Film History 101

By Martin Luther (Doktor) Sub-adequately assisted by Anthony Sacramone

We meet again, my Lutherans. It is I, Martin Luther (Doktor), back to shepherd you through the vast wilderness of ick that is contemporary motion picturedom. Summer is upon us, and the usual collection of prequels, sequels, cartoons, and bloodfests is bursting forth in cineplexi nationwide.

Now, how are you to distinguish the junk from the gems, the “just good fun” from the “that’s gonna leave a mark on my soul”—in short, how do you separate the wheat from the chaffe when stepping up to the box office and plunking down the vast sum charged for one lousy ticket?

The same way you would spot a counterfeit $20 bill, not by studying a phony, but by studying the real thing—again and again. And that is where we must begin—with a deep appreciation of the classics! Learn what is good, noble, lovely, excellent, and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8) and you will know how to spy a clunker every time.

Yes, my Lutherans, there were movies before The Matrix and Spider-Man—even before Star Wars Episode 1: What a Disappointment! I am too often horrified at the historical obliviousness of so many of our youth today, with their long hair and crazy music and the talking back to their elders and—TURN THAT RACKET DOWN! I CAN’T HEAR MYSELF THINK!

As I was saying...I present to you Ten Films Every Lutheran Should Know and Love, that is, if you want to be considered truly cinema-savvy and film literate. One film per month—not too much to ask in exchange for the ability to know a good film when you see one. So get out your Blockbuster Card or your Netflix username. Here we go!

1. Citizen Kane (1941).

The story of a wealthy newspaper tycoon—told and retold and retold from multiple perspectives, angles, and narratives. But when all is said and done, do we ever really know someone, especially someone of great achievement? Every scene, every shot, is a sign, a signal, about the characters’ relation to each other and their environment. And the ending? Does it truly solve the mystery of Charles Foster Kane? I think not—but you be the judge.

2. My Uncle (1958).

A French comedy. Just what you were looking for, no? But fear not—there are virtually no words. Jacques Tati, writer, director, and star, is Mr. Hulot, a man who is always out of place. He wears a raincoat in sunny weather and sports a pipe he never smokes. As he tries to negotiate his way around a smart new home filled with modern conveniences, the laughs start in trickles and end in guffaws—but you also learn something about that $10 word alienation. Was technology made for man, or man made for technology? Is the faster, shinier, newer always better?

3. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962).

No one likes to be lectured to, especially during what is supposed to be entertainment. But lawyer Atticus Finch, played with an incomparable panache and subtlety by Gregory Peck, is not out to teach a lesson but simply to do his job—save an innocent man from a false charge in a racially divided community. Mockingbird is a study in quiet dignity, homespun eloquence, and everyday courage.

4. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968).

The tag line for Ridley Scott’s Alien was “In space, no one can hear you scream.” For Stanley Kubrick’s 2001, it should have been, “No one can hear anything but classical music. A slow, hauntingly beautiful depiction of a future come and gone, and one science-fiction writer’s vision of what it means to be human—which demands a response from Christians. Despite being almost 40 years old, 2001 still looks cutting edge.

5. His Girl Friday (1940).

Was 2001 too slow for you? Then this is the perfect antidote. Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell star as newspaper editor and reporter, respectively, in the second of what turned out to be four big screen incarnations of the classic Ben Hecht/Charles MacArthur stageplay The Front Page. The rapid-fire repartee between Grant and Russell set the standard for comedies to this day. Who will get the better of whom? (Never mind the last word!)

6. Meet John Doe (1941).

You probably know this director already, Frank Capra, the magic man behind It’s a Wonderful Life and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. But Doe is a neglected gem that highlights a serious theme: how modern communication methods can be used to create consensus and community—or manipulate the masses into angry mobs. It stars Gary Cooper, a man of few words but big screen presence (think High Noon).

7. Bicycle Thief (1948).

A story of utter simplicity: in postwar Italy, when jobs are few and far between, a man’s bicycle is stolen, and with it his means of making a living. He has one weekend to find it or lose his job. What can desperation—and societal indifference—drive an ordinary family man to do? The first winner ever of a Best Foreign Film Oscar (Italy).

8. Bridge on the River Kwai (1957).

Director David Lean and stars William Holden and Alec Guinness in a war picture to end all war pictures. A British colonel and his men are taken prisoners of war by the Japanese in World War II. Rather than wither away in the sun with self-pity, Nicholson is determined to help his captors build a bridge that will stand as a monument to British integrity and workmanship, despite the awful circumstances they must endure. But little does the colonel know that he is unwittingly working against the very cause he is willing to die for. That is the insanity of war.

9. City Lights (1931).

Charlie Chaplin virtually dances his way through this Depression-era social satire about a tramp and a blind girl who find each other in the heart of a heartless big city. It’s one of the most visually referenced and influential silent movies ever made.

10. Rear Window (1954).

Jimmy Stewart is a photographer laid up in his apartment with a broken leg. With nothing to do but stare out his window at the goings on in the homes of strangers across the way (and avoid discussion of marriage with his lady love, Princess Grace Kelly), he one day catches a glimpse of what he’s convinced is a murder. What does he do with this information, especially given his immobilized condition? Legendary director Alfred Hitchcock creates a claustrophobic and tension-ridden movie experience.

Martin Luther received a doctor of theology degree in 1512. He launched the Reformation in October 1517. He died in February 1546 and now operates a blog (lutheratthemovies.blogspot.com). Anthony Sacramone (not pictured, thank goodness) graduated a University Honors Scholar in cinema studies from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and is currently the managing editor of First Things magazine. He also provides Dr. Luther with technical assistance and an ample supply of Count Chocula. Dr. Luther can be reached at martinluther@earthlink.net. If you expect him to reply to you, expect him also to be grumpy.