October 12, 2007
“Elizabeth: The Golden Age,” a new film about Queen Elizabeth opens today in theaters. There is nothing new, however, about the way British Catholics are depicted compared to their Protestant counterparts.
According to the New York Times, the portrayal of the “Catholic-led holy war” waged by Spain’s King Philip II against Elizabeth, “with its ominous monks and Latin chants, reeks of ‘The Da Vinci Code.’” And the National Catholic Register's critic reports that the flick shows that “everything bad, evil and corrupt in the world ultimately is the bitter fruit of…Catholicism.” In contrast, Protestantism represents “conscience, religious freedom, and of course heroic resistance to Catholic oppression.”
Such bigotry against Catholicism is rather old-fashioned. The notion that Catholics are conspiratorial, socially backward and not to be trusted by their enlightened, Protestant neighbors was abandoned long ago by many across the pond. It is far from dead, however. Even now, in the twenty-first century, neither a Catholic nor anyone married to a Catholic may hold the throne in the United Kingdom. This is one of the lingering effects of Elizabeth’s reign.
The only film I plan to see this year is Bella . This Christmas season, I plan to rent or buy any one of the following films for home viewing. Microwave some popcorn, pour a drink, sit back with the bassets and truly enjoy a good movie.
I don’t agree with all of the movies on the “50 Greatest Catholic Movies of All Time. (Quiz Show? Groundhog Day? I wouldn’t have picked Schindler’s list either, because of Liam Neeson flashing his bum.)
Here are the ones I would keep on the list and others I would add below:
Greatest Catholic Movies:
Going My Way
The Quiet Man
Song of Bernadette
Ben Hur
A Man for All Seasons
It’s a Wonderful Life
The Scarlet and the Black
Additions:
The Passion
Sound of Music
The Trouble with Angels
Keys to the Kingdom (Gregory Peck)
How Green was My Valley (Maureen O’Hara, Roddy McDowell)
An Affair to Remember (scene where they visit the aunt)
Yours, Mine and Ours
A Thousand Men and a Baby (a little cheesey with “John Boy”, but a tear-jerker)
Cinderella Man (Russell Crowe)
Count of Monte Cristo (Jim Caviezel)
Lord of the Rings Trilogy
Trouble Along the Way (John Wayne, Donna Reed)
Bella (probably came out after list was published)
I am sure I am missing a bunch. Anyone have any others?
I don’t agree with all of the movies on the “50 Greatest Catholic Movies of All Time. (Quiz Show? Groundhog Day? I wouldn’t have picked Schindler’s list either, because of Liam Neeson flashing his bum.)
Here are the ones I would keep on the list and others I would add below:
Greatest Catholic Movies:
Going My Way
The Quiet Man
Song of Bernadette
Ben Hur
A Man for All Seasons
It’s a Wonderful Life
The Scarlet and the Black
Additions:
The Passion
Sound of Music
The Trouble with Angels
Keys to the Kingdom (Gregory Peck)
How Green was My Valley (Maureen O’Hara, Roddy McDowell)
An Affair to Remember (scene where they visit the aunt)
Yours, Mine and Ours
A Thousand Men and a Baby (a little cheesey with “John Boy”, but a tear-jerker)
Cinderella Man (Russell Crowe)
Count of Monte Cristo (Jim Caviezel)
Lord of the Rings Trilogy
Trouble Along the Way (John Wayne, Donna Reed)
Bella (probably came out after list was published)
I am sure I am missing a bunch. Anyone have any others?
If it's a movie, I probably haven't seen it. Our family goes to the movies once or twice a year. We're very careful about what we support.
Sadly, this propaganda will have its effect, just like the Da Vinci crap.