The Wild Ones

The iconic French filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard once described cinema as "truth at 24 frames per second." It has been a long quest of mankind to seek what is this truth. Godard strongly believed he had found the truth in cinema, not knowing the answer came many centuries before the Lumière brothers set up the first motion picture. In John 14:6, Jesus tells his disciple Thomas that He is "the way, the truth, and the life." In other words, Jesus is truth. But we must not quickly discard Godard's theory. Indeed, movies are a powerful portrayal of what the filmmaker believes is true. After all, they have an uncanny way of providing joy, laughter, scares, and even tears to its audience, even though all it consists of is people (actors) pretending to be something or someone they are not. If Jesus is truth, then cinema must be Jesus at 24 frames per second. The question we must ask ourselves is: what role do we as revivalists play in all of this?

Many sometimes overlook the role of film as a powerful mind-molder in our society. Roger Ebert, long-time movie critic for the Chicago-Sun Times, describes two films that heavily influenced the way young men acted and were seen in pop culture. One of them is The Wild One, starring Marlon Brando as a motorcycle gang leader. The other is Nicholas Ray's Rebel Without a Cause, with James Dean in the lead role. Both Brando and Dean were were catalysts in a shift in the culture of the 1950's. As Mr. Ebert puts it, "[men] could be more feminine, sexier, more confused, more ambiguous." Both these films brought teenager angst into the light. For example, a product of this generation was a famous folk musician called Bob Dylan. Marlon Brando and James Dean empowered young people, molding a new culture in which they would not be left aside.

If movies such as The Wild One and Rebel Without a Cause brought new standards for young men in the fifties, we are more than called to bring newer standards for our society today. It all starts with the screenwriters and their amazing stories. Screenplays shouldn't necessarily be remakes of The Passion of the Christ or even have feel-good, explicitly Christian messages, such as Facing the Giants and Fireproof. Not that we should stop making these movies, but the world is looking for a different message and a different approach. Revivalists in the film industry should have a different perspective on the story we portray in our films. Pedro Almodóvar, Spanish director, is a strong believer in content (the story and message) over form (camera angles and special effects). I believe he is right. Movies loaded with special, computerized effects are very common, however movies with a really good story are very rare. Even more rare is a movie that carries Jesus. And we can totally make a good World War II movie and still convey the message of Jesus in it, even though it is not explicit. Schindler's List, for example, carries the message of compassion and mercy. Films have a way of messing with the audience's emotions, and it is our core values that should dictate how we portray a story.

Our core values shouldn't be limited to our personal lives, but they should also infiltrate and affect the atmosphere and others around us. American actor Tom Cruise is known for his strong beliefs in Christian Scientology, to the extent that he went all out on national television. He is not hiding his beliefs under the blanket of being politically correct (just ask Brooke Shields). I believe we need to have someone in Hollywood who is all out for Jesus. Someone influential who will not compromise his or her core values for the sake of making an extra buck or being politically correct. Someone who will sit on the chair next to David Letterman and, not only defend his stance, but have the talk show host saved. We need cameramen, gaffers, actors, and directors that will shift the atmosphere and create an amazing working environment on the movie sets. Hollywood is like a compass that points people to where they should go, and if we are able to point that compass towards Christ, huge changes will happen in our generation. Revival!

Godard was right; cinema is truth at 24 frames per second. However, the time of Brando and Dean is gone. It is our time! We are the Marlon Brandos and James Deans of our generation. It is a privilege and an honor to be living in times such as this. We will see revival in Hollywood!