The films “Saved Essay Example for Free

The films Saved EssayMuch ado has been said about devotion and how diverse religious practices have been depicted in numerous films. Religion in America reflects no more than simple faith but dwells into the hearty structure and the meanings of faith in the midst of American culture and society. With film as medium of conveying messages, it is of no shallow signification why this bring in of art is to be examined in the light of religious portrayal in a number of Hollywood films.This essay shall review the films Saved (2004), Witness(__), The Apostle (1997), ruby Letter(___) and Smoke Signals (1998) in terms of their accuracy and overall attitude towards religious persons and issues. Popular non merely for their cinematic value or takings or array of big stars, these movies became controversial for varied social reactions, whether for laudable reason or hyper-critical conviction. Witness The Struggle for Personal ConvictionsWitness tells of a present-day(a) police office r (John Book portrayed by Harrison Ford) who found refuge in the laid back and primitive Amish village in Lancaster County. Wanting to protect a young Amish boy (Samuel, played by Lucas Haas) who witnessed the cleanup of an undercover policeman in a sub fashion station from the perpetrators, he finds himself immersing in the Amish way of spiritedness. He dresses plainly, milks cows, does carpentry, takes the horse-driven buggy, and later falls in love with the childs mother (Rachel Lapp portrayed by Kelly McGillis).Later he finds out that the killing was brought about by the higher-ups in his department, he was chased and found. Finally, the movie ends with a resolution of the case. The movie was an insight into the remote Amish community focusing on military man nature and how it relates to religion. A viewer may see the film on a cultural perspective with the struggle between the Amish-English identity and the multi-cultural facets and differences between the twain worlds, wi th religion and love story only as undertones.However, a closer look would reveal that that so much of religious beliefs and subjects are embedded in the story. The movie opens with a funeral, emphasizing the Amish funeral rites. A person who has not seen the movie nor has any idea of what the movie was about would mistake the movie for a sixteenth century epic. Only later in the pipe station horizon would the viewer have an idea that the story was set in the 20th century.The juxtapose modern-dressed passengers to that of the Amish mother and son emphasized the remoteness of the two cultures civilization, the Amish seemingly locked in a time space that was the 16th century. The Amish culture and religious practices were clearly place in the film. Their struggle for plainness, of simple living was progressed in the story. There was the mens usual trousers and coat with hooks and eyes rather than buttons, the barbate men with shaved upper lips, women dressing the same way with re ligious caps-these were how the distinctive Amish looked like.The Amish dressed the same way, believing that dressing the way they do maintains their plainness, the Amish channelise principle in their way of life. As the movie progresses, images of horse-driven chariots, the farming activities, the Pennsylvanian German language, the typical Amish houses made of wood with no electricity and television, the barnyards and the corn stocks, the horse-driven farm machines, the piddle-driven water supply are made evident and persistent in the Amish community.This is how the Amish community looked like and depicted the manner they survived and subsisted while living a wayward life amongst 20th century modernity on its outskirts. The Amish lived a peaceful, contented life in a well-knit community where everyone knew each other and everyone was willing to give a hand. The religious themes were clearly drawn as well. The ordnance played an important signification of the Amish-way versus th at of the English. To the Amish, the gun was a symbol of immorality.Focus was had in this facet such that when Samuel sees Books gun, Rachel and Eli (Samuels grandfather played by Jan Rubes) react in a rather hostile manner Rachel tells Book that if he should stay he should respect the Amish ways, and Eli renders a heart-to-heart talk with Samuel telling him that guns are for the taking of life and outsiders who contend that killing is necessary do not consider the alternatives and that by being violent, he becomes one of them referring to the killers in the subway station.Although Book respects their views, he does not necessarily succumb to it. He believed that his gun was necessary to protect himself and others against bad people. The Amish were peaceful people. They do not fall for mans vices such as hatred and violence. In a scene where an Amish group was being bullied by a group of Englishmen, they were seen unyielding to anger and retaliation, a reaction normal to an English such as Book, an offense he would not let pass. Even jealousy (between Book and another Amish man attracted to Rachel) was not an issue.The film effectively showed the Amish peoples devotion to how they believe idol wants them to live their lives. Modern life, as reflected by Book, on the other hand, portrayed loneliness, remoteness and complexity. In a man-eat-man world, Book was a reflection of a typical culture way beyond the Amish ideology. In one frame, one killer policeman was seen washing his hands after killing his victim in the subway bathroom. Relevant to Catholic religion, the washing of the hand signified an attempt to cleanse oneself of sins. This was an irony in the film.