Prior
to watching the film, The Shack, I was
a little unsure on what to expect. I was initially hesitant because I was not
sure of the direction or the approach of the movie, and I did not want to steer
my beliefs. I must say, although I do not agree with the movie in its totality,
it was completely worth the nine bucks! The movie displays a father, Mackenzie “Mack”
Phillips, which is suffering great pain due to the loss of his young daughter.
Fighting a mental war, he his greeted by the Holy trinity. Parallel to
Christian beliefs, that trinity includes: The Father, the Son, and the Holy
Spirit. For the remainder of the movie, we, the audience, received a clear visual
of conversations, encounters, and lessons between Mack and the Holy trinity. After
reading and comprehending the scripture, then watching and taking notes on the
film, there were obvious similarities and there were a great number of
differences. The members of the trinity were the same, but the physical
characteristics were completely opposite from what is described to us within
our text. The power of authority did not seem to exist in the film, yet in our
text we are taught the levels of hierarchy. We watched as human-like features
were given to all the members of the trinity. Although this film is stirring up
great controversy, I thought the reference to biblical work was relatively intriguing.
It is
not uncommon to see films created with the objective to bring a visual to a descriptive
text. Although, the film may not be an exact replica of the book, it usually embodies
majority of the text precisely, adding or removing a few details. In the movie The Shack, dependent upon a person’s
foreknowledge of Christianity beliefs, there were several similarities and
dissimilarities. In both the text and in the film the representation of the
Holy trinity is made up of a dynamic trio: The Father, the Son, and the Holy
Spirit. Due to knowledge of our text, we envision the trinity all as male
figures. During the film, the trinity is displayed as three unique characters
appearing to have come from all different racial backgrounds. What is known to
us as the Father is “PaPa” in the film. PaPa is an older African-American
female that cooks and take care of the house, yet she shares the same powers
and capabilities as the God we know. Jesus, the Son, is presented as a laborer
with physical features of male from the Middle East. Lastly, according to our
text, the Holy Spirit is a powerful force of energy that was created after the crucifixion
of Jesus Christ. In the film, the Holy Spirit is human. Not only is it a human
being, but it is an Asian female by the name of Sarayu. These characters in the
film primarily share the same role as the divine trinity that Christians serve,
but in different forms. Near the end of the film, you see PaPa being
transformed into an older Asian male figure. This gives the audience the misinterpretation
that God will alter himself in order to please us. As seen in 1 Corinthians
13:12, God will make the necessary adjustments within his followers so that
they are able to have a clear understanding of his powers and capabilities.
Another comparison between the film
and the text was the absence and the demonstration of authoritative abilities. The
film showed unity between the three and we didn’t see much of any submission to
one particular member of the trinity. They were all given an equal amount of
authority and they shared an equal level of obedience. In contrast, Christians
are taught that the Jesus was created to submit to the Father. It is read in
John 12:49 of our text, “For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent
me commanded me to say all that I have spoken.” There is no one above or equal
to God, for he is the highest power. Throughout the film, the trinity is shown imitating
exactly what we read in our text, such as Jesus walking on water. The movie
also implements features within the trio that oppose Christian beliefs. Mack receives
a mysterious letter in his mailbox. There is no trace to the date of the letter
and there is no evidence as to how it got to him. He is only left in confusion
because the letter is signed “PaPa.” We later find out that God is responsible
for writing the letter. Initially and emotionally distraught, I thought it was
a way of stating that God is aware of everything that you are going through and
will arrive at the right moments. After thinking back on that scene specifically,
I think the biggest wait-a-minute moment was God’s ability to write and send
physical messages. Granted, I do believe that Christians have the ability to
communicate back and forth with the highest powers that they serve. However, I believe
that ability to communicate with a higher being is strictly oral. Lastly, but
certainly not least, there was a scene where Mack was questioning PaPa about
the consequences of sins. PaPa responds to Mack’s beliefs and states that sins
carry their own punishments. She informs him that it is not her duty to apply
punishment, but to cure it. On the other hand, Christians are taught that “there
is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Sinful acts are followed
by a sincere repent through God. If a sinner choses to continue to live without
asking for forgiveness then they may suffer discipline from God. God teaches
Christians obedience through necessary discipline for sinful acts.
Overall, the film did a phenomenal job
at incorporating biblical theologies into an emotional drama. The life of a
strong father was changed drastically in a matter of minutes. On his journey
back to sanity, he broken down to the core and built back up by the divine holy
trinity. The film and the text slightly clash in certain areas where the trio
is given qualities and capabilities that do not necessarily match those of
Christian beliefs. The film gives more of fictional characteristics to the
characters. The genders and the race of the characters are the biggest
oppositions to the text. Christians know both God and Jesus Christ as male
figures. The Holy Spirit is known to be the spirit belonging to Jesus. After
watching the film to its entirety, I do not think the film was created strictly
to reenact the bible. I believe it was a film created to bring a message or a
lesson on forgiveness and focusing on God.
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