Like we talked about in class, every story has some type of inspiration from a very popular story of the time. Examples of this can be films using scenes inspired by The Wizard of Oz, and even The Matrix. Even looking at The Matrix the story of Neo can be compared to the story Jesus. Neo was the savior that the world needed, and overcame much adversity from people who opposed him. Not too close to the original Jesus story, mind you, but there can be similarities in a story if you make them. Even when looking at The Wizard of Oz, the group who all has their individual problems could be going to the Wizard (Jesus...) to get these wished fulfilled, only to find out that the power was inside them, or something like that. Good v evil. (It's been a while since I've seen the movie)
In
the reading by Frank Tomasulo, he makes a bout about finding E.T. and
comparing that to the Jesus manger birth. "A prenatural being
comes down to earth from the heavens and is found in a small shack or
'manger' behind the main house... He spreads good will and love
during his brief time on Earth and acquires disciples in the
process... He is hunted down and dies at the hands of the ruling
authorities... He is resurrected from the dead, and rises again to
his heavenly home"(275) These comparisons come
even closer to the the Jesus comparison, but the one that sticks out
to me is the death of E.T. Being at the hands of an evil
organization. The scientists did not listen to those who knew E.T.
The best, and that led to him dying a very early death, only through
the return of Elliot (his disciple) to his side. Very weird stuff
here
But
to remain on the point of E.T., I did some research on the topic, and
found a very interesting article on someone hearing about the E.T.,
and had some very interesting things to sat about it. They say, “Thenthere's the clear parallel of E.T.'s life to that of Jesus Christ.Surely this was done on purpose. I mean come on! Really! Do you thinkthat Steven Spielberg just made up all this stuff? Think about it: Acreature from "another world" who is far more wise andloving than anyone on earth. No one understands him and finally thegovernment closes in on him seeking to seize him, but he dies. Thencalling to his "captain" in the sky he is picked up andreturned to "space." Like I was saying, the inspiration from the Jesus story is obvious, but another thing that I also said this is more of an inspiration than an imitation.
Great post Quincy, but I have to say you distorted my view of E.T. just a little bit because i can't get the image of E.T. as Neo, levitating bullets and wearing sunglasses, out of my head. I totally agree with your choice of brining The Matrix into the discussion, not just because it is a great movie, but because it is relevant to the conversation. You can almost debunk Tomasulo's theory with ANY movie you want to because you can almost make a reference to Jesus with almost ANY character in film or literature. Neo comes, Neo kicks ass, Neo saves the world. E.T. comes, E.T. warms your heart and sort of kicks ass, E.T. saves the family and E.T. leaves. It is almost one of those moments where you "Insert Protagonist Name Here" and then you have a Jesus figure. It's not hard to compare anything to Jesus because, like Christianity teaches, Jesus is everywhere and in everything.
ReplyDeleteI really like how you bring The Matrix into this whole thing and I think I have a question to ask about it. What other comparisons do you see between E.T. and the Matrix? Instead of an alien coming to a familiar world, does Neo wake up into one? Is it profound to think about the fact that Neo himself is the alien, without him knowing, and you watch as he struggles to find his place in a new world? Maybe Neo is E.T. and he just doesn't know it yet.
I also like how you comment on the fact that the Jesus reference was intended by the filmmakers. Of course it was! Probably as a joke, taken too far by writers like Tomasulo, but one that still leaves a vivid image in the minds of the audience members. Spielberg saw the initial, loose connection to Jesus and makes a joke out of it by the time of the infamous van scene. Without that scene I think Tomasulo would have a real case for his argument. Spielberg puts the theory to rest in that moment of hilarious irony because it is probably the funniest part of the film--turing "Space Jesus" into a joke.
The Neo thing is great!! Although I still don't buy the E.T. Jesus thing. I can see more of a parallel between Neo and Jesus because of the Matrix movies. Probably because Neo is an actual person maybe, but I can see why people say that they are. Neo saves the world, and E.T. teaches. The big difference with me is that E.T. teaches only a couple and Neo saves the entire world.
ReplyDeleteThe point isn't that ET is literally Jesus, but rather he is a Christ-figure. And yeah, that's so obvious it's like Spielberg lays it on with a trowel. An yes certainly you'd be hard-pressed to watch a blockbuster movie made during the '80s or even after _not_ modelled on the mythic Hero's Journey. That's so common they even teach it in scriptwriting class. tBut that isn't the interesting point, or Tomasulo's point, or worth agreeing or disagreeing with. The real question is, what's Spielberg's intention in using this particular imagery in the particular way that he did, and how might it reflect 80s concerns and values? What you're talking about that's potentially interesting is the idea of imitation--imitation Jesus. _That_ is interesting, especially in a movie like this that references so many other movies, games, ,toys, and which seems to cultivate a deliberate air of unreality (all the fog machine stuff). I'd have really liked you to say more about that--because you're on to something there, it's interesting, and I hadn't thought about it. Don't get sidetracked! :-)
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