Can Film Do God Justice?

Even the not very good films that depict the life changing experience of encountering Jesus make me cry. I long to see that essential salvation moment expressed on film.  But films are mostly not made by people who have had such an experience, and one finds in the depiction of the Christian experience a great deal of awkwardness, misunderstanding, just plain missing the boat, and at worst, willful corruption of the gospel.

As one trained in film and with an eye for art film, I notice the plainness of the ordinary films that are trying to show the extraordinary, but I honor them for trying and see in their plainness a humility free from artistic pretense.  Faith Like Potatoes, for example, just tells the true story of a man and how he changed.  

I am inclined to make a list, but I'll keep it short. It is a non-exhaustive list of films dealing with Christian themes that I would prefer to watch.

Andrei Rublev is at the top.  Nothing compares.

The Apostle

Nativity Story

Prince of Egypt

My Netflix queue is now overflowing with technicolor epics for the giant screen translated into private gems for in yer pajamas (pause it wouldya while I get my tea...)

Paris Reidhead, "Ten Shekels and a Shirt"

"The end of all being is the Glory of God."

(The title of this post links to the complete sermon.)