The Screen and the Mirror

Movies are inspirational. They give us heroes that we can look up to and model ourselves after. They make us want to be better people, and they show us how to do that. Or do they? The truth is, when we always identify ourselves with the heroes, we run the risk of identifying our opponents with the villains. We're the ones who fight for truth and stand up for the dispossessed. And then we start thinking of ourselves as the good guys in every situation . . . a far cry from how the Bible teaches us to think of ourselves, as sinners in desperate need of redemption by God's grace. Maybe the inspirational model, though it has its good points, isn't always such a helpful way to view great films and great art in general. Can we learn to watch and think of films in a different way--a humbler way that seeks to learn something about ourselves from the faults and frailties of their characters? This book is an experiment in watching films this way--and a guide to how to take that approach from watching and thinking about films, to how we live our lives.