Rabbi Cy Stanway of Temple Beth Miriam in Elberon conducts a class on religious myths in films.
Photo by Jill Huber
November 18, 2008
From disaster films to “chick flicks,” references to the Hebrew Bible and New Testament are scattered throughout some of Hollywood’s most popular films, according to Rabbi Cy Stanway, religious leader at Temple Beth Miriam in Elberon.
Stanway conducted a one-session class on Oct. 22 at the Reform temple that explored the connections between movies and mythology, a subject that has interested him since his days as a rabbinical student.
“For the past 25 years, I’ve had a penchant for religious texts, along with a penchant for adventure films and movies that delve into character study,” Stanway told NJ Jewish News. “I decided to use a scholarly approach to find a relationship between these interests.”
Eight years ago, he found affirmation of that relationship at a religious conference he attended in Toronto.
“There was a seminar that focused on how religious mythology has seeped into our consciousness through the movies we watch, even though it sometimes dawns on us in very subtle ways,” Stanway said. “The artists, writers, and directors of films might not even be aware of the biblical images that are part of their productions.”
As an example, he cited the Poseidon Adventure, the 1972 movie about a group of passengers trying to escape from a capsized ocean liner.
“When the Poseidon overturned, there was a symbolic image of a world that had been turned upside down and struck by calamity,” he said. “In such a world, there are role reversals, and Jewish texts refer to times when the poor shall be rich and the meek shall inherit the earth.”
In the movie, Gene Hackman’s character tries to lead the other passengers to safety, but is thwarted in his attempts numerous times; the character is representative of a religious or spiritual leader who continues to lead his followers toward enlightenment and salvation despite great odds, said Stanway.
“At the end of the movie, Ernest Borgnine’s character — kind of an unlikely hero — steps up and leads the others to safety,” he said. “But that’s what can happen when the world is turned upside down.”
The characters in Magnolia, Paul Thomas Anderson’s multi-layered drama from 1999, features characters in search of redemption, reconciliation, and justice. All have counterparts in the men and women in ancient times who turned to God to help them face religious and moral challenges, said Stanway.
“And, much like the biblical figures, the challenges affected those in the movie in different ways and on different levels,” he said. “Some were redeemed, some were enticed by evil, and some just tried to get on with their lives. This is never an easy task, and it’s even harder if there’s a crisis of faith.”
Stanway likened Fried Green Tomatoes, the 1991 film about the friendship between two women from different generations, to the Book of Ruth.
“In the film, these two women go together through many of life’s travails,” he said. “They may face things differently and cope in different ways, but they are really inseparable. There’s an unbreakable bond, and they maintain faith in God, religion, friendship, and in life itself. This is a powerful example of a biblical motif.”
“These movies are infused with biblical imagery — the concept of the hero or those who sacrifice themselves for the sake of others, the path toward redemption, and images of repentance and salvation,” Stanway continued. “These themes are used over and over again for a singular reason: They have withstood the test of time.”
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