What's your favorite "religious" movie?

[progressoid]

I know, I could get a wider range of responses from some other group, but I figure that here they would be more to my liking.

Top of my list would have to be "Life of Brian" but I think a close second would be "The Ruling Class".

If I were to pick one that doesn't blatantly poke fun at religion, I kinda liked Wim Wenders' "Wings of Desire". But how often can you watch that? "Life of Brian" has staying power!



Some things in life are bad
They can really make you mad
Other things just make you swear and curse.
When you're chewing on life's gristle
Don't grumble, give a whistle
And this'll help things turn out for the best...

And...always look on the bright side of life...
Always look on the light side of life...

If life seems jolly rotten
There's something you've forgotten
And that's to laugh and smile and dance and sing.
When you're feeling in the dumps
Don't be silly chumps
Just purse your lips and whistle - that's the thing.

And...always look on the bright side of life...
Always look on the light side of life...

For life is quite absurd
And death's the final word
You must always face the curtain with a bow.
Forget about your sin - give the audience a grin
Enjoy it - it's your last chance anyhow.

So always look on the bright side of death
Just before you draw your terminal breath

Life's a piece of shit
When you look at it
Life's a laugh and death's a joke, it's true.
You'll see it's all a show
Keep 'em laughing as you go
Just remember that the last laugh is on you.

And always look on the bright side of life...
Always look on the right side of life...
(Come on guys, cheer up!)
Always look on the bright side of life...
Always look on the bright side of life...
(Worse things happen at sea, you know.)
Always look on the bright side of life...
(I mean - what have you got to lose?)
(You know, you come from nothing - you're going back to nothing.
What have you lost? Nothing!)
Always look on the right side of life...

[trotsky]

1. "Life of Brian" kicks ass.

All right, but apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, a fresh water system, and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?

Religious satire & political satire all rolled into one, it's just a great movie. I wouldn't exactly categorize it as a "religious" movie, but it's one of my favorites.

[progressoid]

3. True - Perhaps, movies with a religious angle, not simply religious

[Az]

2. Jesus Christ Superstar

Its odd that so many believers think its a positive review of their religion.

[trotsky]

4. It's not?

Hmmm, I was not aware of that. I might need to check that out!

[lazarus]

9. It's one of my favourite musicals

A vicious denouncement of modern Christianity, imo.

[BlueHandDuo]

16. My favorite, too...

...a gripping human story with fantastic musical numbers -- who could ask for more?

It just confused my mother, though, when we watched it on TV together. "Why are there airplanes?" she wanted to know.

Because it's a SHOW, Mom! See, they're building the sets!

[immoderate]

5. Leap of Faith

Steve Martin plays a faith healer. The statue of Jesus on the Cross they schlep around in their tent show makes you laugh every time.

--IMM

[progressoid]

7. I haven't seen it - will have to rent it.

[Kolesar]

12. "Leap of Faith " kind-of makes fun of religion

I loved that movie for the gospel music they sang during the scenes when they were erecting the circus tent. Steve Martin did a lot of great movies. I recommend LA Story.

[fshrink]

6. Yep! Time Bandits is not bad either.

Less religious, but god as a 3-piece silk suit wearer with a british accent in the middle of huge Lego parts is tons of fun. Terry Gilliam again.

[NightTrain]

8. Martin Scorsese's THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST.

Not only because the film pissed off the fundies--who, of course, never bothered to see it--but also because I liked how it portrayed Jesus Christ--as a long-haired hippie outcast who vocally opposed his era's version of the neo-cons. Watching this film was the only time in my life that I felt any sort of a personal connection to Jesus.

[BlueEyedSon]

10. I'll second LToC.... nt

[Kolesar]

13. He makes the best fucking films

Martin Scorsese

He makes the best fucking films (x2)
If I ever meet him I'm gonna grab his fuckin' neck and just shake him
And say thank you thank you for makin' such excellent fuckin' movies
Then I'd twist his nose all the way the fuck around
And the rip off one of his ears and throw it
Like a like a like a fuckin' frisbee
I wanna chew his fuckin' lips off and grab his head and suck out one of his
eyes and chew on it and spit it out in his face
And thank you thank you for all of your fuckin' films
Then I'd pick him up by the hair swing him over my head a few times
And throw him across the room and kick all his fuckin' teeth in and then
stomp on his face 40 or 50 times
Cuz he makes the best fucking films he makes the best fucking films
I've ever seen in my life
I fuckin love him
I fuckin love him

--King Missile

[Modem Butterfly]

15. I always liked the idea of a human Christ

Who on earth could relate to a demi-God just killing time on earth by playing at being human?

[lapislzi]

11. Leap of Faith with Steve Martin

and The Apostle.

Fascinating studies of faith, both.

[lazarus]

14. Black Robe

older film, about Jesuit missionaries in Canada back in the 16th century.

It's everything Cha-Chas with Coyotes, I mean, Dances with Wolves was supposed to be. An actual good film about relations between Europeans and aboriginal Americans.

[progressoid]

22. thanks, gonna be looking for those soon!

[JNelson6563]

17. Dogma

heh :headbang:

[opiate69]

21. Another vote for Dogma.

[gottaB]

18. I've watched "Wings of Desire" many times

Though I tend to view it as political allegory and love story more than religious tale. I guess it's pretty metaphyical.

I like Kieslowski's Three Colors which some people regard as essentially religious. There's some debate as to whether Kieslowski was agnostic, Christian, Catholic, or some other kind of spiritualist. He's definitely a humanist. His films are steeped in religious symbolism and themes. I like all the Kieslowski films that I've seen, but I haven't seen his Decalogue.

The Scent of Green Papaya is a deeply religious film, but also a political allegory. Tran's Cylco is also deeply religious, imo, though most critics have viewed it as gritty realism or at best poetic--which it is.

[onager]

19. "And God Spoke..."

With Soupy Sales as Moses, Eve "Jan Brady" Plumb as Mrs. Noah, and Lou Ferrigno as Cain!

No, I'm not making this up.

"And God Spoke..." is a hilarious Ultra-Lo-Budget flick about 2 hambones trying to make a movie of the Bible. (Or Buy-Bull...)

"And just what will that angel's screen credit be? 'Angel Who Blew The Producer To Get Her SAG Card?'"

Another fave: BlackAdder Christmas Carol

"Oh, tell us a Christmas story! But not that boring one about the fellow who's born on Christmas Day...goes around shooting off his mouth about everything under the sun...and finally comes a cropper hanging between the two rumcoves in Jolly Arab-Land."

"You mean...Jesus?"

"Yes, him! Just leave him out of it! Totally spoils the X-mas at-mos!"

[Kolesar]

20. Marty Feldman's "In God We Trust" from ~20 years ago

He is a sheltered monk who must venture into the modern Babylon that is Los Angeles to secure a grant to keep the monastery going.

The library copy somehow disappeared and is unavailable. I have googled it and found used copies of tapes.

[progressoid]

23. Thanks, that's another one on my list.

[BlueJazz]

24. I liked "The Rapture"

...especially at the end when the lead character (Rogers) tells God (in so many words) to go Fuck himself.

[PassingFair]

25. The Ruling Class

Peter O'Toole thinks he's Jesus. Delightful British movie.