Aesthetics or Theology — What Informs Christian Film Criticism?

The Dark Knight has stirred up some fascinating debates among Christians. Not only has the film become one of the top grossing movies of all time, it explores elements of interest to believers. Good and evil, truth and lies, human nature and redemption, are powerful components of the story. So it’s no surprise that Christians have discussed the film at length. What is surprising to me is the degree to which those discussions have veered away from the film and into theology.

I first caught wind of this through Christian author Bryan Davis’ review. Davis saw the movie as far too dark, the hero far too flawed, and claimed its message “parallels the false gospel that most churches believe.” The ensuing discussion drifted from the movie itself into a debate about Pelagianism and penal substitution. Then, after being disallowed further comments from Mr. Davis,  E. Stephen Burnett recently responded at Faith Fusion with a post entitled, Debunking Davis on doctrine, labels and Gospel parallels. A similar arc ensued at Speculative Faith under the post, Heroes, Sin and The Dark Knight’s Doctrine. At this writing, the comments thread is at 120+, most of it having moved away from interpretations of the film and well into discussion about human nature, depravity and the existence of God. Clearly the film — or its interpretation — has evoked deeper theological issues.

In many respects, the debate amongst Christians could be a testament to the depth of the movie. But in other ways, it’s indicative of the Christian community’s vastly different approach to pop culture and the theological lenses that differentiate our interpretations.

I bumped into one of those lenses at last year’s City of Angels Film Festival, when one panelist noted that certain Christian reviewers refused to watch the movie Lars and the Real Girl. The movie is rated PG-13, contains no sex, no violence, and very little language. So what would prevent Christian reviewers from appraising the film? Its premise. Lars is a delusional, socially dysfunctional man who falls in love with a sex doll. For reals! Despite the quirkiness, it’s ultimately a sweet, gentle film about relationships, their fragility, and their repair. Even more interesting: Lars contains some notable, non-stereotypical portrayals of Christians, something that’s become a rarity in today’s Hollywood. Maybe it’s why Christianity Today labeled it one of The 10 Most Redeeming Films of 2007.

But some Christian reviewers simply refused to see it.

Apparently, it’s more than just aesthetics that shape Christian opinions about film. It’s theology. Disagreeing about plot, dialog, character development, and pacing, is one thing. But positions like those expressed by Bryan Davis or the “non-reviewers” of Lars and the Real Girl, seem to have less to do with aesthetic differences than they do with theological differences. But to what degree should theology inform our critique of art, and at what point does theology actually discolor it? I mean, how important is it that Batman does not lie and Lars does not fall in love with a blow-up doll?

It’s the nature of film that something can be dramatically valid and theologically ambiguous. Of course, this creates problems for believers of a more conservative stripe. They want the Gospel spelled out, the good guys wearing white hats, and the bad ones getting their just desserts; their superheroes mustn’t smoke or curse, their heroines must remain virgins, and every story must have a moral. In short, their theology is their aesthetic.

This is one reason why Christian art — Christian fiction / film / music — exists. The believer can bring her theology to the table without fear of ambiguity or offense; she can read with her biblical lenses on, unhindered by false doctrine and moral obscurity.  But this is also the reason why Christians tend to make such terrible critics of pop culture. We constantly want to super-impose our theology over secular works, hold non-professing artists to our own standards, and expect the spiritual seeker to articulate what it takes most of us a lifetime to understand. Instead of culling corroborative biblical themes from their art, we sit in judgment of un-dotted i’s and un-crossed t’s.

But is it right to impose a rigid theological grid over secular art? 

Whatever the answer, the ongoing discussions about The Dark Knight have reinforced just how much theology Christians bring to the theater. However, I’m beginning to wonder if much of that theology isn’t really a narrow, brittle legalism.