“2001: A Space Odyssey”, directed by Stanley Kubrick in 1968, can be thought of as one of the quintessential science fiction movies. It defiantly falls within the classification of being a classic thanks to the fantastic aspects done by Mr. Kubrick in the movie. The first aspect that makes 2001 a classic is a fantastic score that was used. The second and final aspect is the creation of the iconic villain HAL-9000. It is these reasons that “2001: A Space Odyssey” is a classic film.

The musical score of 2001 makes the movie a wonderful experience for the viewer even to this day. One of the first bits of iconic music comes from the scene where a monkey figures out how to use tools. This musical piece is called “Also Sprach Zarathustra” composed by Richard Strauss. The music builds up the scene as the monkey’s accomplishment is felt with full force. The advancement of intellect in the creature is made more effective thanks to the scores great building cords.

The points of calm and suspense is another example of how the score adds so much to the experience. In the scenes where we see a space station the score reflects a calm atmosphere and a happiness because we are in space and it is a fantastic thing. Seeing the advancement of humanity to that level would leave anyone in a state of wonder. But this feeling is then countered by the suspenseful moments in the film.

There a couple of scenes that show a black monolith that has an important effect on the plot. But whenever the monolith is on the screen the score adds to the mystery of what the monolith is and what it means. The added choir to the score helps by making a viewer feel that this moment is important but also that can be dangerous and should be handled with caution. Now with the music set, let’s look at a very intimidating villain.

HAL-9000 isn’t a typical villain by the standard concept. He isn’t evil or bad necessarily, but he doesn’t have to be. HAL is a computer that the characters use to help on their space journey. But when they start to think that HAL is up to something, HAL decides to fight back.

What makes HAL so intimating as a villain is that he is misleading and cold. He was made to imitate how the human brain works in the movie and that makes him so dangerous. He can understand how humans think and can counter the astronaut’s efforts to stop him. HAL-9000 is one of the first evil computer/robot villains found in cinema today and thanks to the creation of this character many other scary computer villains have been created.

Christians in the world today know that there are plants and stars far off into space. They know that there is a vast galaxy beyond our atmosphere and that idea can be intimating. The advancement of science reviles more and more about the world that God has created, and that expansiveness is a scary thing. Some Christians may worry that with more things being discovered that science could take people away from the faith.

“2001: A Space Odyssey” is a narrative imagination of what could be out there in the blackness of space. But Christians need to remember, God has given us this world and the entire galaxy to show his amazing power. Everything that can be found out among the starts is thanks to God. Christians need to see that it isn’t a bad thing to discover the majesty of God’s work. Instead, Christians need to be ready to discover these things themselves and to praise God all the while. We live in God world and he loved us enough to give it to us. We should embrace the world we have and continue to love God.

“Blade Runner” (1982), directed by Ridley Scott, has been heralded as “The Quintessential Syfy Movie”. It is one of the movies most people think of when they start talking about science fiction. The movie has been such a success that it got a sequel, “Blade Runner 2049” made thirty-six years later.

“Blade Runner” has won multiple awards and it is not hard to why the movie is considered a classic. The movie has a couple of particular parts that make truly stick out as it’s classic qualifications. The setting and the theme of life that the movie plays with are what shall be observed today.

The world of “Blade Runner” is one of the most iconic settings of all time. Massive city structures with bright neon to light the dark world of the future. Where language has started to smash together and cultural boundaries have been erased. It is a dark world, but this is the setting for the story. This world of “Blade Runner” is the world that other Syfy movies try to live up too.

They try so hard to emulate what Ridley Scott did in this movie and no one has successfully imitated it. Movies like “The Fifth Element” and “The Matrix” are just a couple of movies that have been influenced by “Blade Runner” and there will no doubt be more in the future that will draw from this well of inspiration. And with a world such as this, the themes play a big role in its creation.

The theme of life is an interesting idea for this movie. “Blade Runner”’s main conflict comes in form of synthetic humans called Replicants that cause problems on earth. However, the replicants aren’t after the total destruction of humanity. But rather they just want to live longer than their predetermined four-year warranty. They want to live as they want because they are given memories so they can do their jobs better, jobs as slaves.

We see throughout the movie that the people living on earth don’t seem to enjoy life. They just go about their lives and do things that can be taken for granted. But for these replicants, they want life more than the humans most of the time. They live in fear of an approaching death and a master who can kill them swiftly. The life that the replicants live is a hard and short one but they try to live it better than others in the film.

For a Christian watching, “Blade Runner” shows a world where humans have played God and because of that, they reap the crop they sowed. Today science advances for the convenience of humanity and the discovery of the world we live in. Some may think that religion and science are conflicting ideas and that they can never work together. But “Blade Runner” can show what happens when there is no religion to check the science.

If the world doesn’t hold itself to a moral line, then we create thinking beings to be slaves for us again. And if there is no science to check religion, then we may develop a cult mentality that hurts people who don’t agree. “Blade Runner” shows the religion not checking science part, but we see the danger that can lead to. Christians should not be scared and shun science. We need to welcome science to explain the world God has left us. And then we need to be there to be there if science becomes blind to the harmful effects it could bring. Science and religion can work together to make the world better.

 

Dracula (1931) was directed by Tod Browning and starred Bela Lugosi as the titular character. The movie is based on the iconic novel Dracula written by Bram Stocker. It follows the actions of Dracula as he feeds on the blood of England’s people. Some people might believe that this movie deserves the label of classic because it is based on the famous literary novel, but there are other important reasons.

The movie does do an amazing job at staying very close to the original source material. The movie is in black and white and this adds even more to the suspense and atmosphere. And the performance of Bela Lugosi truly makes the character of Dracula come alive. These are the true factors that make Dracula a classic movie.

I have only read Dracula once in my life. It was a good read even though it was told in a journal entry style. After viewing the movie Dracula, I could help but be reminded of the book. Details for the book rushed back as I was seeing the story unfold before my eyes. The creepy way Dracula’s wives slowly approach an unconscious Renfield or how Dracula himself makes people do what he wants with just a look of his eyes. The story is fantastically represented in this movie. Nearly every important scene can be seen and people are able to understand the premise of the book as well. A classic book now as a classic movie.

Dracula is filmed in black and white, which is perfect for it. The black in scenes help to conceal parts from the audience makes the film creepier. When we see Dracula in bat form it’s harder to see. Viewers can’t tell how big it is or how far away it might be. This adds to the suspense as Dracula closes in on his prey.

There are also great moments where the white it makes the movie too. When there is a close up on Dracula’s face, for instance. We can see all the lines on his face and as he stares at his prey you cannot help but have a chill run up your spine. We watch as a predator plays and manipulates his prey, very creepy.

Finally, there is Bela Lugosi’s performance as Dracula. Lugosi does one of the creepiest portals of Dracula that still has the swagger and charm from the book. He talks with confidence and purpose always looking at who he speaking too. The way he looks in his scenes where he feeds on people is all the more fear-inducing when because he says nothing.

Instead of relying on dialogue, Lugosi shows is just how menacing Dracula can be. Lugosi shows how well an actor he can be in this film. He portrayal of this classic character makes a viewer look for or at him in every scene, trying to figure out he is doing. The performance adds so much to the movie and helps to cement the idea of a classic for this movie.

Christians do not put much stock into the supernatural world other than what God does. Yet we see throughout the movie and in the legend of vampires that crucifixes and Christian symbols are used as wards against vampires and their ilk. Even in fiction, the power of Christ is ever important. Christians were given the power to expel demons and heal people during the times of Peter and Paul. While that power is no longer seen to that degree today, we still see the power of God all around us in how Christians treat and help others. There may not be any vampire that we can vanquish, but there are still those that we can empower and help near and now.

“Psycho” was made in 1960 by famous director Alfred Hitchcock. The story portrays a young woman, named Lila Crane who, after stealing $40,000, ends up staying at a small motel off the main road. This motel is run by a man named Norman Bates and while staying there, Miss Crane is killed. This movie has been called a classic by everyone and their mother. As I watched the movie for the first time, I looked to see what made it so great. I found that the way this movie makes its audience feel, through the musical score and the cinematography, is the reason this movie is viewed as a classic. “Psycho” also made me wonder about how Christians deal with the violence in the world right now.

Music is an important piece of any movies story telling. I think the main point of having a musical score in a movie is to make the audience feel a certain emotion while watching a scene. Hitchcock did a fantastic job at making his audience feel fear and suspense in “Psycho”. A perfect example is in the scene where Lila Crane is killed. The character is in the shower and there is no music, just the sounds of the scene. Then a dark figure slowly comes up behind Miss Crane with still no score building the anticipation. But then the figure rips back the shower curtain and the score shoots up with a high pitched screech of a violin that shocks the audience just as much as it shocks Miss Crane as she is stabbed repeatedly by the figure. This music is now a cultural icon of cinema and it has stood the test of time. The musical score of “Psycho” has helped to make this movie feel like the classic it is today.

The cinematography is another major staple of this classic film. One of the best first shots of the movie is a scene with a conversation between Norman Bates and Lila Crane. As they talk you get this very uncomfortable feeling as Norman talks about how his life with his mother. The way Hitchcock focused and held on Norman makes the audience focus on the way Norman tells his story. The scene gets under your skin and foreshadows more uncomfortableness to come.

One of two other important shots is the ultra-close upshot of Miss Crane’s eye after she falls over dead in the shower. Again, Hitchcock holds on this shot after the horror that the audience just saw. This makes the feeling that this scene causes sink even deeper and stays with the viewer through the rest of the movie. The other significant shot is the where Hitchcock holds, again, on Norman at the end of the movie after we learn that the second personality in his mind has taken over. The smile that actor Anthony Perkins gives in this shot is bone-chilling and leaves the audience with the fear of what this person, this psycho will do next.

“Psycho” is an American classic that is a household name. But this movie raises some questions on violence in this world. The movie also made me ask myself, as a Christian, “How should we deal with this?” Christians are told to be peacemakers and to help others. But this world can be violent and dangerous, so Christians need to be ready to protect themselves and others. We need to be able to keep ourselves safe in order to continue to spread the word of God to others. Christians need to be strong and ready in case they run into a Norman Bates in the real world.

“Bridge of Spies”, a 2015 motion picture directed by Steven Spielberg, may not show up on any major list of classic movies, but it should be. This movie tells a true story about America’s history, but this is not a reason for classic status. This movie is a classic because of how accurate it was with its story, how well it captured the fear and mistrust of that era and the amazing job of the actors who portrayed their roles. But this story also has a lesson for Christians that can and should be shared with everyone.

“Bridge of Spies” is based on the actual events during the Cold War. The film goes over the discovery of a spy from the USSR and how the US deals with him in the country. The director, Steven Spielberg, did an excellent job of telling the story to his greatest accuracy. I have found that many people agree that Spielberg did a great job at keeping to the actual story as much as possible. Even the CIA confirms many of the points made in the movie were indeed accurate. Even though there are a couple of inaccurate scenes, they are only used to increase the tension and suspense of the movie. This movie keeps to that story better than many other historical retellings in cinema.

The movie does a great job at tackling the raw emotions of the Cold War time period. We see the characters deal with the fear and suspicions of this uncertain time. The main characters of the story are Rudolf Abel, played by Mark Rylance, and James B. Donovan, played by Tom Hanks. Abel is the Russian spy who is captured by the authorities at the beginning of the film while Donovan is the defense lawyer who is assigned, begrudgingly, to defend him.

The portrayal of these real-life people is astounding, to say the least. Hanks as Donovan shows how he is a man trying to do the right thing while having to deal with hatred and fear of the man he had been told to defend. Rylance as Abel displays a man who is doing his job for his country and is strong enough in his beliefs and convictions that he shows that the enemy is a dedicated human as well. And the extras that help sell the mob mentality against the idea of the USSR is done great too as they are shown turning against Donovan just for doing his job. This movie’s emotional portrayal is a marvel to watch.

Underneath the historical accuracy and the emotional performance, we can find a message for not only Christians but for everyone. Humans mistrust each other all the time. Whether they are in another country or in their own neighborhood, people will think the worst of others for any kind of differences and decide to brand them as their enemy. We see it today too.  From politics to sports teams, people choose to not trust one another. This idea is dangerous because if we let this mistrust hurt us as people, then we will never be able to as Christians to embrace these other people in the love of Christ. God calls us to make brothers and sisters with all kinds of people. God wants the people who have done wrong and the ones who have done right. We as Christian need to look at the message of a “Bridge of Spies” and find that our enemies are people that God loves too. “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.” Luke 6: 27.

“Citizen Kane” is considered one of the greatest classics of American Cinema. The picture was directed by Orson Welles, (who also starred) one of the most famous directors of all time. Several websites I have found like “Business Insider” and “IMDB” hold “Citizen Kane” as one of the best classic movies. I watched the movie myself and wondered, ‘What is so great that people think it’s that good?’ What makes “Citizen Kane” a classic? Is it the characters, the themes, and or plot structure that makes this movie a classic? What affects does this movie and its message have on a Christian’s lifestyle?

The titular character of Charles Kane is a reason that this movie is considered a classic. Kane’s character journey has something that every viewer can relate too. But Kane’s faults are the most relatable for any audience. From his pride, as he never backs down to whomever he faces, to his greed and not just of money or things, but also of his greed of what Kane believes is respect from other people. Kane’s character is written so well that it draws in a viewer to look at them self and makes them think about what they would do in Kane’s position.

The idea of the “American Dream” is Citizen Kane’s most important theme. Kane grows up in a poor family and then rises to a position of great wealth and stature. This sequence of events is an idea that several people dream about having, but Citizen Kane does a great job at flipping that dream on its head. The movie takes the American dream and shows how it doesn’t always work out. Kane tries to have everything he thinks will make him happy, fame, wealth, power, but nothing makes him happy. The story reveals that he was happier when he was poor. This idea can change someone’s mind and that will stand for a long time.

The plot structure to Citizen Kane is very unique. The narrative starts with Kane’s passing and then his story is told through interviews and documents. We see how people felt about him and saw what kind of man he was, but not in a present setting. This reporting style storytelling is interesting for the audience as we start to try and uncover the mystery of the man ourselves. The way this plot is told gives that movie a feeling that is wholly it’s own which can never be duplicated.

Now, what does this movie mean for a Christian? The major message for Christians could be a cautionary tale about greed. Kane gains vast wealth at a young age and through his life he collects more and more things. In the end, Kane realizes that all these things have not brought him happiness. Christians know that money does not make them happy, but several Christians are still worried about the monetary issues of this world. Christians aren’t the only ones who worry about their finical situation. Everyone worries about how they might live without enough money. But many time people let money consume their very lives and it leads them down to misery, like with Charles Kane. This movie can serve as an example of how wealth can be a means that can destroy one’s life just as much as it can help. Citizen Kane can help Christians to see that money isn’t what can better their life, but instead, a simple life can be just as fulfilling and better for your soul.

Who am I?

I, William J. Arbuckle II, am a senior at Oklahoma Christian University (OC). I am taking a particular class available in the fall semester known as History of Photography and Motion Pictures. In this class, I am required to watch several movies that span different times and different genres of film. I decided to take this class because I love to watch movies and see the many types of stories there are to be told.

What is this Blog about?

The blog that I will be writing movie reviews of the films that are required for the History of Photography and Motion Pictures class. I choose to write this kind of blog because I am currently taking the class so you and I will be moving through the experience of these movies together. This blog is also here to help you with some understanding of the movies they will be watching if they too decide to take this course.

If you hang with me, what can you expect?

This blog series is going to be taking me and you down a road where we will look at certain movies that can have or can be seen as classics for whatever reason. The main purpose of this blog is to look and see what makes the movies that I will be watching qualified to be classics while also looking at what effect that they movies can have on a Christians walk with God. It could have a positive message or be harmful to one faith and that is what I will be looking for in watching these movies. The ultimate goal of this blog is to learn more about how significant movie in history can affect people and more specifically Christians.

What do I recommend?

A good website that you should also check out should be IMDB where you can find all kinds of information about all the movies that I will be talking about. Another place that might interest you would be Jim Daly’s Blog Daly Focus, particularly the one post about “50 Films Every Christian Should See”. Finally, you might also want to check out would be the website “Crosswalk.com” for those who are younger for their suggestions for movies that they think would be good for you.

What’s coming up?

September 15th    Citizen Kane and the Fault of Greed with Christians

September 30th     Bridge of Spies and Fragile Trust that Christians Deal With

October 15th         Psycho and Christians in a world with Violence

October 30th         Christians vs. Dracula: Mythology in the Modern Day

November 15th     Blade Runner: How Scientific Advancements affect Christianity

December 1st,      2001 A Space Odyssey: Viewing Christianity in a vast Universe