horror movies
Last night, I saw the movie Pulse, and like most things, it has put me in a reflective mood. There were many things I noticed about the movie, for example, there was a lot of sound that falls outside the typical range of the human voice, and the colors used were heavy in the greens, which made for an eerie surreal experience. So, there was quite a lot in the making of the movie that on a sense level just leaves the viewer feeling uncomfortable.
So, taken outside the comfort zone, there were these demonic "ghosts" that would eat people's souls, leaving them without the will to live. Toward the end of the movie, the protagonist was in the process of being totally consumed by the demonic ghost thing, and as she was being consumed, it shot to a picture of her being grabbed at by thousands of hands. This was a striking visual image that would be an accurate picture of Hell. At another point in the movie, someone said, "They [the ghosts] are seeking the one thing they don't have... Life." Again, an accurate description of Hell, which is eternal death.
This movie touches on the deepest fear in the human person, desiring life and not having it.
Now, on to the thinking I did in regard to the movie. Fear is a strong motivator, and touching on the deepest fear is an even deeper motivator. As I see it, the movie can do several things, none of them good. It can provoke a mentality of "there is no such thing as demons", which is really dangerous, because disregarding the existence of demons just gives them that much more room to operate. If the person watching accepts that demons exist, it can provoke a mentality of despair, that the demons are just too powerful. Now, the antidote to despair is to recognize that through the power of faith in Christ and by invoking the name of Christ, demons can be cast out. There is a pitfall in that as well, where one can think that it is their doing and not God's that gives safety from evil influences, but this is pride.
Ultimately, the only way out is through a faith that God's love is bigger than everything else. I know that the weakest demon is far more powerful than I am, but I have faith that the love of God has given me the protection I need to avoid the deepest fear of my soul.
Sadly, the movie showed the horrible without showing anything that would lead a viewer to see the redemption that is possible. Sure, its just a movie, but it is touching on things and making reference to things that are bigger than movies. The movie shows darkness and says "start running backwards" but one can't run backwards from darkness and hope to find light. The only way to find the light is to see the light and run straight for it, keeping one's eyes on the light in love.
So, taken outside the comfort zone, there were these demonic "ghosts" that would eat people's souls, leaving them without the will to live. Toward the end of the movie, the protagonist was in the process of being totally consumed by the demonic ghost thing, and as she was being consumed, it shot to a picture of her being grabbed at by thousands of hands. This was a striking visual image that would be an accurate picture of Hell. At another point in the movie, someone said, "They [the ghosts] are seeking the one thing they don't have... Life." Again, an accurate description of Hell, which is eternal death.
This movie touches on the deepest fear in the human person, desiring life and not having it.
Now, on to the thinking I did in regard to the movie. Fear is a strong motivator, and touching on the deepest fear is an even deeper motivator. As I see it, the movie can do several things, none of them good. It can provoke a mentality of "there is no such thing as demons", which is really dangerous, because disregarding the existence of demons just gives them that much more room to operate. If the person watching accepts that demons exist, it can provoke a mentality of despair, that the demons are just too powerful. Now, the antidote to despair is to recognize that through the power of faith in Christ and by invoking the name of Christ, demons can be cast out. There is a pitfall in that as well, where one can think that it is their doing and not God's that gives safety from evil influences, but this is pride.
Ultimately, the only way out is through a faith that God's love is bigger than everything else. I know that the weakest demon is far more powerful than I am, but I have faith that the love of God has given me the protection I need to avoid the deepest fear of my soul.
Sadly, the movie showed the horrible without showing anything that would lead a viewer to see the redemption that is possible. Sure, its just a movie, but it is touching on things and making reference to things that are bigger than movies. The movie shows darkness and says "start running backwards" but one can't run backwards from darkness and hope to find light. The only way to find the light is to see the light and run straight for it, keeping one's eyes on the light in love.