younger tend to feel that they are "informed" about subject A because they've seen a movie (not documentary) about subject A. Case in point, and to illustrate my culpability along these lines: I would say that 90% of what I know about the Cuban Missile Crisis comes from my viewing of the film Thirteen Days (an excellent film, by the way).Now, to a certain extent, I suppose this is grounded: filmmakers are often known to go out of their way to portray reality, especially when dealing with an historical topic. Remember, for instance, the testimonies of WWII veterans after the release of Saving Private Ryan? They said the portrayal of the landing at the beaches of Normandy was as realistic as anything they had seen put to celluloid.
What worries me, though, is that my, and subsequent, generations are being lulled into an attitude of regarding film as above reproach when it comes to information. "I saw a
movie about it" becomes an acceptable answer in stating one's authority. Quite clearly, the danger of adopting this stance toward film is profound: we unquestionably accept the words (and more notably, for my generation: the images) of MGM, WB, the producers, the directors, etc. as revelatory, even as truth. Consider the stir caused by The Da Vinci Code, albeit more from the novel than from the movie. Isn't it frightening that the platforms of fiction writing and film producing...each being largely profit-driven enterprises...are not susceptible to more scrutiny?On the
other hand, our grand suspicion is exercised much more freely upon institutions that are allegedly designed to be committed to accuracy. Coming readily to mind, of course, is the Church. In addition to being a self-understood purveyor of truth, the Church also has the charge to be humble, and to admit freely its wrongdoings and error. Yet the unchurched of this generation has decidedly gone to regarding the Church with suspicion--at best--to all-out rejection.So, what are we to say? Although a comprehensive solution is not easily crafted, it behoves us to utilize rightly some of the suspicion granted us by postmodernity, and to assess the influences behind the presentation (be it film, TV, newspapers, novels, Church, etc.): to read the message behind the message. But then, we must not believe we are then bound to reject
all portrayals and reports as completely false and erroneous and not worthy of our trust. In so doing, we become a people paralyzed in trust, and trust untried is trust that becomes weak, and more readily susceptible to being led astray. Instead, let us exercise trust, faith, and hope extravagantly, using them as the gifts of God that they are. But let us do so wisely, understanding that in as much as our sources may be flawed, so are we.
Posts
