Inception 2

In Inception, death is a constant presence. It moves a person from one form of reality to another. However, Dom's imagination, the memory of his wife, the guilt he lives with keeps him returning to a fantasy world of the mind. That fantasy world is an attraction, a pull, even a call to death. It is what draws him to what killed his wife, and it keeps him from the reality of his own children. Is not sin a belief in more than one reality, as Mal asks at the end? Therefore, what can destroy Dom is his sin? Sin allures us with attractive fantasies, and it justifies our engaging in it because their can't be just one reality, that of God and His just hatred of sin.

Interestingly, the person who most often confronts Dom about his problem is Ariadne, who of all the characters in the book, dies the most. Three times she dies in a dream - in her first encounter with a workshop of shared dreaming, when Mal stabs her in part 2 of that same workshop, and at the end when she leaps from a tall building. And we see it register in her face. She, in spite of her name which is taken from the ancient goddess of dreams, is the person most rooted in reality and able to judge Dom's inordinate fascination with what can kill him and harm others who join him on his projects.

Inception is a fascinating and imaginative study of the human psyche, the effect of guilt, and the need for purging that guilt by death. Thus, it not only shows the importance of the relationship with God the Father (see earlier post on the core theme), but it also demonstrates the need for atonement and sacrifice. But the sacrifice is not our own, or Dom would have died at the end of the movie to pay for his sin. Instead, he is restored to his family. Dom is restored from his guilty state by engaging in a project that restores a son, Robert, to his father, Maurice. But Robert must die first, and who kills him in the dream? Mal, the person who gave herself over to the other reality, who believes in more than one reality, and who is trying to draw Dom to death.

To Kill A Mockingbird

You would think this movie would be easy to peg with relation to a biblical theme. It's not. Of course, there's the theme of racial equality, a very biblical principle. We are all created in God's image, all sinners equally in need of a savior. You could also assert that Atticus is a Christ figure, as he stands with the downcast, even risking his life at one point. However, I don't think that captures what seems to have made this movie (and book upon which the movie is based) so captivating. Let me give you some key events in the movie and see if you agree with what I'll later explain as the key biblical theme. I think once you read it, you'll have to agree.

The movie is told through the eyes of a child, Scout who is the little girl in the movie. We also see life through the eyes of her brother, Jem, but as Scout relates his experiences. However, Scout doesn't tell us what she will have learned by the end of the movie. We move along with her as she ages, as she experiences life in Maycomb, as she matures. The basic theme begins at the beginning, when Mr. Walter Cunningham delivers his payment for legal services to Atticus' home. It's a bag of hickory nuts because during the depression, farmers were "hit the hardest." When Scout is surprised to learn that it's better Atticus not thank Mr. Cunningham, Atticus explains to Scout that it's better that he not know when Mr. Cunningham delivers payments; Mr. Cunningham is embarrassed at being thanked. This is just a hint of the reversals of that the adult world performs upon the ethics she has been taught as a child. This adult world about which Scout is just beginnning to learn.

Soon, we learn from Jem of an antagonist in the movie, a strange character named Boo, who is over 6 feet tall and only comes out at night and eats raw squirrels and drools. This opinion is confirmed by Ms. Stephanie, their friend Dill's mother. According to her, he's a murderous fiend, a danger to man and animal, someone to stay away from. In fact, Ms. Stephanie seems more fearful of Boo than the children themselves. Again, the child's view is contrasted, compared, and merges with the view of the adult's world.

Briefly, we meet a minor character, Ms. Dubose, an elderly woman whose sole enjoyments in life are her roses and harassing children with cruel and vicious language if they walk by and don't use the correct language to properly address her. Atticus ends up defusing the situation between Ms. Dubose and Scout by complimenting her on her roses. Adults have to be manipulated by Atticus, but he speaks freely and explains "just about everything" to Scout. In this brief encounter, we see the adult world and the child's world being contrasted, but the adult world looks smaller, meaner, even more childish than that of the children.

Later, Jem, in true child adventure fashion, proposes to Dill and Scout that he go look in the window of the Radley house to get a look at Boo. The escapade contains all that is needed for a child's imagination to run wild with the excitement of seeing the fiend of the town. It's a close call, and Boo almost gets Jem, but even though he had the opportunity, he doesn't act on it. Boo is still a mysterious figure to us and the children because all we see is a menacing shadow hovering over Jem. The children escape, but not without Jem losing his pants. When he goes back for his pants, the childish adventure turns into a potentially life-threatening disaster. But the danger came not from Boo but from Boo's dad, Mr. Radley, who shoots at a prowler near his collard patch. Of course, the prowler was a 7-year-old child, Jem, who almost lost his life because he was retrieving his pants from the barbed wire around Mr. Radley's collard patch. Mr. Radley's fear of a possible prowler, his fear of what he did not know, caused him to shoot first and ask questions later. So, where was the danger to the kids - Boo or the "responsible" adults? The contrast between the children's world and the adult world lessens, and yet it deepens because we start to wonder whom should the children be more afraid of.

Later, after a fight with a fellow classmate at school and a run-in with the teacher during her first day at school, Atticus has to explain something to Scout, something he understands but we question whether there's anyone else in this town who does. Atticus explains to Scout that you don't really know a person until you walk around in his shoes. Scout and Jem are always learning from Atticus, and much of what they learn involves the elimination of misperceptions about him. The story is about misperceptions. The adults in charge are not to be emulated, and the ones who seem to be not much or even evil, turn out to be better than the others. When the kids start seeing people for who they really are is where their journey begins to diverge from that of the so-called adults; they are maturing, while the adults are stuck in childish prejudice.

The kids are impressed with Atticus' advice, but they think that's all he's good at. The shooting of the rabid dog near their house causes the children to begin questioning their understanding of just what kind of person that Atticus is. Experience shows them what they didn't know before. He's also the best shot in the county. Atticus represents civilization. Just as he protects his kids and the community from the rabid dog, he also protects the community and justice from men like Mr. Ewell. We see this when Mr. Ewell approaches him when Atticus is visiting Tom Robinson's wife. Mr. Ewell is drunk and a threatening figure to of all people, children. He calls Atticus a "nigger lover," and Atticus stares him down but does not respond in kind.

Atticus is misperceived by the town also. They're talking about him taking the job of representing Tom Robinson, as if that makes a negative statement about Atticus' character. They fear one of their kind, a white person, going over to "the other side," which they perceive as dark, literally and in other ways. But they judge by the wrong standards.

Mr. Ewell, the true evil antagonist, is a "responsible" citizen reporting a crime against his daughter by a black man. Boo is a fiend, but we learn that he secretly folded Jem's pants and left them on the fence for him the night Jem was almost shot and that he leaves little gifts in the knothole of a tree on the Radley property, which Jem had found and placed in a cigar box, used by Jem as a treasure box. The kids are just starting to look at Boo differently, but this occurs after they start to look at Atticus differently. Their views are beginning to diverge from those of the other adults in town. Reputations are beginning to get turned around at this point in the movie, or set right for us, as we move toward the denouement of the movie, the Tom Robinson trial, where again our perceptions are turned around and righted. But our view of the "responsible" adults of the town does not improve.

Then we see the power of the child. Atticus is protecting Tom Robinson, and he's all alone because the sheriff was called on a wild goose chase. Atticus as the defender of civilization stands against a mob. Atticus stands for the right to due process, a fair trial, and the mob wants to kill a fellow human being. They base their goal on a misperception, a pre-judgment of a man because of the color of his skin. It is Atticus' stand for justice, Jem's courage to refuse to leave, and Scout's innocence and kindness that defuses the mob. "A little child shall lead them."

The childishness that we have seen in the adults in charge results in great evil and injustice, and it makes the childishness of the children pale in comparison. And it is the children who learn something from this evil, and it is Jem who suffers in the end. And by whom is he rescued but by one who has been unjustly treated, excluded, and pre-judged - Boo Radley?

It is the children who can see what's really going on. Thus, the key theme to which the injustice and prejudice themes have been leading to and which has been hinted at throughout the movie is this: "Unless you become as one of these little ones, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven."

Inception-Core theme

After hearing a sermon this morning, I'm more convinced than ever that Eames' statement is the key theme: "You have to start with something much more basic . . . the relationship with the father." The statement appears throughout the movie in a variety of ways. Jesus told his mother that he must be about his father's business. That statement defined his life and death - doing only what he saw the father doing and obeying him and trusting him no matter what God put him through.

Saito is a father-figure in the Almighty sense; he can make anything happen, and he shows up almost with omniscience to protect Dom. He can buy anything at any time, and he seems to exercise a seeming life-and-death power at the beginning of the movie with respect to the worker who failed. He controls the entire American justice system with one phone call. He tells Dom that he can fix his legal problem but doesn't explain how, as if he has divine power. Dom's real father, Michael Caine, is loving but firm, a source of ethics. Yet, he also is forgiving; he kindly meets Dom at the airport at the end of the movie and restores him to his children.

Then there's the executive's son who has thought throughout his life that his father can't stand him, is disappointed with him. But notice that the end of the movie is in his own subconscious, not someone else's. Also, the man who is his father in the dream is not being played by someone else. This is the real inner consciousness of the son, and his perception of his father, like our perception of our heavenly father, has been faulty all his life. How do we know this? Because the son has had a conversion experience - he dies and rises again; he's born again. This time, when he sees his father, he sees the real father, the one who wanted the best for him, like our heavenly father wants for us.

Thus, Dom not only must be restored in his family relationships, by following his father and father figure, but he also is the person who leads the executive's son to a true understanding of his father. It doesn't matter that Dom doesn't plan it all out perfectly; that's the sovereignty of God at work, who even uses the wickedness of Dom's projection of his wife to bring about the death and resurrection of the executive's son.

Shawshank Redemption

The name gives a clue - "Redemption" is in the title. The black man gets out of prison differently from Andy. He gives up on trying to prove he is good to the Parole Board. Like the sinner, he gives up and admits his corruption, his depravity.

But Andy leads the way, gives him hope and a way of living after prison. Andy gets out differently. He has to go through 500 yards of sewage. As Christ had to take on, no, become sin for us, taking our shame and filth upon Himself, Andy takes filth upon himself and comes out a new man, with a new identity, with untold wealth. By the way, like Christ, Andy is innocent.

The warden is a Satan figure. He's a hypocrite, a liar, and ultimately a murderer. He persecutes Andy, even though he knows he's innocent. But Andy conquers him in the end, exposing his hypocrisy and ultimately destroying him. And where do Andy and the black man meet at the end? Like Christ and the disciples, who became fishers of men, they meet on the seashore where Andy is working on a boat which he plans to use for charter fishing.

Throughout the movie, Andy is set up in small ways as a Christ figure. Remember the scene where they work on a roof, and Andy gives financial advice (he's a former banker) to the head guard, risking his life in the process. What does he ask for? Beer for his friends. Andy doesn't even drink beer. The black man (played by Morgan Freeman) is the narrator and says he figured that Andy just enjoyed watching them act normal for once.

The prisoners are portrayed as crude and unable to deal with liberty. One who had been in prison for over 50 years, even kills himself because after release, he couldn't handle freedom, no one telling him what to do. We sinners also fear freedom, particularly the freedom of Christ. We ask ourselves, "What will keep me from doing something bad?" We think we need a stick hanging over us to keep us in line. We want someone to tell us what to do. But liberty can judge for itself what is best and can choose God's way. Liberty implies self-responsibility.

Andy is interested in books and ends up helping other guards with their taxes and finances, becoming something of a celebrity among the guards at his prison and even others. Interestingly, Andy keeps a little hammer, the hammer he uses to dig a tunnel for escape, in a book. What book? A bible. The word of God is his key to escape from the slavery the others live in.

Thus, the Shawshank Redemption is really a parable, an allegory, about salvation through Christ.

Toy Story

While Woody's attack upon Buzz did not involve as evil and murderous as Cain's upon Abel, it was close. The motive was the same - jealousy. And because Buzz went out a 2nd story window, it resulted in the loss of Buzz from Andy's toy world, i.e., his room. Interestingly, Buzz's fault before Woody was his righteous deeds. I John says that Abel's works were righteous, which caused Woody's jealousy. Buzz's fault before Woody was not just his fantasy world of being an intergalactic hero; it was also his service to the rest of the toys. He had become not just an action figure/hero; he was a true servant, teaching and helping the others improve themselves. Thus, while Woody's rebukes to Buzz about his fantasy world were correct, his jealousy and attack upon him for being popular among the other toys was wicked to the core. It represents the indwelling sin of Woody, the leader and stability for the toys upon to this point in his life . . . as a toy.

Woody's only hope is to reform Buzz of his fantasy world, to befriend him in spite of the annoyance of Buzz, the weaker brother, to use all his leadership abilities to form a plan and team to rescue him, and to risk his life for Buzz as he faces explosive death. Thus, Woody becomes like Christ, who became like His brethren for the suffering of death, that He might redeem a people for Himself. Buzz becomes a better friend to Woody than any of the other toys, a true leader, and someone who risks his life for Woody. Thus, each of them portrays perfect love by laying down their lives for their friends.

Toy Story

There is an entire theology surrounding the Toy Story movies. Here is a sample. They create a microcosm of God's world, wherein toys stand in for humans and children stand in for God. Like God, the child loves the toy, giving its existence meaning. Woody best represents the ideal faithful human before God - loyal, subservient, respectful of his position, loving. He's also a leader for the other toys - organizing, encouraging, giving wisdom, etc. He's like a king or pastor leading a flock of people through the dangers of life.

Interestingly, the dangers they encounter are particularly theological in substance - faith in their human child and the assurance of not be lost or neglected or rejected by that child. It is the fear of every human to not be loved by God, or worse, to be loved then be rejected. Woody encounters loss of place, of distinction, to another, an equal. But it is not just any equal, it is a newer toy, with more bells and whistles. Therefore, Woody must deal with his place in the world, where he is becoming obsolete, like an elderly person facing the loss of place and position in life.

The ultimate reconciliation of Woody and Buzz indicates that the body of Christ is one body, with many parts. Each part has its own function, and each one contributes to the other to make each part more. Woody became a less rigid, more tolerant leader, and Buzz realistically faced life with a faith that dealt with his real world, not a fantasy world. Together, they were the perfect pair, working effectively together because they were such a great team and so complimentary in who each of them was.

Toy Story

Amazingly, Toy Story deals with self-righteous, indwelling sin. Buzz is so caught up in his self-perceived hero status that he cannot see the reality of who he is. He won't even listen to his friend, Woody, who tries several times to bring him to reality. His only hope of facing up to the reality of his identity is to hear it from the source - his God, which is the toy company which made him. And he does - through a commercial about him, or at least, his toy. The commercial from his maker tells him who he is, and in an attempt to prove it wrong - tempting his maker - he jumps off a balcony attempting to fly. He falls and breaks, just like man who falls and breaks because of sin. Now he can arise as a crouching human to face what he really is, what he in reality can do - falling with style, and use it for good.

It is the same for us. We must come to the end of ourselves, as we view the law and who we really are - sinners before an angry God. Then, we can face the reality of God's grace and His ability to lift us up from the mire. And we can then effectively use the gifts God gives for good.