The falling industry of Christian films
Why are so many Christian movies awful?
April 2, 2008
Jonah Love
The modern Christian film industry is plagued by such sub par productions as the Left Behind films, Revelation, Judgment and Waterproof. I do not mean to say that every film ever produced under a Christian production company is poorly made, but the vast majority of them have some of the lowest production quality that I have ever seen in films.
So what makes Christian cinema often times the butt of jokes rather than the topic of conversation? The argument that Christian films aren’t as widely funded as mainstream films is a particularly weak argument; this is due to the fact that many excellent films have been made on shoe-string budgets. Take Kevin Smith for example; he was able to craft one of the biggest cult followings in the last decade on a total budget of around two million dollars, namely, the film Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001). Left Behind (2000), on the other hand, had a budget of $17.4 million dollars, more than enough money to make a film of substance.
Content and plot are two key elements that many Christian films lack due to what seems like a narrow-minded focus on eschatological themes as the only suitable topic for screen adaptation. I pose a question in response to this phenomenon: Why can’t Christian produced films be about Biblical themes and not excessively about Biblical narratives? Many “secular” films exemplify the human condition and carry more Biblical themes than any Christian produced film could ever hope to achieve.
Schindler’s List is one film that always stands out as one of the most poignant and moving films ever produced. The contrast between good and evil shows to a great extent both the beauty in the human race and the astounding evil it is capable of. Another well-produced film is The Passion of the Christ, which is a prime example of how a film based around Christianity can be made and still have an effect on people.
Why are secular films so superior to Christian produced movies? In this writer’s opinion it has to do extensively with enjoying the material. How many screenwriters really enjoy writing a movie about the end times or about a small Christian family living out in the wilderness? Not many. Films that carry weight and mean something are often written by those who truly have a passion for the material. Mel Gibson, in making The Passion of the Christ, was wholeheartedly devoted to the material and wasn’t willing to compromise and tell a watered down version of Jesus’ last days.
Is there hope for Christian produced films? I’d like to think so, however, it is going to take a massive paradigm shift in order for these films to receive more than a passing glance. The Christian film industry needs to recognize that Christians don’t want to see poor reiterations of the same story. Most Christians see “secularized” movies and so they know what a good film looks like. The Christian industry needs to recognize that Christians are intelligent consumers, and expand beyond simple feel-good stories and end-times “thrillers” to tell stories that are actually worth telling, stories that mean something.
Now you go...
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