Movies/Scenes
Representing
Sacrifice/Sacrificial Death
- John Q (2002)
- This movie depicts the plight of a father (Denzel Washington) willing to lay down his life for his son and therefore should be cross-referenced under Abraham and Issac and Cross and Resurrection in the sense of the suffering of God through the evil of Jesus death. As a social commentary, it pricks our conscience about a society with medical services for those who can afford them and death for those who cannot. As redemptive drama, it also shows the metanoia or reversal of thinking in several characters who broker the power of the HMO medical system but in the end ultimately side with the powerlessness of John Q. and his son. (Dr. Barry A. Woodbridge, Orangethorpe Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Fullerton, CA)
- The Road to
Perdition (2002)
- This is a violent, yet powerful movie which explores the father-son theme using three sets of relationships: that between elderly Irish mob boss, John Rooney and his cold-blooded right hand enforcer, Michael Sullivan ("You are like a son to me."); that between Michael Sullivan, Sr. and his 12 year old son, Michael, Jr.; and that between John Rooney and his biological amoral son, Connor. The story dramatizes how Michael, Sr. attempts to save his son from going down "the road to perdition," (the road to Hell) that he himself has been traveling as a calculating, cold-blooded killer. His love for his boy means he will go down that road to hell in order to save his son. (Pastor Tom Koelln, Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Rochester, MN)
- Pay It Forward (2000)
- The middle school boy sacrifices his life to live the ideals of service and sacrifice he has as part of a school project. (Betsy Skinner)
- In the film, "Pay It Forward" Trevor, a seventh-grader, responds to the call of his Social Studies teacher to come up with a plan to change the world and act on it. Turning "pay backs" upside down, he devises, "pay it forward" wherein you seek to find three people who need some help in a "really big" way and requiring some kind of sacrifice one helps these three with the understanding that if they are helped they will pay it forward to three more people...and the plan works in wonderful ways, resulting in the death of the student who sacrifices his life for one of his people. His compassionate heart is memorialized at the end of the film as we see a long line of cars...people who have been touched by this sacrifice who never knew him, but have experienced his compassion in their lives through someone else. (Rev. Diane C. Jackson)
- X Men (2000)
- Wolverine risks his own life (shedding blood and receiving stripes in the process) bestowing his own healing power, to heal the deadly wounds of a friend (a "Rogue" no less, now that is grace). (Benjy Oliver)
- Dancer in the
Dark (2000)
- Bjork playing the lead in "Dancer in the Dark" sacrifices herself for her son, through her work and by refusing to admit that she shot the policeman because he was stealing her money, since she is scared that if she tells of the money it may not go to save her son's sight. By keeping quiet she is doomed to receive the death penalty. (Timothy Leuers)
- Vertical
Limit (2000)
- "Vertical Limit" a film full of sacrifice. The father the beginning of the film asks to be cut from the rope so that his son and daughter might live. Elliot the millionaire asks (and then forces) Bob, the injured climber, to sacrifice himself when they are trapped in a cravasse with limited supplies of water and medicine. The Bench brothers and the Pakistani rescuer sacrifice themselves for the three that are trapped in the cave. The Pakistani rescuer says - "Allah says that it is not when you, but what you do before you die that matters." At the end of the film, Wick cuts himself, and Elliot, from the rope, thus repeating the sacrifice made at the beginning of the film, proving his words to the guilt ridden hero "If your father had the knife he would have cut the rope himself." Prior to the action shown in the film, Wick "pulled three men down off the mountain" losing all his toes in the process in a previous rescue mission. (Timothy Leuers)
- Mission to Mars (2000)
- The most memorable scene in this rather forgetful movie is the self giving of the Captain (Tim Robbins) when he sacrifices his life for the good of the crew. A good scene for Passion Sunday or Good Friday? (Larry Broding)
- The Confession (1999)
- Bleakie "self-destructs" - sacrifices his career and all he's lived for, in order to find himself and be regenerated as a moral man.
- The Insider (1999)
- What was Wigand searching for? What was Bergman searching for? They both sacrificed for what they thought was the right thing to do. Did either of them make a difference to others? In their own lives/identities? (Brenda Ransdell)
- Bicentennial Man (1999)
- Andrew (Robin Williams) is an android who develops the sensitivity, creativity and emotions of a human. Over a period of more than 150 years, he persues his dream of being recognized as human. His appeals are denied because, since he cannot die, he lacks the essential mortality of humanity. Finally, Andrew arranges for his body to deteriorate. He would rather die as a man than live forever as a machine. Andrew enbraces the "cross" of mortality, giving up his life in order to gain it. (FUMC, Natchitoches, LA)
- Three Kings (1999)
- The American soldiers are converted from their greed to become people who are willing to sacrifice their own freedom for the freedom of others. Through this sacrifice, they understand true freedom.
- The Matrix (1999)
- "Neo (played by Keanu Reeves) discovers the truth about giving his life over for the sake of the community. The principalities and powers, in this case Artificial Intelligence, wish to kill Neo (literally the New Man). They believe that once they take Neo's life, the problem will be solved - the new man will be destroyed. What Neo discovers is this: that the new person comes directly out of the act of self-giving. Neo is killed but rises again." (Robert Widdowson)
- The Phantom Menace
(1999)
- Qui Gon Jinn sacrifices his life in order to save the world.
- October Sky (1999)
- Patch Adams
(1998)
- his love interest in the move is killed simply because she chooses to live with the new idea of medicine. (Amy Wharton)
- A Simple Plan (1998)
- Jacob sacrifices himself "for" his brother.
- Hank's parents have sacrificed themselves for him, though he didn't know it.
- Hank "sacrifices" the good life and family he has for money that he ends up not keeping.
- Waking Ned Divine
(1998)
- The Irish film, Waking Ned Divine, reflects well on the theme of one man's death benefitting an entire community. Ned's death not only brings wealth to his small village, it brings redemption for the characters who are trapped in their small lives. (submitted by Miles Hardy)
- Everest (1998)
- The grief, the challenge, sacrificial acts and the son Sherpa's faith are unforgettably moving. (Pamela Harvey)
- City
of Angels (1998)
- Seth is willing to sacrifice his eternal life as an angel in order to love. When Maggie is killed, he has sacrificed his eternal life for a moment of love/touch.
- Armageddon (1998)
- I would like to submit the movie "Armaggedon" as an excellent example of someone dying to save others (in this case the world) when Bruce Willis allows himself to get nuked to destroy the asteroid hurtling to earth. Easy to link up to Christ's death. (Steve Scotton, Toowoomba, Australia.)
- Life is Beautiful
(1997/98)
- Guido sacrifices self for his son. (See review at Hollywood Jesus.)
- Amistad
(1997)
- The judge is willing to sacrifice his position by freeing the Africans
- The
Fifth Element (1997)
- Leeloo as the redemptor who lights up the world and explodes evil. (see review at Hollywood Jesus)
- The Apostle
(1997)
- "He?s working in the restaurant in Bayou Butte, Louisiana and he sees his new woman-friend, Toosie (Miranda Richardson), whom he has dated a couple of times. She?s together again with her family at the restaurant. That really hits him. He suffers a broken heart. Humanly, he knows he has defeated himself. He has himself sent her back to her husband, back to her family. But that "success" hurts him. He has the pain of a man losing something, his relation to Toosie. It was something he had thought might become beautiful. But he knows it?s right that she?s back with her husband and her children." (From "The Apostle: An Interview with Robert Duvall," Bill Blizek and Ronald Burke, Journal of Religion and Film, 1998.)
- Eye of God
(1997)
- Sacrifice of ones' children
- Titanic
(1997)
- Jack sacrifices his life for Rose - decides not to try to climb out of the water in order to give her a better chance to survive.
- Sling Blade (1996)
- "To understand the depth of Karl?s sacrifice for Frank, one must pay careful attention to a particular night-time conversation between the two, three-quarters of the way through the film. It is at this time that Karl first relates the details of being given his baby brother to bury in the backyard. Frank is appalled by the story and remarks that those who willingly commit murder "will go to hell." Karl agrees." ("The Messianic Figure in Film: Christology Beyond the Biblical Epic," Matthew McEver, Journal of Religion and Film, 1998.)
- The Crucible
(1996)
- John Proctor (Daniel Day Lewis) and others in the lead and minor roles in the versions of "The Crucible" sacrifice themselves for their integrity. John is asked to sign a document confessing he is a witch. At first he does, for the sake of his pregnant wife, but then he retracts his confession when he realises that his confession will blacken the names of those that already have been wrongly accused of witchcraft. (Timothy Leuers)
- Breaking the Waves
(1996)
- Bess goes to a ship none of the prostitutes will go to, knowing that the men there are extremely violent and they are angry with her. It will be bad and is, but by her death Jan is healed. (submitted by Darrel Manson, Artesia CA)
- Jerusalem (1996)
- This movie has the aura of an Ingmar Bergman production, with a series of twists and turns in the plot and thought-provoking motifs. It is based on the novel by Selma Lagerlof, and portrays Swedish peasant life around the turn of the 20th Christian viewers of this movie will likely be interested in the themes of: mainline versus apocalyptic-sectarian faith, authority and power, discerning the truth, suffering and sacrifice, love and forgiveness. I highly recommend Jerusalem because of theological grist for the the mill that it provides. (The Rev. Garth Wehrfritz-Hanson)
- Courage Under Fire
(1996)
- Right at the end when the "Truth" gets told - the scene where Meg Ryan refuses to leave a man dying and eventually gives her life to save her men. Then they deny it and tell the rescuers she is dead. (Luke Whiteside, Youth Alpha Australia)
- The Stand (1994)
- The Game Show Crucifixion in Las Vegas which serves to bring the "evil people" together for their apocalyptic self-destruction at the Hand of God. (DVD pt 4 ch 17)
- Natural Born Killers
(1994)
- Wayne Gale is killed in a crucifix (or Buddhist monk's!) position. He is the representation of the media which caters to the public fascination of violence, which must be sacrificed before the cycle of violence can end.
- City of Joy
(1992)
- A wonderful movie about a man (Swayze) searching for meaning in his life. It is only in his giving up his life that he starts to live. To live for God. To truly live.
- Terminator 2: Judgment Day
(1991)
- In the closing scene, the Terminator (who in the previous film was the arch-enemy - links to Lucifer!), is lowered into a vat of molten metal, because this is the only way to destroy his otherwise indestructible micro-chip and the power of destruction that it contains. The destruction must be accomplished by his friends, as he is unable to "self-destruct" - powerful connotations for considering the Judas story. The knowledge of what it means to be human and to feel grief is also highlighted. The final image of his destruction is a hand (God to man? Crucifixion?) reaching up (also links back to the last image in the first film, where the hand which kept coming alive represented the power of evil.) The whole film has strong themes of salvation and the cost of salvation - for instance, is it justifiable to destroy a family in order to save the world? (David Hogg)
- Dead
Poet's Society (1989)
- "Keating?s disciples are questioned and pressured into signing a confession, all set into motion by a betraying Judas who tells the other students "save yourselves." Keating?s regeneration comes in the final scene, when the disciples engage in a demonstration which affirms his impact on their lives." ("The Messianic Figure in Film: Christology Beyond the Biblical Epic," Matthew Mc Ever, Journal of Religion and Film, 1998)
- Babbette's Feast
(1987)
- Babbette sacrifices self/fortune for meal
- sacrifices two sisters make for each other.
- The Mission
(1986)
- De Nero and Jeremy Irons in "The Mission" sacrifice themselves for God and their parishioners. (Timothy Leuers)
- Places in the
Heart (1984)
- Moze is beaten and forced to leave town because of his care for Edna and her family.
- Sophie's
Choice (1982)
- Sophie sacrifices herself for her son - her son is killed anyway.
- Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan
(1982)
- In the second Star Trek movie (released in about 1982-1983), Christological references abound. The crew is faced with certain death as a nuclear reactor begins to leak and must be repaired. Spock enters the room where the reactor is and repairs it, sacrificing himself for the lives of the crew. As he dies, he says to Kirk words to the effect: "It is better for the one to die for the many, or the few." He then recites a line from The Tale of Two Cities (which Kirk has been reading): "It is a far far better thing I do today, than I have ever done before." Spock is "buried" with honors (as the bagpipes play "Amazing Grace")in a capsule that is sent to a planet that is a newly born paradise, where the "Genesis" project has just been detonated, bringing life where none was before. (Chip Gorman)
- The Shining (1980)
- Hallorann is killed by Jack Torrance after he is "called" to the Overlook, but it is his vehicle that allow Danny and Wendy to escape.
- The Exorcist
(1973)
- Father Karras sacrifices himself in order to keep the demon from killing Regan.
- Papillon (1973)
- Papillon endures the torture of solitary confinement and darkness for not divulging that it was Degas who gave him the coconuts. (See "coconuts" again during Papillon's "Sabbath" of freedom and during the final escape scene.)
- The Poseidon Adventure
(1972)
- Older priest stays to take care of the weak and injured even though he knows that the younger priest is finding a way out. (DVD ch 12)
- The younger priest holds back the steam so the others can pass, and then drops to his death. (DVD ch 22)
- Mrs Rosen - the former underwater swimming champion - saves the priest (and thus the group), but loses her life while doing so. She almost makes it to the end but does not leave the ship alive.
- Cool Hand Luke (1967)
- The 50 eggs also represent the 50 souls of the inmates that Luke sacrifices himself for. (Dean Cramer)
- Fail-Safe (1964)
- New York is sacrificed after an accidental attack is launched on Moscow. The President (Henry Fonda) sends his friend to fly the aircraft that will destroy NY, even while the President's wife is visiting the city. Buck, the pilot has recurring nightmares of a bullfight. Another figure, played by Walter Matthau, urges an immediate all out attack, sacrificing millions of lives in the name of peace. (Michael Clark, Hamilton, Canada)
- Mister Roberts (1955)
- In order to gain much needed recreational liberty for his men, Cargo Officer Lieutenant (jg) Doug Roberts submits to his captain's demands that he quit sending requests for what Roberts wants more than anything: a transfer to the war front. (David K. Miller)
