Hollywood, Christ, and True Freedom
If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.
John 8:31–32
The wrong people are in charge of the interpretation of history in America. Filmmakers, such as Quentin Tarantino, Oliver Stone, and Mel Gibson, have told stories with what is presumably an historical background, only to have twisted history, misrepresented facts, and made up things as they went along for the benefit of “entertainment,” or what they considered entertainment to be. These are only three in a long history of re-writing history in Hollywood, but really it began before Hollywood was ever established. With regard to the American West it began with the dime-store novels of the 1800’s that idealized, overly dramatized, and some times just made up events that happened. Hollywood just followed suit and as worldwide public was duped into believing all sort of falsified facts.
The truth sets people free and lies or misrepresentations of the truth just lead to further enslavements. In dramatizing any historical event there is always room for interpretation, and artistic license also has a place, but in the name of artistic license today’s filmmakers create alternative realities, an entirely different dimension from what truly happened in history. Since these filmmakers do not stick to the historical story line, one has to ask, why do they make films that are presumably about history? The answer is the only thing honest about them — they do it for the money, for the fame, for the notoriety. But by watching these films you will not learn true facts, nor gain real insight into human nature.[1]
Go to Christ if you want to know the truth about life. Examine His teachings and His story. Trust in Him and He will set you free and establish you in a new life, as countless numbers of believers can testify. In a few years, if Christ delays His return, the names of these filmmakers will be forgotten. Future generations might even marvel that we allowed our own history to become so misrepresented, and, hopefully, condemn such behavior. But Christ will still be transforming lives. He will still be touching people and opening their hearts to receive Him and opening their minds to understand life and eternity.
Misrepresenting history just leads to anger, misplaced hatred, unjustifiable pride, or any number of other human emotions, and these just lead to more emotional and spiritual enslavement. The truth in Christ sets us free and builds us up.
[1] Some interesting articles are on the internet about history and Hollywood. Joanne Freed, a high school teacher in Pittsburg, has an article at: http://www.chatham.edu/pti/curriculum/units/2001/Freed.pdf.
