on the quality of your work. Twenty-five points is the maximum for this report, and there is a fifty point extra credit maximum for the semester. Your review should be based on your own ideas and interpretations. Nevertheless, I suggest that you read the published reviews of each film you review to see what others have said about them. Note that all the formal academic writing guidelines apply to this assignment. Properly cite your sources in the text, according to the citation guidelines of the Modern Language Association (MLA), including any published reviews you use, then add them to the bibliography.