Using Movies to stimulate witnesses independent thinking

by Prins Vaillant 8 Replies latest jw friends

  • Prins Vaillant
    Prins Vaillant

    Today I have seen the movie ?Pleasantville?. Two young people get absorbed into a 50?s TV-soap. All is black and white. Sex is an unknown concept, everyone got along swell, and life was fairly easy. There even doesn?t exist rain. It is a sort of paradise-like situation. Everyone is playing their roles. Husbands get home from work: ?Hello honey, I?m home? and wifes prepare dinner. Everything repeats itself. No changes allowed.

    When we first see Pleasantville's citizens, all of them are colorless stereotypes. As they begin to open up and become real people, color seeps into their world. Maybe watching this kind of movies opens up the closed witnessmind. Maybe they see similarities with their borglike environment.

    Another great movie to give to our witness friends is The Virgin Suicides. In my opinion an eye-opener to see how rigid rules forced upon kids and youngsters leads to disaster. Can any witness miss the absence of freedom in their own households?

    And to end with... what about The Elephant Man (based on a true story)... A man with a serious facial deformation... used and abused by greedy men (showing him in freak shows, ...). Another one to rethink our ?Creator? and his so-called ?Perfect is his activity? (Deuteronomy 32:4)

    Freedom has a price. The world where we live in.

    Maybe you have other movie tips?

    Prins Vaillant

  • Prins Vaillant
    Prins Vaillant

    One poster says (on imdb): "It's just a retelling of the Adam and Eve creation myth. The 'black and white' people don't exist in dualistic reality - they are 'Garden of Eden' people - sinless and boring. Once creation starts, you get the dualism of 'good and evil', 'right and wrong', and the free will that goes along with options. Notice that the black and white people just do everything perfectly and without any deviation"

    Exactly my thoughts...

  • CoonDawg
    CoonDawg

    Granted, it's more geared to be a jab at catholicism, I love Kevin Smith's movie "Dogma" because it helps illustrate how people get so caught up in jumping through manmade hoops that they forget the reason why religion is supposed to be appealing. My JW wife even loves this movie. One of our favorite lines is that many "mourn their faith rather than celebrate it." Sure, it's irreverent and funny, but it's also thought provoking on a certain level. Of course not "good" JW's would go to see this R rated movie.

    I too, loved pleasantville. Thinking outside the box and stepping out of normalcy is what makes life colorful...not simply satisfying others expectations. The best scene is when the man comes home and says "And WHERE's my DINNER?"

    Ern

  • Narkissos
    Narkissos

    Movies have effectively brought valuable critical thinking to a much wider audience than philosophy books could ever reach. Think of Ingmar Bergman's films for instance. I saw The Communicants (not sure about the English title) when I was still very religious, and this was a shock to me. Recently I saw Kazan's East of Eden again, and I wonder if any JW watching it could miss the point about the Bible-thumpin' father using his faith to escape reality, including love.

    Unfortunately I guess the average JW or fundy mostly goes for fluff.

  • Badger
    Badger

    P'ville is Elsewhere's top choice...I also add Office Space. Anyone who has been a cog in the wheel of the WTS and wanted to get back at the man just a bit will understand.

  • Little Red Hen
    Little Red Hen

    Three of Jim Carey's movies seem to be thought provoking in an anti-cult way; The Truman Show, Bruce Almighty and The Cable Guy.

  • MungoBaobab
    MungoBaobab

    "Blade Runner" raises some religious issues as well, i.e. a creator's responsibility to his creatures. Few or no JWs would understand that the God of Genesis works against mankind, though.

  • avishai
    avishai

    Ironically, I first saw Blade Runner at a very cool. very "liberal" elders house when I was thirteen. I love that guy.

  • stillajwexelder
    stillajwexelder

    I watched Blade Runner with an elder when I was an elder at my house

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