I want to talk about the movie American Sniper, but I also want to talk about a broader concept than that. Let's talk really frankly about the movies that we watch and what we believe they are meant to "do" versus what they actually do.
First off, the movie American Sniper. It has been very highly acclaimed all across the nation. I'm sure you or one of your friends has seen it and loved it. It inspires patriotism, it helps us understand what our soldiers go through, it honors their sacrifice, it honors a true American hero, Chris Kyle.
It also contains more than 200 swear words, 100 alone being the f word. It contains gratuitous and graphic violence, and it contains somewhat mild sexual content.
Many of those good things I listed are true about this film, which is why many LDS members who have been raised their whole lives to avoid R rated films are now dusting off their "well, there's no specific guideline on ratings..." excuses to watch this film. We bring up films like The King's Speech, which was an inspiring film with "just one scene of language that was relevant to the story line." We might bring up The Last Samurai, which featured little foul language, no sexual content, and the violence wasn't even very graphic. We may even go so far as to remind the world that if the Book of Mormon were a movie, it would be rated R for sure due to its graphic content, particularly in the 9th chapter of Moroni as well as all throughout the books of Alma and Ether. So, we then feel completely justified in going to see a movie such as American Sniper, because its message outweighs its content. A logical conclusion. But one that I submit is entirely misguided and just wrong.
I'm not going to pretend that I've never seen an R rated film. Over the last six months of my life, I've watched at least half a dozen of them, willingly and knowingly. I even have a blog on here from about a month ago where I reviewed an R rated film and talked about how I learned a big lesson from it and it related to my life. The message outweighed the content, naturally.
This notion, though appealing, is just plain wrong.
I can't sit back and pretend that it didn't affect me. I would be failing if I didn't tell everyone I could that it hurt my soul to watch. I became desensitized in the scariest of ways. Suddenly language didn't bother me, and I found myself swearing for the first time in probably 15 years. I even slipped around my roommates at college, people who have been good examples to me ever since I met them. Suddenly, I lost my desire to keep commandments, to go to church, and I found myself caught in the scary position of having a growing disdain for the church and the gospel. These things affect us, whether we accept and admit it or not. We cannot continue to justify our sins and call evil things good and seriously expect to be becoming like Christ.
So, what do we believe movies are supposed to "do"? You may find yourself at this point saying things like "but the movie is just accurately portraying what the war is like. How can we properly understand and honor our soldiers if we don't know what they went through? It's just being realistic, it has a purpose." We believe that movies are how we learn our morals, and that it has to be "real" and "true" in order to get that message across. That is true, and an honorable goal. In our scriptures, a man named Mormon found himself in a similar situation at the end of his life and the end of the Book of Mormon when he was in a war that involved both sides committing such awful atrocities as rape, murder, cannibalism, and shameless torture of women and children. God put these things in the Book of Mormon, and no movie is that bad, right? Yes, it's true that there are some terrible things written in there. However, out of 460+ pages, how many verses describe these types of violent acts? 12. There are others that reference to the fact that many die, that people are killed, but none are descriptive in this way. The rest are easily PG-13 material, PG if done tastefully. And what does Mormon say to his son right afterwards? "And now, my son, I dwell no longer upon this horrible scene." (Moroni 9:20). He doesn't want to dwell on this, because it's, well, horrible. He understands that he's made his point and can move on from it. Also, Mormon doesn't attempt to share all of what's happening, he understands that this small glimpse is enough to make his point without offending God. He says it himself in verse 19, that he won't write all of what's going down, it's just not right. And what does he say to Moroni instead?
"My son, be faithful in Christ; and may not the things which I have written grieve thee, to weigh thee down unto death; but may Christ lift thee up, and may his sufferings and death, and the showing his body unto our fathers, and his mercy and long-suffering, and the hope of his glory and of eternal life, rest in your mind forever. And may the grace of God the Father, whose throne is high in the heavens, and our Lord Jesus Christ, who sitteth on the right hand of his power, until all things shall become subject unto him, be, and abide with you forever." (Moroni 9:25-26).
Does this sound like the kind of man who would enjoy watching American Sniper? How about the Last Samurai? How about most recent Hobbit Film, a PG-13 film true, but one that is almost entirely violence and bloodshed over something as trivial as gold? Mormon would walk out in tears. Just because these things are real doesn't mean we need to see them to understand them. I refuse to believe that Mormon, let alone our Savior Jesus Christ, would sit through a movie that features gratuitous violence, contains more than 100 F-words alone, as well as more than 100 other foul words, and involves sexual scenes to top it off. Too many people are going to see this movie, and I am confident that the screenings are a place where Christ will not go. If you go to see it, I hate to say it, but you're going without Him.
I hope this doesn't come off as preachy or pretentious. It probably does. I'm sorry about that, but I feel duty-bound to share what I've learned from my recent failings. Remember this: I have seen many, many films and tv shows in my life that I regret. Recently. But this is my biggest reason to change: I cannot keep a righteous lifestyle watching these things and accepting them as okay. Satan has power over me and I fall to temptation far too easily. I can't stress this enough. The Holy Ghost can't help me when I refuse to invite it into my life. And there is no way that I am unique in this aspect. Please, consider the kinds of things you're letting into your life. It really isn't about the content in the end, though that can affect you painfully. It's about the attitude that we can somehow watch these kinds of things and still feel the Spirit. If we take the Spirit's guidance and presence that lightly, then we will lose it and not even realize it. And then when we lose the very light that keeps us from making poor choices, what kinds of things do you think you're going to stumble into?
-Cody
"For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?"
(1 Peter 3:10-13)
