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Adam Driver

GIVEAWAY: Digital Copy of STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER

March 31, 2020 by Steve Norton 10 Comments

When it’s discovered that the evil Emperor Palpatine did not die at the hands of Darth Vader, the rebels must race against the clock to find out his whereabouts. Finn and Poe lead the Resistance to put a stop to the First Order’s plans to form a new Empire, while Rey anticipates her inevitable confrontation with Kylo Ren. (Warning: Some flashing-lights scenes in this film may affect photosensitive viewers.)

To enter, tell us your favourite force power and why. For a bonus entry, like or share the post on Twitter, Facebook and/or Instagram.

The winner will receive a digital copy of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker on iTunes.

All entries must be completed by 11:59pm on Thursday, April 2nd, 2020.

To hear ScreenFish Radio’s episode on Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, click here.

Filed Under: Giveaways Tagged With: Adam Driver, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Kylo Ren, Mark Hamill, Oscar Isaac, Star Wars, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

6.14 Family and Fans in STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER

December 27, 2019 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

In Star Wars: RISE OF SKYWALKER, Director JJ Abrams returns to attempt to wrap up a story 42 years in the making. As Resistance Heroes Poe Dameron and Finn attempt to wage ware agains the darkness of the First Order, young Jedi Rey ventures into the far reaches of space to face a deeper evil who has returned from the grave ready to expose secrets from her past. This week, Jedi Master Greg Banik and Mando Arnaldo Reyes return to the show to do battle about fan expectations, the nature of family and redemption from our past. 

You can also stream the episode above on podomatic, Alexa (via Stitcher), Spotify or Soundcloud! Or, you can download the ep on Apple Podcasts or Google Play!

Want to continue to conversation at home?  Click the link below to download ‘Fishing for More’ — some small group questions for you to bring to those in your area.

6.14 Star Wars: Rise of SkywalkerDownload

Filed Under: Podcast, Reviews Tagged With: Adam Driver, C3P-O, Daisy Ridley, Finn, JJ Abrams, John Boyega, Kylo Ren, Oscar Isaac, Poe Dameron, Star Wars, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker

December 18, 2019 by Darrel Manson 1 Comment

Daisy Ridley is Rey and Adam Driver is Kylo Ren in STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER

The first words in the scrolling text that opens Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker are “The dead speak!” It continues on with a few things to remind us where the story left off. But those first three words are all we really need, because as the film progresses, the dead will indeed speak over and over.

This is the final film of the Skywalker Saga that began in 1977 with what would become Episode IV: A New Hope and eventually restarted with Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Because it is the final film in the series (the last film in the last trilogy), its main task is to bring the story that has taken over forty years to tell to a satisfying end. Star Wars is such a cultural touchstone that opinions on how well that has been accomplished will vary. My own opinion is that the series does not go out with a bang, but rather with a sigh.

This episode continues the stories of two characters with strong connections to the Force: Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), son of Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) and Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and grandson of Darth Vader, and Rey (Daisy Ridley) an orphan who has tried to become a Jedi by training with Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). Ren has chosen to follow the Dark Side and has been trying to bring Rey to join him and together rule the galaxy. They continue their dance of trying to convert each other through this film. Both are seeking a hidden planet where the real power is to be found and grasped or eliminated. While there are other characters involved in various subplots, these two are the real heart of the story.

Ren (aka Ben Solo) fashions his own version of Vader’s mask, and when wearing it has something of Vader’s ominous voice. He has taken the title Supreme Leader, and seeks to grab all power for himself, but would like Rey to join him. Together they would be a formidable power.

Rey, on the other hand, rejects the Dark Side. She trained with Luke, but still feels unworthy to carry his lightsaber. When she sets off on her mission, Leia tells her, “Never be afraid of who you are.” But who is she? That becomes a central question as the film plays out. What is it about her that has made her such a focus of the Force? (And since this is the final film, it will be revealed—but not in this review.) The knowledge of her background will be a challenge for her to accept.

There will be lightsaber duels, space fighter dogfights, explosions, and all the other accoutrements of Star Wars. There will be redemption, sacrifice, and even resurrection. Love will be declared. Loss will be devastating. And the story will be wrapped up with some tears and some celebrations. Then there will be a coda that takes us back to Tatooine, where the Saga began to bring the circle to a close. (Sigh)

But what about those first three words of the scroll? The dead speak! Initially it is because the dead Emperor Palpatine has been making a comeback. But then we get to see or hear others from the past episodes who have died as the story played out. Luke, is prominent, even though he died at the end of The Last Jedi. Now a glowing personage, he continues to teach Rey what she needs to know for her final battle. But in a decisive scene for Kylo Ren’s character, there is another visit from one who has died. Who are all these who speak from the grave? Well, they are essentially the saints of the Saga. Through their words they bring healing and they bring power. As Rey must face her final challenge, she gathers strength from many of these voices.

The scripture that comes to mind is Hebrews 12:1. After retracing the history of Israel’s heroes, the author says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that has been set before us.” [NRSV]

Star Wars has always attracted theological/spiritual reflection. The Rise of Skywalker gives us a chance to consider the idea of the fellowship of the saints. It is not just what we think of sitting drinking coffee in the fellowship hall after worship. It is not even just what it means to come around the Lord’s Table as God’s people. It is also an attachment to the whole history of God’s salvation. We are joined to those who have come before us. And we are joined to those who will come after us.

As we look at the end of the Skywalker Saga, we are able to see the whole arc of a story in which faith in action has been passed on from one to another. It has not always been an easy passing. There are those who have been corrupted, but also those who have found redemption and restoration. The past brings ist strength to a new day—a dawning of new life.

Filed Under: Film, Reviews Tagged With: Adam Driver, Carrie Fisher, Daisy Ridley, fellowship of the saints, Harrison Ford, J. J. Abrams, Mark Hamill, science fiction, Skywalker Saga, Star Wars

Marriage Story: Love Unraveled

December 5, 2019 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

Marriage Story examines the fallout of Charlie (Adam Driver) and Nicole’s (Scarlett Johansson) failed marriage as they begin divorce proceedings. Though both of them want to ‘make this easy’ and ‘do what’s best for their son’, civility slowly begins to disintegrate by adding lawyers and looking out for their own interests. When Nicole moves from New York to Los Angeles to be with her family, things begin to unravel more rapidly, pushing them to their personal and creative extremes.

Written and directed by Noam Baumbach (The Meyerowitz Stories), Marriage Storyworks on every level and may be the best film of his career. Known for his signature awkward banter and flawed characters, Baumbach paints a portrait of what happens when what once was a loving marriage is exhumed at the hands of lawyers and bitter hearts. Anchored by Oscar-worthy performances from Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson, Baumbach showcases all the messiness of a divorce without ever taking sides or simplifying the arguments. In Marriage Story, there are no heroes or villains. Instead, there are only two people attempting to navigate all the pain and frustration that comes with ending their relationship. Rather than bog down the viewer with flashbacks and very little backstory, the film focuses entirely on the present and what has to happen next in order for this family to find a new space for success and healing.

Unlike other tales of divorce, Marriage Story chooses not to focus itself on one particular event that drove the relationship apart. Although there was one instance of marital infidelity, Nicole and Charlie’s marriage has not been destroyed over a moment. Instead, through lawyers and filtered conversation, the story speaks to how a marriage can unravel over multiple issues and arguments when love and humility give way to pride and frustration. Though both Charlie and Nicole are good people who genuinely want to work things out in the best way possible for their son, they also slowly begin to fight for the high ground in the divorce settlement. Gentle discussions that took place during their marriage such as where to live become full blown battlegrounds when the lawyers get involved, forcing Charlie and Nicole into greater and greater odds. In arguments such as these, the film highlights the perils of being entrenched in our own perspectives, especially when the solution only serves our interests. While the film offers no ‘answers’ about love, it clearly points to the fact that relationships fall asunder when both people cease to listen to one another and humbly seek a solution. In other words, if love, as they say, really is patient, kind and not self-seeking, Marriage Story shows what happens when those things become lost over time.

Pulling no punches with the awkward realism associated with divorce and starting over, Baumbach’s Marriage Story shows that when love is unraveled, the remaining anger can be a force to be reckoned with. Despite beginning with the best of intentions, the pride and bitterness of divorce can quickly cause caring people to fight tooth and nail for their rights, even at the expense of others. Honest, searing and hilarious at times, Baumbach has spun a story that shows the true pain of family separation while also showing what a couple needs to do in order to begin again.

Marriage Story plays in theatres starting November 6th, 2019. It will also stream digitally on Netflix as of December 6th, 2019.

Filed Under: Film, Film Festivals, Reviews, TIFF Tagged With: Adam Driver, Laura Dern, Marriage Story, Netflix, Noah Baumbach, Ray Liotta, Scarlett Johansson

TIFF ’19: Marriage Story

September 12, 2019 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

Marriage Story examines the fallout of Charlie (Adam Driver) and Nicole’s (Scarlett Johansson) failed marriage as they begin divorce proceedings. Though both of them want to ‘make this easy’ and ‘do what’s best for their son’, civility slowly begins to disintegrate by adding lawyers and looking out for their own interests. When Nicole moves from New York to Los Angeles to be with her family, things begin to unravel more rapidly, pushing them to their personal and creative extremes.

Written and directed by Noam Baumbach (The Meyerowitz Stories), Marriage Storyworks on every level and may be the best film of his career. Known for his signature awkward banter and flawed characters, Baumbach paints a portrait of what happens when what once was a loving marriage is exhumed at the hands of lawyers and bitter hearts. Anchored by Oscar-worthy performances from Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson, Baumbach showcases all the messiness of a divorce without ever taking sides or simplifying the arguments. In Marriage Story, there are no heroes or villains. Instead, there are only two people attempting to navigate all the pain and frustration that comes with ending their relationship. Rather than bog down the viewer with flashbacks and very little backstory, the film focuses entirely on the present and what has to happen next in order for this family to find a new space for success and healing.

Honest, searing and hilarious at times, Baumbach’s Marriage Story spins a story that shows the true pain of family separation while also showing what a couple needs to do in order to begin again.

Marriage Story had its North American premiere last week at the Toronto International Film Festival and plays in theatres starting November 6th, 2019. It will also stream digitally on Netflix as of December 6th, 2019.

Filed Under: Film, Film Festivals, Premieres, Reviews, TIFF Tagged With: Adam Driver, Laura Dern, Marriage Story, Netflix, Noah Baumback, Ray Liotta, Scarlett Johansson

BlacKkKlansman – Spike Lee Brings It

August 9, 2018 by Darrel Manson 3 Comments

Until fairly recently, Spike Lee was the only go-to African-American filmmaker. Over the last few decades he has given us important looks at racism and the African-American experience, in both narrative and documentary forms. His newest film, BlacKkKlansman, continues to do so with entertainment, but also speaking loudly about the struggles our society continues to deal with. Even though the film in set in the 1970s, it sounds and looks like today.

Based on a true story (or as a title card at the beginning tells us, “Dis joint is based on some fo’ real, fo’ real sh*t”), the film follows Ron Stallworth (John David Washington), the first African-American detective in the Colorado Springs Police Department. In his first undercover assignment he infiltrates a crowd at a speech given by Kwame Ture (aka Stokely Carmichael), where he meets Patrice Dumas (Laura Harrier), the president of the local Black Students Union. They are attracted to each other and begin a relationship.

While working in the intelligence department, Ron notes an ad in a paper seeking to recruit for the Ku Klux Klan. He calls the number and speaks to a local organizer, telling him how much he hates Black people. (Note: Various derogatory terms are used throughout the film to speak of African-Americans and Jews. You know what they are. I don’t have to use them.) When the organizer wants to meet with Ron, he must recruit one of his fellow detectives, Flip Zimmerman (Adam Driver), to take on that aspect of the investigation. Between them, Ron and Flip are soon deeply involved with the local “Organization” and Ron is frequently talking by phone with David Duke (Topher Grace), the Grand Dragon and Executive Director of the KKK. As the film goes on, they discover a possible violent plot and must try to prevent it.

The film’s set up is by its very nature humorous, but this is not exactly a comedy. The satirical aspects may give us some chuckles, but the reality of the situation (including the current reality surrounding White Supremacy) keeps this firmly grounded in the realm of drama and social commentary.

Parallels play an interesting role in the story telling; especially the parallels between the Black Power and the White Power movements. Both groups, for example, see a racial conflict as imminent. Both refer to police as “pigs” (an issue in Ron and Patrice’s relationship). Ron finds himself with a foot in each group and trying to maintain his role as someone who is trying to make the world better.

But Lee does not make this a film about how whites don’t get it. Certainly the people we meet in the Klan are evil. But even within this group there are variations ranging from Ivanhoe, a drunken, mindless follower, to David Duke, an intelligent, well-spoken proponent of White Supremacy who is seeking to make the Klan more marketable.

The police are for the most part supportive of Ron’s investigation. They, like Ron, are looking to make the world a better place. There is one exception, a racist cop (Fredrick Weller), who relishes using his power over Black people—including Ron. But the chain of command and Ron’s colleagues in the investigation are upright folk, not stereotypes of abusive power.

The film would be entertaining if all it did was reflect back on that time and see the battle against racism at that time. But the parallels with our own time are so strong that we can’t ignore them. It should be noted that David Duke was calling for “America first” and “Make America great again” decades before Donald Trump campaigned on those slogans. That language permeates the film. There are also references to police shootings of African-Americans with no consequences. All of this reminds us that the struggle over race in this country has really not come very far over the years. Lee makes that point even more strongly by including at the end of the film clips of news coverage of Charlottesville, complete with comments by President Trump and the real David Duke. The final image of the film makes it clear that this is a call to action—to continue the resistance to racial hatred as Ron Stallworth sought to do so long ago.

Photos courtesy of Focus Features

 

 

Filed Under: Film, Reviews Tagged With: Adam Driver, black power, charlottesville, David Duke, John David Washington, Ku Klux Klan, Kwame Ture, Laura Harrier, racism, Ron Stallworth, Spike Lee, Topher Grace, white supremacy

The Last Jedi: Identifying the Enemy

January 2, 2018 by Heather Johnson 17 Comments

I know who Snoke is.

Ok, I admit that I originally had that as the title, but could foresee the flood of “clickbait” accusations with the overall discontent surrounding Snoke’s identity, so I moved it. But in all seriousness, I do know who he is. In a way.

I know there are hundreds of articles on Star Wars: The Last Jedi, so what could one more hurt? I enjoy discussing and reading countless theories and thoughts because there is always something new in the Star Wars universe that may have been overlooked the first time around. I mean, it’s a timeless story that spans generations and galaxies, and bridges the past with the experiences of the present and with a hope for the future. The conversations after the credits are part of what makes Star Wars Star Wars.

I want to be sensitive to everyone’s personal definitions of “spoiler,” so if you are still avoiding all of the press and discussion until you see it, here is where I say “it’s better to be safe than sorry,” and perhaps come back later. For everyone else, I want to talk about Snoke.

Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis) has been an enigma since The Force Awakens gave us a holographic introduction of a seemingly larger-than-life villain with a mastery of the Dark Side of the Force. He not only controlled the First Order, but guided and influenced a young Ben Solo, a former Jedi-in-training under the tutelage of Luke Skywalker (Adam Driver and Mark Hamill respectively), and transformed him into Kylo Ren.

In The Last Jedi, Snoke is still in charge, and still pushing Kylo Ren to a deeper commitment to the Dark Side. Granted he isn’t as physically imposing up close and personal, but his power seems all but absolute, much like the villains that have come before him. In the prequels, Senator/Chancellor/Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) seduces Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) with a promise that he can prevent the death of Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman). In epsidoes IV-VI, Darth Vader (voiced by James Earl Jones), uses the family connection between himself, Luke and Leia (Carrie Fisher) in multiple attempts to turn the young Jedi into following in his father’s footsteps.

Snoke uses those same external influencers and family connections but in a very pointed way, as he flips the relational dynamic between the “target” (in this case, Ben Solo) and the path of darkness. And this is what makes Snoke far more dangerous, and far more recognizable as a villain, than either Palpatine or Vader.

Instead of focusing on what the Dark Side can offer, Snoke uses the weaknesses he sees in Kylo, compares him to those he has admired (or hated), and twists a manipulating knife of self-loathing and doubt deeper into Kylo’s vulnerable soul. Snoke has taken hold of Kylo’s sense of self…who he is, his bloodline, his purpose, his talent…and poisoned it with talk of inadequacy and failure. It isn’t that the Resistance is too strong, or Rey too powerful for him to defeat, it’s that Kylo is too weak. His conflicting feelings keep him from doing what is necessary. Snoke feeds the doubt that is already inside of Kylo…that is inside of all of us…to maintain his control over him.

And this is why Snoke is such a dangerous enemy – not because of his skills with a lightsaber (apparently none), or because he has a connection to the villains before him (we actually get nothing of his backstory, which I think is what makes him even more dangerous) – but because of how he pulls the strings. His approach feels familiar because most of us have seen it or lived it in our own lives.

I mentioned that we get nothing on Snoke’s backstory. Maybe it will come later, but I don’t think it’s necessary. Snoke is more dangerous for the same reason Rey is more powerful – because they aren’t anyone “special.” Like the Force can choose anyone, so can the Dark Side. Snoke is a scarred, dangerous, hurtful person not because of who he may have been, but because of how he permits the Dark Side to work within him and in turn, helps him convince Kylo Ren that is an epic failure.

There are people in our lives that seem to have an unshakeable hold, and not because they are caring and supportive, but because they feed the small voice inside of us that whispers “you aren’t good enough, you aren’t smart enough, you aren’t pretty enough, you aren’t thin enough, you aren’t rich enough.” They poison our hearts with false declarations of our identities and leave no room for us to break free. Their power doesn’t come from a supernatural source or an inherently evil past (for most people anyway), it comes from the moment we accept their assessment of our weakness.

Snoke’s identity is clear: he is the abuser. He is the former boss, the ex-spouse, the controlling significant other, the overbearing parent, the toxic friend…Snoke is the manipulator in our lives that plants seeds of self-doubt and worthlessness, who cultivates a garden of thorns in our hearts, devoid of the warmth of the sun and relief of the rain. His sickening self-confidence that Kylo will strike down his “true enemy” solidifies his position as abuser. He is absolutely convinced that Kylo belongs to him. 

Our hardest battles aren’t fought with weapons and epic cinematic throw-downs (although the tag team of Rey and Kylo was majorly epic in my opinion), but in quiet determination, with a few key people pulling us through – both past and present.

I find it no accident that Kylo cuts the tie to his abuser with the Skywalker lightsaber when he strikes down Snoke. Kylo has been unsuccessful in the past at retrieving that lightsaber, yet in this scene he wields it effortlessly. You can’t convince me that Rey’s presence in Kylo’s life isn’t fueling his already conflicting soul, encouraging him to break free, making it possible for the lightsaber to respond to his command. And for me, having it seem such a simple act is what makes it so poignant and powerful.

Now Kylo did identify his true enemy and take him out, but the remnants of Snoke’s power still run deep. We see this play out for the remainder of the film. At first this really bugged me, as I was so ready for him to turn light. But it can’t be that way. It hardly ever is. When we take that first step away from a toxic presence, we are simultaneously at our strongest and weakest points. The journey is just beginning, which makes it vital to surround ourselves with people of light, like Rey and the fledgling remainder of rebels, as opposed to dwelling on our anger and sense of injustice and pouring our energy into violent revenge. Snoke’s role is far from removed because Kylo still reels and responds to his influence.

But there is hope! There is always hope, and in true Star Wars fashion, we are left with an image of resiliency, inspiration, and dare I say it…grace for the ones fighting a battle deeper than we may ever know.

 

Filed Under: Film, Reviews, Star Wars Tagged With: abuser, Adam Driver, Carrie Fisher, Finn, Kylo Ren, Luke Skywalker, Mark Hamill, Rey, Snoke, Star Wars, The Last Jedi

Star Wars: The Last Jedi -The Force of Hope

December 13, 2017 by Darrel Manson 1 Comment

“That’s how we’re going to win. Not by fighting what we hate, but by saving what we love.”

Okay, so millions of people are going to see Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the newest installment of the Skywalker saga. They will go for many reasons: They’ve been following this story for forty years. It is such a piece of popular culture that to not see it would be unthinkable. There are amazing special effects and battles. It is the last film for Carrie Fisher, who died nearly a year ago. Some will go to nitpick the physics. Others will want to consider the mythology around the Force and how that relates to our own ideas of philosophy and religion. This review is primarily directed to that last group.

The film carries the story on from The Force Awakens. The First Order is seeking to eliminate the last of the Resistance. Leia (Carrie Fisher) manages to evacuate their planet just before the First Order ships arrive, but soon the First Order finds them and puts them under siege. Fighter pilot Poe (Oscar Isaac), who is undisciplined and hotheaded, continues to break all the rules as he tries to fight against the enemy.  Meanwhile Rey (Daisy Ridley), a young woman who has an affinity for the Force, tracked down Luke (Mark Hamill) on a remote island. She wants Luke to come back and bring hope to the rebels. Luke refuses, saying the Jedi need to die off. Yet Rey persists to learn more of the Force. And so the battle goes on between the good and evil, but of course, when the Force is involved, light and dark are often at war within the characters more than they are between the armies.

Ever since the series began with what was later named A New Hope, the Force has been the main spiritual aspect of the series. It has a very mystical element.  The description that Luke gives to Rey about the nature of the Force is very close to panentheism—not that God is within all things, but that all things are within God. (But of course the Force is really a religion without a divine being.) Even though some of the characters are more connected to the Force, in reality, all live within the spiritual system of the Force. And so when each character steps up for their time of heroism or villainy, they are acting out their understanding of the Force. It allows even minor characters to bring enlightenment.

There has often been an almost monastic quality to the Jedi. Luke, like Obi-wan Kenobi in A New Hope wears hooded robes. The shelters on Luke’s solitary island are like the stone bee-hive shaped cells of an Irish monastery. Luke has become very like an anchorite, having separated himself from the world. Perhaps this hermit life is a form of penance. He had brought others here to train as Jedi, but when Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), son of Leia and Han Solo, went to the dark side, Luke’s faith in the Jedi philosophy was broken.

In this film, the real Force-related conflict is centered on Rey and Ren. Both have a special affinity for the Force. They are both in a struggle about how the Force is to be used. That good and evil exist in parallel within the Force is part of what makes the Force an interesting examination of the spiritual/theological realm.

Rey and Ren also seem to be connected in some way. While Rey in on the island with Luke, she and Ren begin to see each other remotely and have conversations. Rey recognizes that Ren is deeply conflicted. Ren sees in Rey a person who is searching. Both think the other can be brought over to the other side. There is a complexity to this relationship that opens many possibilities, both for this film and future episodes.

This film spends a good deal of time talking about hope. When Rey finds Luke, it is because she sees him as the embodiment of hope, even though he has essentially lost hope. The Resistance is trying to survive so that they can be the hope to others throughout the galaxy. Hope, in this film, is best seen in the darkest of times. It is not always easy to live in hope. Poe has not learned to hope, so he often acts impulsively. It is hope that sustains the rebels, even as they face sure annihilation. And hope that gives them new insights. It is also the need for hope that opens the door for Episode IX.

For me, the key part of the Star Wars franchise has been the web relationships. Going back to A New Hope, the links between Luke and Leia, Luke and Obi-wan, Han Solo and Leia, Darth Vader and both Luke and Obi-Wan, and R2-D2 and C3PO. In the current set of films (going back to the Force Awakens) new relationships are forming: Rey and Finn (John Boyega), Rey and Poe, Ren and Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis), and in this film Finn and Rose (Kelly Marie Tran). At the same time some of the older relationships are running their course to a finale. One of my complaints about the Star War series as it’s progressed is that the technological advances in effects has taken the fore and the relationship aspect of the stories has been diminished. As I said, some will go to the film to relish the battle scenes and CGI special effects. Although that is a legitimate reason, I’m not in that group. For me the amount of time blowing each other up is time away from the people and the connections that was so important in creating this franchise.

Photos courtesy of Walt Disney Studios

Filed Under: Film, Reviews Tagged With: Adam Driver, Andy Serkis, Carrie Fisher, Daisy Ridley, hope, Mark Hamill, Oscar Isaac, panentheism, Rian Johnson, sacrifice, Space

GIVEAWAY! Girls: Season Six!

June 13, 2017 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

 

ScreenFish is thrilled to be giving away a digital copy of Girls: Season Six!

Created by and starring Lena Dunham (Tiny Furniture), Girls is a comic look at the assorted humiliations and rare triumphs of a group of girls in their mid-20s. In many ways, Girls became an essential series for the millennial generation, exploring themes of sexuality, relationships and family in a post-modern context. Dunham wrote and directed the pilot of the series, which she executive produces with Judd Apatow and Jenni Konner. The cast also includes Jemima Kirke, Allison Williams, Zosia Mamet, Adam Driver, Alex Karpovsky, Andrew Rannells and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. Shot in New York, the series finale aired on April 16, 2017.

In order to enter, simply like or share this post.  The winner will be selected on Friday, June 16th, 2017.

Good luck!

Filed Under: DVD, Giveaways Tagged With: Adam Driver, Alex Karpovsky, Allison Williams, Andrew Rannells, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, girls, Jemima Kirke, Judd Apatow, lena dunham, New York, Zosia Mamet

Silence – A Deeper Faith

March 28, 2017 by Jacob Sahms Leave a Comment

Months after seeing Silence for the first time, I still find myself in engaging conversations about what it means for people of faith today. The ends of conversations always seem to trail off in a complicated way that demand we agree to disagree, or at least understand that we can’t quite line up our understanding of faith with each other – or exactly with Martin Scorsese. I might argue that this is one of the principle reasons for the director to make the film: faith in itself is not a one-for-one, paint by numbers game; we each come to faith in our own way, even when it’s situated around the same deity.

To explore the Blu-ray, which comes with its sole special feature, “Scorsese’s Journey Into Silence,” I found myself revisiting what I wrote after seeing it the first time – because the film entertained, distressed, and uplifted me all at once. My exploration was deeper than any film I watched this year (with the possible exception of Hacksaw Ridge) as I found myself comparing and contrasting it to other films that discussed faith – or the incredibly heavy decision regarding the safety of others. Films like The Mission (another Jesuit story about faith in the midst of danger that also featured Liam Neeson) and To End All Wars came to mind in terms of faith and doubt in the presence of one’s enemies; the decision that Zach Snyder’s Superman makes in Man of Steel against his own morality but in favor of others stands next to Rodrigues’ own dilemma. And the subject of Christians facing persecution continues to be timely with news out of the Middle East and other ‘closed’ countries.

With that in mind, I revisit portions of the review that I continue to wrestle with, almost weekly, months later:

Silence, Martin Scorsese’s adaptation of Shūsaku Endō’s 1966 novel, stands as one of the most faith-filled films I have seen in a long time. Here, Andrew Garfield (Hacksaw Ridge) plays the Roman Catholic priest Sebastião Rodrigues, who embarks on a journey to find his mentor, Father Cristóvão Ferreira (Liam Neeson), after Ferreira is accused of renouncing his faith. On his quest to find Ferreira in feudal Japan around 1633. Sprawling and beautiful in its perspective of both the landscape and the actors, Scorsese’s film will challenge the audience to consider the heavy theological conversation playing out on screen.

In his initial quest, Rodrigues is joined by another Jesuit priest, Francisco Garupe (Adam Driver), as they travel from Macau to Japan, enlisting the aid of an alcoholic Japanese fisherman, Kichijiro (Yōsuke Kubozuka), to lead them to Ferreira. Along the way, the two priests discover a pocket of underground Christians whom they minister to until persecution falls upon the village at the hands of an “inquistor,” or a shogun samurai intent on eradicating Christianity. Kichijiro is the only one of the Japanese to commit apostasy, denouncing his faith for a second time; the priests escape and leave the village, believing their presence brings more danger to the villagers.

“The weight of your silence is painful.”– Rodrigues

Rodrigues and Garupe split up, and in the interim, Rodrigues wrestles with the appropriate way for a priest to lead his people in response to torture and persecution. Should someone hide? Should someone renounce their faith verbally to protect themselves and their family, all while continuing to believe? Can faith be held onto while verbally denying it? In the situations presented in the early going, apostasy amounts to simply putting one’s foot on an icon, or plaque, with a Christian scene. But as Rodrigues prays, he feels the weight of the silence because he doesn’t, at that time, hear God speak back to him.

“We find the doctrine you bring to be of no use to Japan, and a danger to us.”– Inoue Masashige

In time, Rodrigues is captured, and the images of his life as echoes of the lives of Jesus and the Apostle Paul are played out across the screen. His imprisonment is the result of betrayal, and that comes with a bag of silver literally thrown at the now repentant betrayer; Rodrigues is regularly dressed in royal/priestly robes and walked through town on a donkey; Garfield himself grows to look more and more like Jesus as the film develops over its nearly three-hour run time. All of this is at the hands of the governor of Nagasaki, Inoue Masahige (Issey Ogata), who instructs his lieutenant, The Interpreter (Tadanobu Asano), to break Rodrigues’ spirit. We see this through the nefarious, devil-like tone of the Interpreter, through the way Rodrigues’ European identity (clothes, beard, etc.) are stripped from him, and through the way he will be given a new name, spouse, family, and place to live (an altered mirror image to his entry into the priesthood).

“If the gospel has lost its way here, it is not the fault of the church.”–Rodrigues to Massahige

In the face of verbal abuse and physical persecution, Rodrigues continues to debate the power of God’s providence in the face of persecution. Initially, he and Garupe debated the reality of apostasy, defined as “an act of refusing to continue to follow, obey, or recognize a religious faith” (Merriam-Webster). But the majority of the film revolves around simply stepping on the icon, or fumi-e, until the final third. Throughout the first two-thirds, Rodrigues and Garupe held to their strong belief that Ferreira would not have apostacized, would not have taken a Japanese wife and children, would not have abandoned his faith. Their belief in what they believe about him allow them to believe in something tangible about God – even while God seems silent in the midst of suffering.

“It is not necessary to persuade someone to one side or another, when there is so much to share.” –The Interpreter

I would be remiss to discount that the Church, made up of Christians, have had our own ‘inquistors,’ whether it’s the Crusades of the Middle Ages, the Salem Witch Trials of early America, or some current judgment handed down from one subset of the church against each other or unbelievers. But in Silence, Scorsese shows how Christians find different responses to persecution, reminding us that the terrifying pain these priests and villagers experienced is more akin to the suffering of those in the Middle East today or various communist countries not what we sometimes fool ourselves into thinking is being persecuted in the United States.

And still, I find myself focusing on the way that the Japanese leaders believed they were eradicating a disease from their country, often talked about in terms of a swamp. Christianity was a young tree (given the ancient history of China) or a weed that could not survive out of its European context. In fact, the Interpreter and Massahige believe that they are liberated, that Rodrigues is confused because he doesn’t understand his cultural context or the meaning of truth; he recognizes that their cruelty (which is shown in a wide variety of creative, pain-inducing ways) veers into the extremist territory of cults and power-hungry rulers, turning aside from religion.

“If Christ was here, he would’ve apostasicized for their sake.” — Ferreira

The film circles back to what it means to apostacize, and what it means to be a person of faith. We know that Kichijiro has given up his belief system over and over again to save himself, shedding it like a skin; we see Rodrigues rebuff attack after attack, often at the cost of some Japanese villager. In the end, he must make decisions that echo Superman’s decision at the end of The Man of Steel, showing the universal Christ-figure element to each of those films, and asking, “what must we do for the greater good, both in and outside of the faith community?” But we recognize that there’s a certain amount of “God vision” that we take on ourselves when we judge another person’s actions in a situation in which we’ve never been. What would you or I do if faced with being hung upside down to bleed to death, or if our family was threatened with being set on fire? I find it hard to judge another person’s faith by how they respond in that moment.

“Laudate Eum.”– carved inside a prison cell

One of the most head-scratching, gospel-infused moments occurs when Mokichi returns grace to Rodrigues. Even though Kichijiro is a habitual apostate, a repeat offender on a religious and personal scale to Rodrigues, the priest continued to provide confession for Kichijiro, although Rodrigues himself struggled with how to show grace, to love the wretched. As he deals with his own understanding of his wretchedness, his own reception of grace comes through Kichijiro, two sinners recognizing the beauty of God’s love. While the inquistors have been hellbent on eradicating Christianity from Japan, the audience recognizes that there will never be a “last” Christian in Japan because community rises where two or more are gathered together. At the very least, the audience walks away wondering how they hear God and if they are being faithful in their faith walk in the face of much less adversity.

In the end, Silence is better than you might have heard, and more layered than I can cover in a few words. With echoes of the real-life experience of Louie Zamperini’s life as depicted in Unbroken (or the memoir-turned-film To End All Wars), Silence is based on a novel, but revolves historically around “apostate priests” who lived out their faith more complexly than many of us will ever be challenged to. It is often slowly building and occasionally gruesomely violent (earning the R rating), but even moreso, it’s a testament to how faith and doubt work in the crucible of persecution. This is the kind of film I want for the church – to challenge, to encourage, and ultimately, to inspire to follow Jesus’ steps more closely. Whenever you see it, it will leave you with questions – and hopefully, it will bring you closer to God in prayer and in action.

Filed Under: Current Events, DVD, Editorial, Featured, Reviews Tagged With: Adam Driver, Andrew Garfield, Hacksaw Ridge, Liam Neeson, Martin Scorsese, Silence

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