Most Catholics, it’s safe to say, have a poor understanding, if any, of the initial battle, and the existence of evil prior to the Garden.
Leave it to Hollywood to mess it all up for modern, already confused theater-goers.
In the eschatological conflict told of in the Book of Revelation, the divine warrior St. Michael the Archangel and His Heavenly allies cast down Lucifer and his minions.
In Scott Stewart’s supernatural action thriller, “Legion,” which opens January 22, actor Paul Bettany portrays a machine-gun toting Archangel Michael who cuts off his wings and proceeds to help protect the unborn child of actress Adrianne Palicki at a remote diner on the edge of the Mojave desert on Christmas Eve.
Based on a graphic novel, the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP) has described the film as “blasphemous,” saying that it mocks the faith.
According to TFP, in the film, Michael - a rebel angel - becomes the “hero” in a fight against Gabriel and his hosts who are bent on destroying humanity because of God’s anger.
“The film presents a complete inversion of roles: instead of defeating Satan and the rebel angels in the great heavenly battle, the movie presents Saint Michael as the fallen angel who revolts against God,” said TFP. “Saint Michael’s downfall was caused by his wish to save humanity when God, finding the human race no longer worthy of Him, decides to end humanity’s existence.”
“One of the things that Scott Stewart does in this movie is take typical archetypes and turn them on their head a little bit,” said actress Sarah Anderson in an interview. “There’s an angel with a gun and black wings and tats, and an elderly lady who has a filthy mouth and is incredibly violent.”
Actor Dennis Quaid said that he liked the script because it was “twisted.”
“I don’t think it is going to be on the Vatican must-see list,” said Quaid.
“What if God decides that he’s lost faith in man?” asked the director, Stewart. “We always talk about having to have faith in God, but what happens if it happens in reverse? God loses faith in man and says ‘do it over’? This is our approach to that.”
“Legion puts a negative spin on Christianity,” said the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights in a press release. “... [it] promises to be an abortion of a movie.”
TFP has called for individuals to let Sony know that they are insulted by the film.
While Stewart might argue that the film is merely entertainment, not meant to convey any spiritual message, he’s also directing Bettany in another graphic novel-turned film. In “Priest,” Bettany plays a priest who disobeys Church law to track down the vampires who kidnapped his niece.
Heaven help us.
View Comments
Comments
Join the Discussion
“The Devil Inside” was another 2012 “we have no clue about religion but will do a film about it” movie. The fact that the priest-exorcists are disobedient, the fact that the oh-so-understanding-exorcists do not exclude a woman who is obviously unrepentant about her abortion from attending an exorcism (for their own good, if not hers) is indicative of the level of this attempt at a theological horror movie. Save your money.
http://www.usccb.org/movies/l/legion.shtml
I hope you can check this out
Why do these writers and film makers pick on the Catholic Church all the time? Why not Baptist or Mormons or Muslims, etc.?
Here goes Hollywood, again. This is not entertainment my brothers and sisters in Christ. Look up the Catholic Legion of Decency. I see one or two Hollywood films a year. Since the late 1960s, when artists demanded creative freedom, all we ended up with is going from Playboy to graphic pornography, at the movies and on TV. Shame, modesty, restraint? Love? There was a time when Hollywood made movies like that and only rarely does so now.
Actually, I can see the planning meeting for this one…. [scene] Execs around the board table all pull out their KJV Bibles: “Well, He said he wouldn’t do it again by flood…” “Yeah, but it’s gotta have cool angels, so the teens will go see it - we’re competing with glittery vampires, y’know?” ... LOL
I wasn’t going to see this film, but now I might. Sounds like fun.
“... when God, finding the human race no longer worthy of Him, decides to end humanity’s existence.” What, again! Apparently Hollywood believes in the true “Christian” God who believes in collective guilt and collective punishment by mass murder.
Not only is nothing sacred in Hollywood, but they could release a film called “Lucifer” and a legion of “enlightened” Christians would try to convince us that the message of “Lucifer” is very positive; it’s all about high self-esteem, chasing your dreams, fighting for your beliefs, and starting a new corporation. I’ve spent time in Hollywood. I know how they love the “enlightened” Christians to keep the money pouring in for blasphemy.
Is nothing sacred? I have such an awesome love and for these creatures of God… His messengers… Leave it to Hollywood to take another hit on religious beliefs to make money!
Hey, hey, hey! Lets not go there! It’s just a movie…. and if it’s as silly as Constantine…. a fairly lame one at that. Tim has already used the word blasphemy - so we’re good there. I know priests that like pro-wrestling…. Priests are - get this - HUMAN! They like mac & cheese with tuna, and watermelon wine coolers at BBQ’s and all kinds of things that maybe you don’t. I would not necessarily say this had a “pro-life” message - and I don’t exactly think that anyone should be using terms like “pissing contest” or calling people “sissy”, in a public forum, especially if they want to be taken with respect, but can we stop the name calling and immaturity now? Or are we going to start seeing who can spit farther next? Look! I have a cookie! Want one?
Fr Craig? Is it really Father Craig, a Catholic priest, entering the theater and giving public support to this movie? Your justification for seeing this trash knowing that it is trash? Couldn’t wait unitl the reviews came out so as to temper your judgment? You are the kind of shepard leading the flock astray while trying to be “politically correct”
What some call a “p.c. sissy priest”!!! I don’t think you are a priest at all ...if you really are you need more spiritual direction before you attempt to give it to others!
Bricks,
First, you assumed that I paid for the movie. Wrong. I serve at a very large parish. As you may remember, Christmas just passed. I received many gifts for which I am very grateful. Among those gifts were gift cards to Regal Cinema. I used one last night. Second, your assumption gives me the impression that you think I did not contribute. Well, if you want to start a pissing contest, I too have given money to the people of Haiti. In addition, I have celebrated Masses for the people of Haiti and their families living here in the states—we have many Haitians in our local community. Giving our money to the people of Haiti is not charity. It’s a matter of justice…it’s what we’re supposed to do. Do you really seek accolades for doing what you’re supposed to already be doing? So don’t try to moralize me.
Second, my take on the film is just that…it’s what I saw. That’s my analysis. The film never clarified the “will of God.” In fact, it seemed Michael and Gabriel had been tested. Michael won the battle. The child was saved. God spared the people. You will see that for yourself IF you see the movie.
Third, you call into question God’s omnipotence if you think anyone or anything can “exterminate God”…even by going against His will. How often do we go against His will? No one is without sin; not even you.
Fourth, I never insulted your intelligence and education. Don’t insult mine. Your ad hominem attacks do nothing to help your argument.
I too gave my small amount of spare cash to a collection for Haiti. I put this in the same “waste of time” catagory as Stigmata, The Nineth Gate, Constantine, and my personal favorite, Christopher Walken’s “The Prophecy” - where Gabriel scary as, well… hell, and Viggo Mortenson (Aragorn) is Satan: - Viggo as Lucifer: “Do you know what Hell really is, Thomas? It’s not lakes of burning oil or chains of ice. It’s being removed from God’s sight, having His Word taken from you. It’s hard to believe. so hard. I know that better than anyone.” - hey - you know what, sounds like that got that part right….
Fr. Craig,
My money went to Haiti relief this week, not to Legion. I suggest you return to seminary for Semiotics 101. Just because a mother is with child, the symbolism is not necessarily positive typology. In fact, you have your mother and child with “Rosemary’s Baby.” And yes, if Michael is now rebelling against God’s will, then he is willing God’s extermination (and his own).
“Brick’s Without Straw”, neither the movie nor I said anything about exterminating God. I saw the movie. Did you?
A “pro-life” movie that wants to exterminate God?
January 22, 1973, the Supreme Court handed down the Roe v. Wade decision. We all know what that means; the systematic extermination of human life under the guise of limiting human suffering and preventing over-population.
January 22, 2010, Legion hits theaters—I saw it last night. In the movie, one encounters a young, pregnant woman. She works in a diner which does little business. She is poor. The baby’s father is unknown to the viewer. Yet, there is a young man—not the baby’s father—who loves the young woman unconditionally. He is a good, simple man. At one point in the movie, the young woman mentions how she was close to aborting the baby. She went to the abortion clinic. Knowing that abortion was not the answer, she ran out of the clinic with the intention of giving the baby up for adoption. The angel Michael tells her that her baby is humanity’s only hope for survival. Now we almost have a Jesus, Mary and Joseph typology going on in the movie. At another point in the movie, a man asked Michael, regarding what was happening, if this is the apocalypse. Michael says, “no, it’s an extermination.”
The concept of God’s faithfulness in humanity is a constant is Scripture. God loses faith in us and He sends a flood. Although the movie leaves out Jesus, the “savior type” is in there. Michael comes to protect that child. Gabriel comes specifically to kill the child with the savior potential. Michael makes note that he is giving God what He needed…the protection of the child to be born. After all, doesn’t Michael protect the Woman and the Child from the great dragon in the book of Revelation? While the movie was scripturally inaccurate, so also was The Chronicles of Narnia—which was praised by the Church. Legion took no shots at the Church or Christianity. Legion had a pro-life message. I saw it ironic that it was released on the 37th anniversary or Roe v. Wade.
When a movie has a message that Hollywood likes, then they praise the message and tell us that we should all learn from the film.
When a movie is blasphemous, then Hollywood says, “It’s merely entertainment.”
Another double standard from the Legion of Hell.
It’s a movie it’s fiction the same as the book it’s loosely basing it’s plot on. I suspect the reason they keep making these movies is because they are entertaining, and secondly because they get tons of free publicity from outraged people who cannot tell the difference between fact and fiction.
The Hollywood movies of my youth ( Going My Way, The Bells of St. Mary’s,Quo Vadis and on )were wonderfully made, never blasphemous or critical of religion and became classic film stilled enjoyed today. Who will be watching any of the trash films like Legion or Priest five years let alone 50 years from today? They, like those who act in them, produce them and direct them will be long forgotten. And Truth will far outlast them all into eternity. Much ado!
Why does Hollywood keep making these kinds of movies about religious topics? There must be a couple of them every year.
Answer: Because the devil likes to glorify the flip side of Godly things.
Go ahead, eat the apple, you won’t die…really… trust me baby.
Don’t turn to Hollywood to get your religion. And if it’s blasphemous, skip it. Hit the blasphemers in the wallet.
If God were to lose faith in humans, the greatest of his creations, then he ultimately must lose faith in himself.
So now the new “fallen angel” is defending an unborn child? Sounds like the writter screwed up and let a real virtue slip through the cracks…
Join the Discussion
We encourage a lively and honest discussion of our content. We ask that charity guide your words. By submitting this form, you are agreeing to our discussion guidelines. Comments are published at our discretion. We won’t publish comments that lack charity, are off topic, or are more than 400 words. Thank you for keeping this forum thoughtful and respectful.
Comments are no longer being accepted on this article.