Apocalyptic Themes in CinemaSr Rose Pacatte

Pauline Center for Media StudiesSisterrose.wordpress.com

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The concept of apocalypse is dramatic eschatology for a clash of the physical mind process (time) versus metaphysical realm (eternity). Naturally we are all intrigued and utterly fascinated with such a mind blowing topic – Angelene S., undergrad student in Religious Studies (UC Davis Class of 2015)

The Catholic Church does believe in the end of the world and the Second Coming

But …. the Bible does not predict the end of the world or name the AntichristClues in the Bible are subjective to the person claiming to

understand themJesus said that not even he knows the day or hour of the

end of the worldOnly the Father knowsIf the Father didn’t tell the Son why would he tell anyone

else (especially an American or a Brit or US ally?)

Setting the record straight

Death comes to us allThe human soul is immortal At the end of the world body & soul will be reunited to live forever

Apocalypse

Unveiling or revelation of Jesus as the MessiahDisclosure of something hidden from the majority of

mankind in an era of confusion, chaos, falsehood“The Apocalypse of St. John” is the last book of the New

TestamentBy extension has come to mean any end time scenario

מגידו in HebrewArcheological digA fort on a hill to guard the highwayBook of Revelation mentions Armageddon Rev. 16:12-16Site of ancient battles Literal or symbolic?

Armageddon = Greek for Tel Megiddo

Authentic Catholic Christian teaching:Parousia – the Second Coming of Christ (but can also mean

the visit of a Christian worker); personal presence (Mt 24:27)Eschatology – study of the Last Things (judgment, heaven,

hell, purgatory, the Second Coming)Inauthentic, erroneous teaching:

Dispensationalism – when God relates to people in different ways that the Biblical covenants: dispensations

Tribulation – during the “end times” before the “rapture”Rapture – left behindMillenarianism – literal belief in a future millennium following

the Second Coming (application of 1000 year cycles to God’s plan)

End of times glossary

Profits over prophets?

Science fictionHorrorMilitaryAnimation ComedyCometsNaturePlaguesPost ApocalypticZombie

Profits over prophets?

Religion: The Bible

The Rapture:2nd Coming of Christ in a secret rapture (false teaching based on a private revelation that has found its way into fundamentalist Christian churches and sects after 1830 AD)

Founded by Nelson Darby 1831, Plymouth, UK (Dublin 1827)Tired of dissent, dissatisfied with Church of EnglandPB = First historical reference to pre-tribulation, end time -

rapture doctrine; parousia = dispensations (from Biblical covenants)

“Caught up in the air” (private revelation Margaret Macdonald to Darby)

In cinema: Oscar and Lucinda & Son of Rambow but much more in the culture and politics

Plymouth Brethren 19th Century (Fundamentalists e.g. Assemblies of God, United Pentecostal; Southern Baptist 20th Century)

Special effectsFascinated by choices characters makeWay to reflect on one’s mortalityIf these people could survive … so can ISchaudenfreudeMakes the unknown visibleWay to assuage fear through control: beginning, middle, end = control = crisis of faith due to lack of religious knowledge?

Why do people like end of times movies? (Sr. Rose’s Facebook survey)

Fear – confront fear as in horror film

Choices – consequences

Hope – if these people can survive, so can I

Humanity – the best humanity can be shows at the worst possible time

Death + mortality

Humility - Pride

Faith - secularism

The end of the world is only about American males and

American ideology and fundamentalist Protestant and/or pagan pre-Christian sensibilities

One world or America

Themes

Zombie apocalypse: hostile to human life, assault on civilization

Apocalypse subgenre

Before Christ's second coming the Church must pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers. The persecution that accompanies her pilgrimage on earth will unveil the "mystery of iniquity" in the form of a religious deception offering men an apparent solution to their problems at the price of apostasy from the truth. The supreme religious deception is that of the Antichrist, a pseudo-messianism by which man glorifies himself in place of God and of his Messiah come in the flesh. (Catechism of the Catholic Church 675; Rev. 19: 1-9)

What’s the truth about the end of the world?

The Antichrist's deception already begins to take shape in the world every time the claim is made to realize within history that messianic hope which can only be realized beyond history through the eschatological judgment. The Church has rejected even modified forms of this falsification of the kingdom to come under the name of millenarianism, especially the "intrinsically perverse" political form of a secular messianism. (CCC 676; Rev. 13, 20, 21)

The Church will enter the glory of the kingdom only through this final Passover, when she will follow her Lord in his death and Resurrection. The kingdom will be fulfilled, then, not by a historic triumph of the Church through a progressive ascendancy, but only by God's victory over the final unleashing of evil, which will cause his Bride to come down from heaven. God's triumph over the revolt of evil will take the form of the Last Judgment after the final cosmic upheaval of this passing world. (CCC 677; Rev. 20, 2 Peter 3)

Can authentic teaching ever be enfolded in a = a good (dramatic, funny, exciting, moving, credible, commercial) movie?

The concept of apocalypse is dramatic eschatology for a clash of the physical mind process (time) versus metaphysical realm (eternity). Naturally we are all intrigued and utterly fascinated with such a mind blowing topic – Angelene S., undergrad student in Religious Studies (Class of 2015)

SourcesCatechism of the Catholic Church

http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTMwww.ApocalypicMovies.comWikipediaBasic Catechism, Hill & Wallace, 1999, BostonFilms

2012, Deep Impact, Armageddon, Shaun of the Dead, Left Behind, The Book of Eli, On the Beach, Dr. Strangelove, The Day After Tomorrow