The movie Kung Fu Panda 2 is a humorous DreamWorks production about a panda who, as the title suggests, practices Kung Fu. The worldview of Kung Fu Panda 2 is definitely Western Spiritualism, as we will see. As the sequel to Kung Fu Panda, it picks up the story after Po (the panda) has gone from a soup server to the Dragon Warrior of Kung Fu. But now there is a new nemesis abroad, an evil peacock warrior named Shen who is bent on ruling the empire using a new devastating weapon—a cannon! But Po must find his 'inner peace' before he will be able to defeat this enemy.

In the beginning of the movie, Po hears from his teacher Master Shifu that he needs to find his inner peace as the next step in his training. Master Shifu tells him that when he found his inner peace, he “was able to harness the flow of the universe.” This is similar to Western Spiritualism's idea that you can find the ability within yourself to enable you to ‘harness’ powers, or in this case be at one with the universe to such an extent that with eyes closed one can ‘know’ when a drop of water will fall and catch it. But Po the panda has trouble finding his inner peace because he’s an orphan, and it isn’t until he finds out that all of the pandas were killed years ago in an attempt to stop a fortune telling prophecy from coming true that he has the opportunity to find his inner peace. Once he moves past his grief and sorrow and comes to terms with this horrible news, he has inner peace and is one with the universe. This enables him to catch cannon balls and fling them back at the cannons—because he can harness the power and is one with it all.

The fortune-telling in itself is another way we see that the worldview here is Spiritualism. There is a seer throughout the movie who originally foretold Po’s coming as the dragon warrior, and who then uses a bowl of water to ‘scry’ the future. This is very much like certain spells used by Wicca and other Spiritualistic groups. Because of these factors (and more) we see that Kung Fu Panda 2 is definitely Spiritualistic.

—Ben

Everyone loves when the underdog wins. And the Sorcerer’s Apprentice uses this favorite ploy for this American movie to take Dave, a physics geek, to an amazing wizard who eventually wins over the beautiful girl toward whom he has had a crush on the third grade. Yet in this seemingly innocent story of good guy beat bad guy plot, Western Spiritualism permeates the film, leaving the viewer looking around for George Lucas.

Dave is a third grade boy who one day finds his way into an odds and ends shop in New York during a class field trip. He winds up meeting Belshazzar, who, unbeknownst to him, is a sorcerer. Belshazzar puts a ring on his finger, a ring that designates the Primermerlinian and unexpectedly it comes alive on Dave’s finger, designating him as Merlin’s descendent and the only one who can defeat Merlin’s archenemy Morgana.

Belshazzar, Hovarth, and Veronica were all apprentices to the late Merlin, who was killed by Morgana. And now Hovarth, who joined Morgana, and Veronica, have become trapped in grimhold, a doll, where all the Morganians (the enemies of Merlin) are kept. Dave accidently releases Hovarth from the doll and after an epic yet short lived battle the Belshazzar and Hovarth become trapped in an urn for 10 years. The grimhold disappears.

Ten years later Dave is now in college, teaching Physics class. Belshazzar is finally released and finds Dave to entreat him to help him find the grimhold, in which Belshazzar’s love Veronica is imprisoned. Hovarth is on the lookout as well for the doll and the rest of the movie becomes a fight between Hovarth and Belshazzar and Dave as Belshazzar trains Dave in the way of sorcery.

Several elements of Western Spiritualism are evident in the film. One is that Belshazzar become Dave’s master, somewhat similar to a Jedi Master taking on an apprentice. As Belshazzar trains Dave, they have a moment similar to Luke and Yoda in that Dave uses mind control to hold Belshazzar in a chair above the ground but upon losing concentration drops him to the floor, just as Luke does to Yoda in the swamp. In teaching Dave how to use spells, Belshazzar tells him that he must clear his mind. All of his spells must be performed in the Merlin circle because that is where his energy will be focused.

Of course viewers might initially think the training sequences are cool or exciting. But Disney uses a key scene to dispel any element of triviality. Hovarth is trying to get information about Dave at his college and uses a mind trick and a waving of the hand to get the front desk personal to tell him what he needs to know. Hovarth’s apprentice mocks him and quotes a line from Star Wars that references a similar use of the mind trick. With a few choice words and a withering look, the apprentice is made to look ridiculous because by Hovarth because he mocked the seemingly fake powers of his master. And Hovarth mocks his apprentice’s powers as an entertainer magician, distinguishing that what Hovarth is using is not fake like a magician we would think of a as a viewer.

In the end, Dave defeats Morgana, gets a new girlfriend, and essentially fulfills his potential by becoming the primerlinian just as Fate destined. The supernatural forces win the day, underscoring the movie’s affirmation of western spiritualism.

—Jennae

Tron: Legacy Director Joseph Kosinski was not shy about presenting pieces of both Christian and Buddhist worldviews in his recent movie Tron: Legacy. We see main characters being placed in very Christian roles, and throughout the script are a number of lines referring to Buddhism, among which are “You’re messing with my Zen thing, man,” and a reference to “knocking on the sky to listen to the sound.”

Over the course of the movie, Kevin Flynn (played by Buddhist actor Jeff Bridges) is called “the creator” by a good program and a “false deity” by his alter ego CLU (Codified Likeness Utility), a program who was created by Kevin “in his own image.” The description of CLU’s formation exactly parallels the wording of the biblical account of the creation of man (see Genesis 1:26-27). Sam Flynn, Kevin’s son, is also referred to as the “son of our maker” by programs.

On the Buddhist end of things, the first time we see Kevin Flynn after the beginning flashback, he is meditating on a zafu and zabuton (meditating cushions). Throughout the movie he makes many references to Buddhist philosophy such as “Chaos – good news.” Kevin says this to Quorra, whom he refers to as an “apprentice,” when she informs him that his son Sam has left on a suicidal mission. This is the Buddhist principle (talked about here) that any difficulty encountered should be welcomed as a challenge or a test. Can one continue to react in the correct way when there is added stress? It is also referred to as “the Lion’s Roar.”

Another example of Buddhism in the film is Kevin’s teaching to Quorra about “removing oneself from the equation.” This stems from Zen Buddhism, which teaches that one causes their own suffering, whether it is through greed, selfishness, or anger. When you remove your own ego from the equation along with its desires, you can then see clearly enough to make right decisions. In an interview with Bridges, he refers to this same principle as he explains his approach to acting: removing himself from the vision for a character in order to play a different person than he is.

A third example of Buddhist philosophy is the portrayal of perfection. Perfection is unknowable, yet “it’s . . . in front of us all the time” says Kevin at the end of the movie. In a final confrontation with CLU, Kevin admits that he didn’t understand perfection when CLU was created, and thus CLU’s understanding of perfection is therefore incomplete. Perfection consists not in order and control but in the possibilities of free and open knowledge.

More explicit than all of these references are multiple interviews with actor Jeff Bridges in which he states his desire to mash together “eastern concepts of reality within our technologically embedded culture.” Two of these interviews can be found here and here. In the second interview, Bridges talks about how he talked to his mentor about how to play his character with a Buddhist perspective.

That Christianity and Buddhism are placed side by side for comparison is obvious. The question we are left with is this: which of these does the film support? Oddly enough, the answer is “neither.” As the Christian God, Flynn Sr. fails as he admits at the end that he was wrong when he created CLU and that his original promise to CLU was broken. As an enlightened Buddhist, his “do-nothing” philosophy is never shown to benefit his cause whatsoever. Instead, we see characters succeed when they sacrifice for each other. For instance, Quorra intentionally gets herself captured in order to distract Rinzler (CLU’s elite enforcer) and give Kevin and Sam a chance to reacquire Kevin’s identity disc. Her ploy is successful. Both sides of good and evil are included in this concept – Rinzler, who was once a good program and a friend of Kevin, overcomes his reprogramming and sacrifices himself to allow Kevin, Sam, and Quorra to outdistance CLU. In the final confrontation, Kevin manually ends the program CLU, destroying himself in the process. His sacrifice ensures the ultimate success of the mission, enabling Sam and Quorra to escape with a disc containing all of Kevin’s knowledge.

In the end, this film supports a western spiritualist worldview. According to how the characters achieved success, we should neither rely on a flawed deity who created evil (Christianity) nor should we simply allow things to happen to us (Buddhism). Work together and sacrifice for each other, because that is all we have. Western spiritualism can simultaneously adopt elements from both Christian theism and eastern spiritualism, while rejecting key tenets of each in favor of placing emphasis on individual human autonomy and freedom to become one’s own person.

Protagonist: Sam Flynn

Hero’s Lifestyle Comparison to Bible: Anti-establishment.

Essential Conflict: Antagonist: “CLU” – Kevin Flynn’s program “made in his own image.”

Necessary to Succeed: Take chances, disobey “older wiser” one, have quick reflexes, work together, escape the system.

End Fate of Protagonist: Returning to the real world with an innocent girl and the tools to reshape mankind, inheriting one of the most successful software companies ever.

End Fate of Antagonist: Rejoining his maker.

Behaviors Resulting in Living “Happily Ever After”: See “necessary to succeed,” self-sacrifice.

Behaviors Resulting in Ultimate Failure: Commitment to the system (control, order, perfection), anger, waiting (patience), “removing oneself from the equation.”

Emotions/Ideas Promoted:

• TRON was created by Alan for “the old system.”
• What’s more imperfect than our world?
• Could change everything, science, medicine, religion w/ isometric algorithms.
• Sometimes life has a way of moving you past wants and hopes.
• Denial of responsibility – Acceptance of Responsibility (Flynn Sr. vs. Flynn Jr.).
• False deity who sought to enslave us.
• CLU makes the human world “open and available” to all programs, just as Flynn Sr. wanted to make the digital world open and free to all humans.

—Nathaniel

Matthew Ferry, the self-proclaimed “happiness expert,” has allegedly discovered the secret to living a care-free and fulfilling life – lose your mind.

That’s right, the mind is a force of negativity that only hinders healthy and successful living. According to Ferry's video Happiness Is a Skill, “when the mind is left idle, it defaults to negativity.... If you let your mind loose in your life, it will wreck everything!” This is because your brain is primarily interested in perpetuating your life, or the “survival of the fittest” principle. The brain is physiologically wired to focus on survival, so it will naturally concentrate on things that make you unhappy. The main barrier to success is believing what your mind tells you, and most of the time it doesn’t like you or your behavior. Ferry asserts, “The reason you are unhappy is you accidentally assume that all that talking in your head is who you are.... You need to take control of the voice in your head. It wants people to comply with its expectations. It’s trying to eat you alive!” Basically, our own brain is the primary source of all the evil you experience.

Since success is begins with the self, one’s inner consciousness must be purified from the degrading viciousness that is present in all of us, whether in the conscious or subconscious. “Who else calls you fat and ugly and nasty names? Only your mind! Get rid of it,” Ferry urges. He advocates the promotion of “Ridiculous Bliss,” his method to “harness the power of your thoughts to be happy now, to be happy with your inner self. You deserve this.”

What does this theory look like when put into practice? Ferry claims that when everything is going wrong, one must choose perspectives that create positive energy so that he or she can keep moving forward towards the goal. According to the practice of Ridiculous Bliss, there are no bad goals, just bad deadlines. Whatever the inner self desires is good, but one must not constrain oneself to negativity triggers such as due dates and self-punishment. The secret to happiness is, in a nutshell, to clear away the mind which is inherently evil so that positive energy can freely flow through you.

This theory has clear Western Spiritualist undertones which are demonstrated by the emphasis on inner strength apart from the mind. The “Happiness Expert” seems to be a part of the post-secular movement of today. Our parents may have revered Science as the ultimate source of truth and logic as the quintessential function of rationality, but today’s generation is tired of superior arguments and rationalizing. They are ready for a new season in which spiritualism allows one to be free of the bothersome brain only which ways one down. We are ready for a new future, made possible by the positive energy found deep within ourselves.

—Wendy Johnson

The movie Beastly follows the age-old saga of Beauty and the Beast, but set in present-day New York City. It is an ultra-modern depiction of the story that everybody knows. Student Kyle Kingsford owns his high school, holding sway over his fellow classmates through his stunning looks and subsequent popularity. Only one girl is unmoved by his persona, Kendra, whose edgy looks combine with witch-ly powers. Kyle humiliates the wrong person when he publicly spurns Kendra at the school dance. She lashes out in anger, speaking a spell that turns him as ugly outside as he is inside, giving him only a year to find someone to say, “I love you,” someone who can see him better than he can see himself. Kyle’s father, from whom Kyle learned to place the highest value on one’s outward appearance, responds by exiling him to an apartment where his only human contact is with his longtime maid and a blind tutor. From this place of loneliness and despair, Kyle begins to value his maid and tutor, but it is not enough. At this opportune time, Kyle runs into an old acquaintance from his high school days, a girl who never quite fit in. Lindy is a girl who literally dances down the street to her own beat. Her authenticity appeals to Kyle, and after saving her life one night, she comes to live with him for her own protection. Their ensuing romance blossoms slowly as trust is gently won on both sides. Those three magic words prove elusive though, and the viewer is kept in uncertainty until the very end.

Alex Pettyfer, a British actor best known for his role in the film Alex Rider: Stormbreaker, and Vanessa Hudgens, the soft-spoken beauty known for her role as Gabriella in the High School Musical saga, headline this movie. Mary-Kate Olson brings her fashion sense and a dark edge to the role of Kendra, and Neil Patrick Harris, from the hit television show, How I Met Your Mother, adds his comedic touch to the role of the blind tutor. Daniel Barnz wrote the screenplay, based off of the book by Alex Flinn, and also directed Beastly, which was released by CBS films. Although it was very popular among teenage girls, it received mostly negative reviews from the world of film critics.

This movie reveals a western spiritualism worldview that is heavily influenced by postmodernism. Postmodernism is revealed primarily through broken families and the emphasis on valuing others, and diversity. Both Kyle and Lindy do not have mothers, and their fathers are absent, in the case of Kyle, or incompetent, in the case of Lindy. The search for self-fulfillment through drugs has overtaken Lindy’s dad’s life after the death of her mother. His incompetence to take care of her leads Kyle to step in after her dad kills another man over drugs. Valuing others is emphasized through the inclusion of Kyle’s Jamaican maid and his blind tutor as the voices of reason and wisdom. His love interest, Lindy, is Hispanic, and Kendra the witch, who initiates his transformation, is heavily Gothic. Western spiritualism shines through in Kendra’s power to speak an irreversible spell over Kyle. Psychedelic effects accompany Kyle’s transformation from pretty boy to ugly nobody, which only highlight the otherworldly influences in this film. The implication is that his lifetime of self-centered behavior has finally snapped back on him, and that only by looking outside himself to find love can he break the spell. Evil, in the form of egocentric narcissism, is punished. Throughout the movie, Kyle evolves from a negative, self-centered state into a positive, love-focused person who sacrifices himself for the happiness of the girl he loves. This personal character development (i.e. his salvation comes strictly from within himself) is consistent with spiritualistic beliefs in character evolution. Love reigns supreme, it is the god in this film, the ideal for all to reach, and upon reaching it; Kyle is rewarded by magically becoming fully human again.

—Clarissa

“I believe six impossible things each day before breakfast,” says the post-modern, 19-year-old version of Alice in Wonderland in the 2010 Disney film produced by Tim Burton. Alice (Mia Wasikowska) is a champion who joins the current generation of young adults in questioning society’s expectations. “Who’s to say what’s normal?” she questions. “Corsets are codfish to me,” The inquisitive, open-minded protagonist journeys through the phantasmagorical Wonderland of her childhood, still remarking, “Curiouser and curiouser . . .”

This version of Alice in Wonderland explores the concept of reality, not as the antonym of illusion or dream, but as the state of mind that truly expresses one’s destiny. Alice seems to feel more alive in the mystical, absurd Wonderland than in the “real” world of high-society garden parties and restrictive corsets. During parts, the viewer is inclined to question the cultural expectations of today and consider more imaginative possibilities. Could it be that this world is truly a dream and there are other worlds on different levels of reality?

Further, the question of fate is brought up when the good creatures of Wonderland urge Alice to fulfill the predictions about her depicted in a scroll that contains their history. She indignantly protests, “But this is my dream! I choose the path,” Despite her will to choose her own adventure, Wonderlanders such as the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp), TweedleDee and TweedleDum, the White Queen (Anne Hathaway), and others are counting on her to summon the inner strength to slay the dreaded Jabberwocky. The epic battle between good and evil must occur, and good must win.

But what is good? It may be best portrayed by the White Queen, who is beautiful, graceful, and an advocate for world peace. Despite heinous offenses by her evil sister, the Red Queen, she extends a kind hand on the battle line and pleads for reconciliation. But when the wicked ones demand war, the soldiers of the White Queen fight nobly for their cause. After evil is defeated, the good queen is yet merciful, declaring she “would not harm any living creature.” This statement may be reminiscent of the spiritualist Wiccan creed, “Harm none, and do as ye will.” The Red Queen is allowed to live, although she is banished and isolated. Every time the White Queen appears, she demonstrates inner tranquility, regardless of outer circumstances. She frequently holds her hands in a position of spiritualistic meditation and is once seen brewing a magic healing poultice for Alice’s wounded arm.

Another respected character is the blue caterpillar, Absalom. With few words and much mysterious smoke, the wise old creature encourages Alice to discover the strength that lies within and fulfill her destiny as the champion of Wonderland. Later, he is seen in a cocoon, tranquilly preparing for the next step. He explains that he will not die, but simply transform into another life form. The caterpillar may serve as a model who properly accepts reincarnation as a natural cycle of life.

The 2010 Alice in Wonderland often glorifies characters and propose ideas which resemble Pomo Spiritualism.  Western Spiritualism appears through finding inner peace and oneness with all creatures, and in transforming life forms rather than dying. Cruel individuals (e.g. “Off with his head!”) are depicted as villainous; so viewers clearly have a sense of right and wrong. Yet ideas about the uncertainty of truth and reality are in keeping with a post-modern perspective.

— Wendy

C.S. Lewis’ beloved children’s books, The Chronicles of Narnia, have been embraced by Christian adults and children alike since they were published in the 1950s. These stories are known for communicating the principles and stories of the Bible in the context of a magical world with talking beasts. Lewis explained that through his books, he hoped to present the truths of the faith without having to go through the readers’ mental defenses that are so often raised against anything of religious nature.

“I thought I saw how stories of this kind could steal past a certain inhibition which had paralysed much of my own religion in childhood. Why did one find it so hard to feel as one was told one ought to feel about God or about the sufferings of Christ? I thought the chief reason was that one was told one ought to…. But supposing that by casting all these things into an imaginary world, stripping them of their stained-glass and Sunday school associations, one could make them for the first time appear in their real potency? Could one not thus steal past those watchful dragons? I thought one could.” - C.S. Lewis Of Other Worlds: Essays and Stories (1966).

Most would agree that Lewis accomplished this goal masterfully. In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Aslan’s innocent sacrifice on behalf of the traitor Edmund teaches the reader of the love and sacrifice that Christ displayed on the cross. In the reader’s awe of Aslan’s power and love, he or she has either discovered for the first time, or rediscovered, the character of Christ in a new and real way. Lewis does this in each of his seven books – captivate the reader with an engaging story and teach him or her more about God in the process.

So when Disney produced a full-length motion picture of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe in 2005, the Christian community was excited to see the message of Christ displayed on the big screen for the world to see. Faithful to the book, the movie portrayed Aslan’s death and return to life without major deviation.

The following two Narnia movies also include some Christian themes, although more subtle. In Prince Caspian (Disney, 2008), the characters learned the importance of trusting in Aslan, rather than themselves, even when they could not see him. And The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (Fox, 2010) ends with a powerful quote from the book, in which Aslan tells the human children that he will be with them in their own world, though called by a different name.

For Christian viewers, familiar with Lewis’s Christian message, these elements of the Narnia movies are recognized and appreciated. Yet the adaptation from book to movie has presented these themes in such a way that they are open to the interpretation of the viewer and his or her religious preferences.

Some of Aslan’s speeches can easily be interpreted from either a spiritualist perspective or a Christian one. In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Aslan tells Peter, “There is a deeper magic more powerful than any of us that rules over Narnia. It defines right from wrong, and governs all our destinies - yours and mine.” Christians would likely hear this statement and assume it to be speaking of God the Father. However, this greater power can also be identified as Mother Earth or a general “life force” behind all things. This ambiguity is common to all three Narnia movies. The lines are left open, so that the viewer can understand the spiritual elements to fit whatever brand of spirituality they personally hold to.

In addition to these lines, much more attention is given to spiritual forces of nature and dark magic than is given in the books. Unlike the book, in the movie The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Aslan-following tree spirits play an integral role of carrying news of his death to Peter. These tree spirits return in Prince Caspian, along with "attack trees" and a bizarre river god altogether alien to Lewis’ Narnia, who together defeat Miraz’s army (there are two entire battle episodes that are also absent from the book). In The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, evil is represented by a mystical green mist that influences the character’s desires by preying on their temptations. The darker side of spiritualism or magic is also seen in Prince Caspian, when the dwarf Nickabrick urges Caspian to enlist the help of a werewolf and witch to gain aid from dark spirits (a scene described by Lewis, but sensationalized in the film). In these ways, the writers of the Narnia movies bring spiritual and mystical elements to the forefront of the plot to degrees far beyond what Lewis wrote in his books.

Andrew Adamson, the director of the first two Narnia movies, explained that spiritual openness was intended in the creation of the movies. He said, “Obviously C.S. Lewis was a Christian, but to me spirituality and religion are very personal issues and it’s really up to the audience, or the reader, to interpret it as they wish.”

Ironically, Liam Neelson who is the voice of Aslan, chooses not to view his character as an exclusive symbol of Christ. He says, “Aslan symbolizes a Christlike figure, but he also symbolizes for me Mohammed, Buddha and all the great spiritual leaders and prophets over the centuries.”

And producer Mark Johnson is quick to pint out that, “Resurrection exists in so many different religions in one form or another, so it's hardly exclusively Christian."

However, along with these intentional attempts to keep the Narnia films appealing to viewers of all faiths, there have also been incredible amounts of money and effort poured into receiving approval from Christian audiences and church leaders. Fox and Walden Media set up www.narniafaith.com, a website which has sermon outlines and ideas for church leaders, based on The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. All three movies have clearly been marketed specifically to the church, through websites like this as well as a companion CD featuring popular Christian musicians.

It seems, then, that the spiritual message of the Narnia movies really only serves one purpose for their creators – money. They are attempting to walk the fine line between appealing to Christians and not excluding other religions, so as to attract the widest audience possible. As is so familiar with Hollywood, money ultimately trumps the message.

—Sarah J

Julia Roberts stars in Eat, Pray, Love, a recent film about a woman in a mid-life crisis who journeys around the world in order to find her balance and identity. Completely centered on the main character, Elizabeth, the film opens with a depiction of her moderately successful writing career coupled with a mediocre and unfulfilling marriage. Her work brings her to an interview with a ninth generation medicine man across the world. With the great medicine men before her, she asks the question that most plagues her mind. She asks about her relationship with her husband. The following palm reading foretells that she will have a divorce, lose her money, travel the world, and come back to Bali. She is then encouraged by the medicine man to “look through your heart—that way you will know God, which is what you came for, yes?”

And so begins her journey to God through the means of self-discovery…

Upon returning to the states she realizes her complete misery and unhappiness. She then prays for the first time in her life to God and expresses how she is in serious trouble and doesn’t know what to do. God, represented by her own voice, then audibly tells her to go back to bed. It is there that she tells her husband that “I don’t want to be married.” Her own words dictate her destiny.

Later in a divorce settlement meeting she expresses with utter honesty, “I don’t want to live in unhappiness. You will find the person that will give you what you want.”

She then flies out of her marriage and into the arms of a young actor. This seemingly blissful affair last only a short while before discontent and unhappiness begin to creep in. She finds that another man does not satisfy her. “I don’t know how to be here,” she whispers from the floor of her bedroom to her young boyfriend. He responds frustrated, “You want to know to know how to be here—stop waiting for something.” This answer does not sit well with the distraught Elizabeth. Her heart is not at peace here.

And so she begins her journey around the world. As she journeys to Italy she tells a story of a poor man begging a statue every day “Please, please, please, let me win the lottery.” Finally after a long while the statue comes alive and responds, “Please, please, please, buy a ticket.” Elizabeth believes that her happiness is dependent on her actions and how she feels.

In Italy she learns “the sweetness of doing nothing.” She eats, drinks, laughs, and loves. She comes to the conclusion as she walks though the ruins of Italy that it is a terrible thing to settle for misery for fear of being completely destroyed. She concludes, “Ruin is the road to transformation.” She then writes an email to her ex-boyfriend expressing “both of us deserve to be happy—and not just staying together because we are afraid we’ll be destroyed if we don’t.” And so she continues on, leaving ruin behind her, and searching again for happiness and her true self.

In India she is confronted with a very different experience. She is faced with spending a great deal of time completing “selfless devotional work” as well as countless hours of meditation and chanting. Elizabeth is greatly frustrated and cannot seem to still her mind, and to surrender. She expresses to a friend that she has no connection with the Guru Gita. “Well then, pick someone you love. It’s all the same to her,” a friend suggests. She then focuses on forgiving others and wishing happiness for her friends. It is when she has conquered herself and achieved victory in this area of the mind that she has an epiphany. As an elephant walks up to her in a mystical-like experience that she concludes, “It is not about performance. God dwells within me as me.”

With this in mind, she travels back to Bali to visit the medicine man. It is there that the medicine man continues to teach her. “In order to be happy, you have to know where you (mentally) are all the time.” She struggles in this place with letting her heart go. She meets a man who is in a similar place in life but struggles to commit to him. She comes to some conclusions and decides, “Balance is not letting anyone love you less than you love yourself.” When faced with a moment of sheer frustration she shouts at her lover “I don't have to love you to love myself.”

In the end, the medicine man is pleased with the growth that he has seen in Elizabeth. She has learned to meditate, “smile with her liver,” and love. At the conclusion of the movie Elizabeth explains her discovery of the physics of the quest. She concludes that if you are brave, ready to leave behind everything, set out on a journey, regard everything that happens as a clue, accept others as teachers, be ready to face and forgive yourself, that truth will not be withheld from you. Truth is found within.

What is interesting about this film is how much these themes of discontent, doing what makes you happy, finding truth within, being your own god etc. are prevalent within our culture. And yet despite these culturally esteemed values this movie received terrible reviews. Many were repulsed by the selfishness of Elizabeth’s character. Many were astounded that her world was so small that the only thing she could think about was her unhappiness. And yet it is these strong messages that we as human beings are bombarded with in our culture today.

Themes of western spiritualism run through this entire film. This is noticed not only in the specific settings of Elizabeth’s travels (India and the Guru Gita & Bali and Hinduism), but also in the conclusions that Elizabeth comes to in the movie. Elizabeth’s journey begins with her listening to herself “Go to bed, Liz,” and ends with realizing that she is her own god. And yet, strangely, we as a people are dissatisfied with the movie as a whole. We hate the selfishness. We hate the pain that others felt because of one woman’s search for happiness. Do we as humans really want a world where the only god is myself?

—Meghan

(1)

Another world. Breathtaking landscapes, iridescent color, a new culture and people; a place unspoiled by man’s destructive influence and greed. Welcome to Pandora, a planet designed by three-time Oscar winner James Cameron and celebrated by audiences worldwide. With his recent release, Avatar, Cameron has captured the hearts of viewers and left them pining for a way of life that is not only unreal but also deeply misguided.

To begin with, Avatar’s portrayal of our world is harsh and unflattering. Although it is true that our modern culture is often selfish and depraved, Cameron intentionally strips all the light from society and paints a picture that is cold, rigid, and unfeeling. He does this in order to provide a sharp contrast to the vibrant, pulsing, wild and colorful world (in 3D no less) of Pandora and to bring to our attention the beauty and innocence of the Na’vi people when compared with our own cynical and disrespectful race.

Our protagonist Jake rolls onto Pandora in a wheelchair and is welcomed by mocking soldiers, towering robots and a bleak, gray landscape. In fact, every scene is virtually colorless until Jake steps outside in his avatar body for the first time. His exuberance is contagious as he begins to run, unsteadily at first, overwhelmed with excitement at the strength in his legs and overjoyed with his sudden escape into freedom. Grace Augustine hands him a plump fruit which he bites into with abandon as juice trickles down his chin. All this is contrasted with the cold atmosphere of the human world where heartless individuals relentlessly seek after Unobtainium, regardless of the harm they cause to the Na’vi in the process. In fact, in one of the most striking scenes of the film, Colonel Quarich sips his coffee in a carefree manner while his pilot drops explosives and destroys the Na’vi home.

There is a purpose behind Cameron’s decision to portray our world in this way. He artfully includes a blatant western spiritualist message that is overpowering at times, though always alluring. The Na’vi are deeply spiritual, worshipping Eywa and at one with the world, connected to all that breathes and aware of the ebb and flow of energy around them. This seems to be the source of their profound yet simple peace and strength. In contrast, humanity is seen as bitter, cynical, greedily opportunistic, and heartless, striving after fulfillment but never really attaining it. Cameron seeks to open our eyes to mankind’s need for a higher purpose in life by allowing us to walk alongside Jake as he is slowly changed and awakened by the beliefs of the Na’vi people. As he discovers his new strength and vitality Jake becomes less impressed by our world and eventually fully commits to the Na’vi tribe and leaves behind his crippled body and mind. The closing scene of the film leaves us wishing we could do the same, shedding the mindset and surroundings of our hurting world and exchanging them for the free, simple, and peacefully unhindered life offered on Pandora.

Sadly, this transition is not possible. Nevertheless, audiences are left pining for a more enhanced spiritual and physical life, utterly disenchanted with the world around them. This was Cameron’s purpose. Avatar’s message is designed to shake us out of our culture’s self-infatuation and greed and to make us revere and even worship the natural world around us instead.

In the closing scenes of the movie the (human) “aliens” return to their “dying world” (earth). And we are left with a choice. Will we follow? Or will we join the Na’vi in seeking a higher spiritual reality in our surroundings, embracing the spiritualist view that our essence and purpose can be found in the worship of the earth around us?

—Tamara

Avatar (2)

(Hidden Messages)

After only being in theaters less than two months Avatar got the attention of over 200 million people. Avatar is a movie set in the future about two worlds colliding. A corporation tries to mine a rare mineral on the planet and ends up clashing with the peace-loving natives there.

The story is like that of Dances with Wolves and Pocahontas,except instead of First Nation people there are 7-foot tall, blue-skinned people-like beings called the Na'vi. Even with a predictable plot, there is much more behind the meaning than what meets the eye. Movies are made with a point in mind. There are many different messages portrayed in this movie.

First, the message of anti-technology is shown in this film. Some accuse the movie itself of being highly anti-technology. However, only part of the humans, which include the big corporate and military people wanted to use technology for their selfish gains. The scientists, on the other hand, wanted to use technology to get to know the indigenous inhabitants. (And of course, the film itself incorporates state-of-the-art cinematic technology.)

Secondly, the movie contrasts two different cultures. It contains a “retrospective condemnation of the ‘white man’s’ treatment of North American First Nations people” in its plotline. The corporation and military behave in ways comparable to the Europeans’ reactions when they encountered the new world; all they really cared about was for their own greedy land-grabbing, not in making peaceful, cooperative relationships with the indigenous people. Some critics further assert that the movie attempts to “reflect the cruelness of western.” The movie is especially critical of the corporate and military branches of western society. The director “only condemns a destructive culture which has made people becoming ignorant by losing the respect for what is beauty, what is sacred and even what is a peaceful life.”

This leads to a third message portrayed in this movie, that of western spiritualism. Accordingly, all living things in nature are connected and those that take advantage of nature will be destroyed. Even the meanings of some of the names reflect the spiritual worldview of this movie. For example, avatar are “divine beings who view the sacredness of all life and the soul of all beings as eternal - meant for freedom and made of divine essence,” The Indian term for avatar means “one who comes to open the way for humanity to a higher consciousness.” In popular Hinduism and some modern cults people worship “avatars,” i.e. “one who descends” (incarnated) or “manifestations (literally ‘descendents’) of god that periodically intervene to fight evil and ensure that the universe functions in accordance with dharma.”

The movie Avatar picks up on some of these Hindu elements, which believes in the essential unity of all reality including people, animals, and plants. There are many similarities with Hindu teachings, symbols and concepts and the movie Avatar. The main belief of Hinduism is that there is a single energy source which is thought to be god or Brahman. All living and non-living things result from this source. This is like the Na’vi who believe they are connected with the energy source of all things. The Na’vi believe in a benevolent goddess called Eywa who is their guiding force and deity of Pandora. This is very similar to the way pagans view Gaia and the way some believe we are connected through the mother god. The movie shows a strong connection between the tree and the people through the holding of hands.

Some of the characters also have names that sound Indian or Hindu like Ikran and Neytri which in Hindi sounds similar to 'netri,' meaning 'eyes. Another association between the movie and Hinduism is the chanting of mantras which are “symbolic sounds causing internal vibration which helps to concentrate the mind and aids self-realization.” This is very similar to what the Na’vi were doing in their worship and calling on their goddess. It is believed that chanting a specific phrase helped to liberate or set free, as Hinduism and Buddhism believe.

Another striking aspect is the use of the color blue. In the book Introduction to World Religions, the photographs depict many Hindu gods in blue. A site online said that “blue is the color of the infinite and symbolizes immeasurable and all pervading reality – formless Brahman.” Another concept found in Hindu Puranas is Parakaya Pravesham, which is the belief in leaving one’s body for a time and entering another person’s body. Besides being the premise behind the entire movie with Jake living out his life vicariously through his avatar, this also happens when the tribe tries transfer the body of the female scientist, Grace, into a Na’vi body. Later Jake does the same thing towards the end of the movie.

There is also a “born again" theme, which is done for boys in India and is considered as second birth, which is brought out when the Na’vi have Jake do a certain ritual truly to earn his place among the people. I believe this movie speaks very much to the western spiritualism worldview and is very appealing and popular in our western culture today when so many people are in search of peace and harmony. In an article published in Science Fiction called “Avatar: Unveiling Its Stunning Hidden Messages,” Chan Lee Peng writes, “No matter how people think negatively about Avatar, I see Avatar differently as it carries positive and strong messages to the world. Interestingly, Avatar has touched the sensitivity side of life in terms of destruction versus healing, war versus peace, simple versus complexity, isolation versus connection, good versus evil and balance versus imbalance.”

—Jaime

Avatar (3)

Effects on Culture

Avatar is a live-action movie, intensified when watched in 3D. It is vividly lifelike with its amazing visual effects. The director even said in an interview, “my challenge as director is to make it as real as possible for them. And their challenge as an actor is to imbed it with a sense of emotional veracity.” He did exceptional job! Many people want movies to come alive—maybe that is why 3D is so popular. But with a make-believe world that seems so lifelike and live-able, many people are leave the theater jolted back to reality. I read online that “Movie-goers have admitted being plagued by depression and suicidal thoughts at not being able to visit the planet Pandora.” This depression has been labeled the “Avatar Blues.” I also read that “fans have flooded the internet with confused feelings. On the site Avatar Forums, the topic ‘Ways to cope with the depression of the dream of Pandora being intangible’ has more than 1,000 posts.” One user wrote, “when I woke up this morning after watching Avatar for the first time yesterday, the world seemed grey. It just seems so meaningless.” Another person said, “I still don’t really see any reason to keep doing things at all. I live in a dying world.” In the movie, Earth’s resources have been depleting and Earth is dying. Pandora, on the other hand, is a new, beautiful, exotic planet inhabited by blue aliens. Viewers are drawn into this fantasy world, with its strange yet beautiful plants and creatures, yet at the end they are left back in their theater seats with the make-believe world vanishing in front of them as the movie credits roll. Mike Stoklasa, is an independent filmmaker of the movie production company RedLetterMedia in Milwaukee, commented that the director made a “really effective film that really pulls on the audience’s heart strings, using almost every trick in the book. People even want to be commit suicide to be reincarnated as a Nav’i.”

The 3D aspect of this movie makes this fantasy world more enticing and appealing. It transports the viewer onto the planet itself. However once the moviegoer takes off the 3D glasses there is a disconnection. It is like that for some girls who watch a Romance movie and escape to that fantasy world but then are hit with reality when it is over and are sad because that life isn’t or can’t come true. Many say they are depressed after watching movies but people are forced to look at that unrealistic life and revaluate what is important in life. One psychologist said a lot of these people who are depressed over Avatar are lonely to begin with, so seeing Avatar touches elements of their depression, seeking to a community of other people who feel the same way. This depression is a widespread phenomenon, with thousands of posts on one fan forum. People are sucked into this “perfect” world and don’t see how manipulative and simple the story really is. The bad guys are made out to be less then human with little depth so the viewer will build up dislike or even hatred for them. It was ironic that real scientists were actually involved in helping to design the Navi’ to make them more appealing and perfect to the viewers. The Na’vi are presented as peaceful people who are beautiful, though almost fatally-naïve about their intruders. They were designed with Disney eyes because they are more inviting, show honesty and vulnerability and they also mix in an animal element like a nose similar to a cat’s or dog’s because people are drawn to those creatures and they represent innocence. The world of Pandora is embellished with vibrant colors and contrast and exotic creatures and plants. By contrast, the earthling military appears to be dull, lifeless, cold, and profane. It strategically draws audiences to long for the world that isn’t, desiring to trade their earthly experience with a magical existence in Pandora. We know from Greek mythology the dangers that are posed by Pandora and her magical box. The message of this movie may also be similarly enticing yet deceiving!

—Jaime

©2006 Warner Bros.

Death is the road to awe.

In the movie The Fountain (written and directed by Darren Aronofsky) , three stories are told, each story represents the past, present and future lives of one man (Hugh Jackman). Each story, separated by five centuries each, is essentially about one man and the woman he loves (Rachel Weisz). Both Jackman and Weisz do phenomenal jobs with each of their roles. It is a very moving piece about love and life.

In 16th Century Spain, Tomas (Jackman) is a Spanish conquistador who is given a quest by Spain’s queen (Weisz). His challenge is to find the legendary Tree of Life that is being hidden by a tribe of Mayans because it is said that anyone who drinks the sap of the tree shall be immortal. Driven by the love of his queen and his thirst for immortality, Tomas accepts the challenge.

In 2005, Tommy (Jackman) is an experimental scientist who is desperately trying to find the cure for his wife, Izzi’s (Weisz) brain tumor.

In 2500, Tom (Jackman) is a space traveler who is traveling to the legendary nebula called Shabulba. Traveling in a space sphere he built, Tom spends his days talking to a tree and hallucinating about the wife he had in a previous life.

In each story, the main goal of the man is to be with his love forever by defeating death. In the past, he aims to gain immortality from the Tree of Life. In the present, he tries to find the cure for death.

“Death is disease just like any other,” Tommy said. “There is a cure, and I will find it.” In the future, Tom is traveling to a dying star in hopes that when it dies and explodes, he and the tree that represents the woman he loves will be reborn and live forever together.

In contrast to the man, the woman figure in each story accepts death as a necessary part of life. As Izzi, Tommy’s wife, she tells him a story that explains how she views death.

“The last night I was with the Mayan guide he told me about his father that had died. He said that if they dug his father's body up, it would be gone. They planted a seed over his grave. The seed became a tree. He said his father became a part of that tree. He grew into the wood, into the bloom. And when a sparrow ate the tree's fruit, his father flew with the birds. He said... death was his father's road to awe.”

The main idea conveyed in this film is the irony between what the man wanted out of life and what he actually got. The theme of immortality runs throughout, and immortality is what he achieved, just not how he pictured it.

In the past, when Tomas finally found the Tree of Life he was mortally wounded by one of the Mayans. However, when he put the sap on the wound it instantly healed. He wanted to live forever with his queen so he started to drink the sap. He started to feel pain and then his body was overgrown with flowers and plants from the inside out, and he became part of the earth.

In the present, Tommy found the cure for Izzi, but before he could give it to her, she died. In the future, Tom’s tree dies and he saw a vision of Izzi, from his past life. She asked him what he was so afraid of and he finally came to the ultimate realization, that he was going to die, and that made him free.

So in the end, death was an act of creation. Death was the road to awe. This movie is overtly spiritualistic. The reoccurring motifs in each story help create a sense of each life as a whole, but also individually. It is obvious that the writers wanted to get across the idea of immortality through reincarnation and that death is actually an act of creation.

—Ali