Dark Knight Of The Soul

Brant Hansen has an interesting take on the new Batman movie. He writes:

"The Dark Knight" is cultural rigormortis. It's what happens when we are done, and we are done. Jacques Barzun had it right, when he wrote a history of western culture up through the 1990s, and said, certainly, that our age is defined by boredom. We are excited by nothing, really, but maybe for a moment here, or a moment there, we can try to be turned on. Sex can do it (or fake sex, much more likely) but brutal violence can work, too, if for a short time.

Our culture is lying on the table, and "The Dark Knight" is just another jolt before the flatline resumes.

At least give us this: Our mass-market (which included me, yesterday) is willing to pay for it, but also demands some sense that it was all, ultimately, high-minded, that it was making some statement, that it was horrific, yes, but redemptive, blah blah blah. Expect many hip Christian types to write as much, because 1) That's the essence of being hip, and 2) Who doesn't like Batman?

But it's not redemptive...unless...

Unless we can emerge in the sunlight, after ALL THAT HYPE for this masterwork, this penultimate expression, this marvel-ous creation, saying, "Really? That's as good as it gets?"

Then we walk out into the sun, and decide it's infinitely more interesting than what we just paid to see.

I think I get what he is saying here, but I don't find myself bored by experiencing great art. Perhaps he doesn't classify this film as "great" art". I guess having your expectations in line is probably the first step to not being bored or disappointed. When I see this movie on IMAX on Monday night (God willing) I don't expect to have it change my life or makes all my problems go away, but I do expect to marvel in the creative gifts of the hundreds of different people that collaborated to make this movie. When I observe this kind of artistic expression I find myself pointed to the ultimate Creative One and I find satisfaction in that. The finite creative expressions of humans point me to the infinite Creator. I don't think we have to disparage the former to see and worship the latter.

This line of thinking for reflecting theologically about movies certainly has it's limits. Can watching porn draw my attention to the beauty of God's ideals for sex? Certainly not. Should a movie be watched that seems to simply glorify violence or torture? Probably not. Decisions about what kinds of movies should be viewed need to be made with much prayerful discernment and wisdom. Perhaps the artistic bad will outweigh the good in Dark Knight. I guess I'll have to wait until Monday to see...