Hollywood Theology: The Commodification of Religion in Twentieth-Century Films

A motion picture is a product formed by the intricate inter-play of film industry forces and cultural expectations. Hollywood must attract audiences and audiences crave gratification or, perhaps, edification. Movies with religious themes can deal with momentous issues, but take the risk of affrontin...

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Détails bibliographiques
Auteur principal: Smith, Jeffery Alan (Auteur)
Type de support: Électronique Article
Langue:Anglais
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Publié: Cambridge University Press 2001
Dans: Religion and American culture
Année: 2001, Volume: 11, Numéro: 2, Pages: 191-231
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Résumé:A motion picture is a product formed by the intricate inter-play of film industry forces and cultural expectations. Hollywood must attract audiences and audiences crave gratification or, perhaps, edification. Movies with religious themes can deal with momentous issues, but take the risk of affronting deeply held beliefs. Problems naturally arise when matters as sensitive and speculative as the activity of the Creator and the role of the created become entertainment marketed to mass audiences. Technicolor scenery, special effects, celebrity actors, spiced-up scripts, and other big-screen production values may seem disrespectful or may divert attention away from serious reflection. Critics of consumer society have pointed to the manipulation, superficiality, and commercialization found in mass media environments and film scholars have evaluated movies with religious topics, but questions remain about cinematic treatments of ultimate meaning. The motion picture industry's customers have a multitude of spiritual perspectives.
ISSN:1533-8568
Contient:Enthalten in: Religion and American culture
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1525/rac.2001.11.2.191