Formation of Children
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Movies for Families - 1
Analyzing Movies from a
Counter-Revolutionary Perspective
Hello TIA,
Thank you for your detailed commentary on culture, helping readers to be cautious about movies and books that contain harmful modernist ideas.
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I appreciate your pages on book and movie reviews, and noticed your
page on book recommendations. I was wondering if you had a similar list of good movie recommendations?
It seems that most of the movies reviewed contain a warning not to watch them, so I wonder if there are good movies you could recommend for viewing that could lead a family to the good.
As well, if you have any guiding principles for a father to discern which movies are good or harmful, I would appreciate commentary or resources you could direct me to.
Thanks so much.
May Jesus and Mary direct all of your work.
F.B.
Dr. Horvat & Miss Lozowski respond:
Hello F.B.,
The movie industry, fueled by Hollywood, has been corrupt from its beginnings, promoting liberal ideas and revolutionary themes cloaked by amusing plots, captivating actors and brilliant settings. One of the first film producers in the early 1900s, Edwin S. Porter, is credited to have said: “The best films are the ones that surprise and challenge the audience.”
Scandalous scenes from 1930s films
In fact, the earliest films were filled with partial nudity, impurity, vulgarity and riotous behavior. The producers did this intentionally in order to attract a large audience, for corrupted human nature is attracted to the shocking and scandalous.
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To counteract some of this uncensored evil, the Catholic Bishops of America organized the League of Decency which prohibited profane words, prolonged romance scenes, bad morals and other indecencies, bringing in a surge of “family-friendly movies.” In reality, however, many of the films deemed acceptable had objectionable scenes in them to entrap the innocent.
Today, even greater evils that have long made up the Hollywood scene have been exposed – from child abuse to drug addiction, which it is not opportune to discuss in detail here. This makes careful analysis of any Hollywood production all the more necessary (and, subsequently, foreign film productions as well, since most of them are inspired by Hollywood).
Throughout time, entertainment has had the tendency to cater to the lower part of human nature, even when some glimpses of heroism and idealism can be found in the stories. Shakespeare understood this, which is why he incorporated indecent innuendos and vulgarity into his plays: He desired to entertain the masses.
One might justly claim that almost all movies include some sort of revolutionary error that aims to corrupt the minds of the viewers. Therefore, before watching any film, even the apparently innocent ones, a counter-revolutionary should understand the revolutionary ideas that underlie the products coming from the film industry.
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Romanticism & Impurity
The first error from which it is nearly impossible to escape is romanticism. True love, in a Catholic sense, is firmly rooted in God and springs from admiration and a sense of duty. The love portrayed in Hollywood films, on the other hand, is necessarily transient, foolish, empty, self-serving and sensuous.
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Following a common plot, two lovers are often obliged to turn their backs on their families, communities and at times even morals in order to be together, with the idea that "love conquers all." Reason and responsibility to family are cast aside as cruel tyrants and in their place "the heart" is exalted with all of its fickle passions.
With such views of love, traditional Catholic society is undermined, for the sacredness of marriage is abhorred due to the chains it imposes upon the spouses: A married person is not free to "follow his heart." The Sword and the Rose (1953) is one example of a movie that embraces all of these errors in a vivid manner.
Even if the film does not cause the viewer to sympathize with an adulterous relationship, the two lovers often engage in provocative love scenes. In the past, no decent person would have ever kissed in public; yet, with the introduction of kissing on screen, young couples in theaters began kissing publicly. Of course it was not long that public kisses became common outside theaters as well.
Another danger to purity is the flirtation scenes that creep into even the "most decent" films. What seems harmless and sweet in portrayals of the natural attraction between men and women – such as a little girl batting her eyes at a little boy or getting dressed in her finest and standing where boys can admire her – easily become a danger to the modesty and purity of girls and boys. Children who see such characters in the movies will be inclined to imitate their forward behavior and seek to attract the other sex in the way presented to them in these little love scenes.
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A clear example of this comes from the old Disney cartoon Bambi, which, although filled with many beautiful and charming scenes of nature, is problematic especially in the
scene of the coming of spring as the old "wise" owl describes "falling in love." The flirtatious behavior of the girl characters in this scene should not be admired or found humorous of charming.
Someone may object that the characters are only animals, but they are personified so as to resemble the behavior of forward girls. Flirtation is presented in an attractive and humorous manner, and herein lies the real danger.
Live-action films also contain instances of flirtation similar to the exaggerated portrayal in Bambi. It’s a Wonderful Life contains many such apparently "harmless" scenes, such as the episode in the ice cream parlor in which two young girls flirt in different ways with a boy.
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Musicals are particularly filled with romantic scenes, for instance Sixteen, Going on Seventee from The Sound of Music. The list could continue on for many pages: Let the reader only re-watch his favorite movies with more Catholic vigilance, and he will find countless examples.
Romanticism is almost always accompanied by immodesty. To find a movie in which all of the characters are dressed appropriately all of the time is nearly impossible.
Finally, the old “wholesome” movies or television shows, when they do present stable homes, show the Protestant model family, that is, the parents and one or two children, perhaps three at most: for example, Leave It To Beaver, I Love Lucy, Father Knows Best, My Three Sons, to name a few.
This impressed on the Catholic mind a new model ideal: A family with only a few children so that all can enjoy the good life to which everyone has the right as an American. In the few cases of films that show large families, such as Cheaper by the Dozen or The Brady Bunch, family life is presented as chaotic, trite or hilarious, without religion as the guiding principle.
The Catholic concept of marriage is much more serious and responsible, with a balanced proportion between its first goal, children and their formation for Heaven, and then its second goal, the mutual support of the spouses understood as the commitment for each to help the other to bear the crosses of life.
Egalitarianism & masonic liberty
Egalitarianism plays a prominent role in most, if not all, Hollywood movies. Inspired by the American revolutionary spirit, hierarchy and authority are criticized either openly or subtly. The Masonic ideals of the French Revolution – liberty, equality and fraternity – are always promoted but cleverly concealed without the viewer’s realizing the indoctrination.
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The first and most obvious way in which egalitarianism and liberty are promoted is the portrayal of royalty and the nobility. A typical plot of a Hollywood film involves a hero who must save his oppressed people from the unruly hand of a tyrant. Whereas the peasantry is often depicted as being miserable and malnourished, the royalty is presented as being pompous, overly refined, spoiled and even foolish amidst their excessive luxuries.
Examples of such movies abound, but one worthy to note is the movie Becket (1964), which many Catholics may think is a good film. The first few scenes of Becket show dirty peasants in rags living in disorderly huts, while young Becket gallivants around with the young prince, taking advantage of and seducing beautiful women.
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Peter O’Toole portrays the king as immature and selfish, more like an egotistical playboy than a king trained in self-discipline and warfare coupled with a respect for religion, high ideals and morals. Every attempt is made to create an atmosphere of class warfare between the “rich” and the “poor,” instead of showing the harmonic relationships and constantly escalating social situation of both the peasants and the nobles in the Middle Ages.
In general, Hollywood films foster an attitude of defiance towards authority. Inferiors, be they women, youths or subjects, are portrayed as knowing more than their betters. Hierarchy is ridiculed, equality is the highest virtue, and liberty is proclaimed as a right – liberty of conscience as well as political freedom.
Notwithstanding, liberty and equality can never be fully reconciled to each other, so fraternity enters the scene to cover the contradictions. As long as every person minds his own business and accepts others for “who they are,” everything turns out well in the end.
The Monty Python movies always depict the peasants as filthy and mock the nobility and the Church, a common Hollywood theme.
In summary, some common errors to look for include:
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● The mockery of royalty and nobility by depicting the upper classes as either foolish and ignorant, or as proud and tyrannical. Another example is Chitty-Chitty Bang Bang.
● Children talking back to their parents or being disobedient: Oftentimes the plot of a movie presents a compelling reason for the child to disobey authority, accustoming youth to the notion that they have the right to question their parents or teachers. The authority of the parents is undermined in this cunning manner.
Some examples include the Harry Potter series, Matilda, Brave, Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, and Mulan. As the reader may note, most modern Disney movies promote this idea. Another example of a more serious movie with this flaw is The Man from Snowy River.
● The portrayal of elegant society as being rigid and bigoted while the poor are shown to be personable and caring. Examples include Saint John Baptist de la Salle: Patron of Teachers and The Princess Bride (which embodies many of the other errors on this list in addition to romanticism).
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● Plots involving a revolution against an established authority, especially monarchs and nobles: Once the viewer is induced to sympathize with the revolutionaries, he is one step closer to accepting the Revolution. Examples include The Patriot and Les Miserables (all versions).
● Praising members of the nobility or upper classes who reject refinement in manners, customs and morals. Scenes often show nobles spending time with friends from the lower classes who have a more natural and free way of life, which the nobles then adopt to become more like one of the people. One example is the Daniel Boone episode “Noblesse Oblige”.
● The common people are shown to scorn, mock or complain about those above them, be they priests, magistrates, politicians, nobility and so on.
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● The depiction of the Catholic clergy (priests, monks, bishops, etc.) as being greedy and hypocritical or dimwitted and ignorant. An example is Robin Hood (2010), a movie that also exemplifies many of the above points.
● The promotion of the idea that all must put aside their beliefs and differences to work towards a common goal. Oftentimes, this means accepting the religions or bad morals of others.
The next article will analyze the errors of spontaneity and optimism that abound in films, past and present.
Continued
Thank you for your detailed commentary on culture, helping readers to be cautious about movies and books that contain harmful modernist ideas.
How do we analyze what we see on the screen?
It seems that most of the movies reviewed contain a warning not to watch them, so I wonder if there are good movies you could recommend for viewing that could lead a family to the good.
As well, if you have any guiding principles for a father to discern which movies are good or harmful, I would appreciate commentary or resources you could direct me to.
Thanks so much.
May Jesus and Mary direct all of your work.
F.B.
______________________
Dr. Horvat & Miss Lozowski respond:
Hello F.B.,
The movie industry, fueled by Hollywood, has been corrupt from its beginnings, promoting liberal ideas and revolutionary themes cloaked by amusing plots, captivating actors and brilliant settings. One of the first film producers in the early 1900s, Edwin S. Porter, is credited to have said: “The best films are the ones that surprise and challenge the audience.”
Scandalous scenes from 1930s films
In fact, the earliest films were filled with partial nudity, impurity, vulgarity and riotous behavior. The producers did this intentionally in order to attract a large audience, for corrupted human nature is attracted to the shocking and scandalous.
Early b/w films with big name stars acclimated the audience to scandalous & immoral scenes
/A082_Imm.jpg)
Today, even greater evils that have long made up the Hollywood scene have been exposed – from child abuse to drug addiction, which it is not opportune to discuss in detail here. This makes careful analysis of any Hollywood production all the more necessary (and, subsequently, foreign film productions as well, since most of them are inspired by Hollywood).
Throughout time, entertainment has had the tendency to cater to the lower part of human nature, even when some glimpses of heroism and idealism can be found in the stories. Shakespeare understood this, which is why he incorporated indecent innuendos and vulgarity into his plays: He desired to entertain the masses.
One might justly claim that almost all movies include some sort of revolutionary error that aims to corrupt the minds of the viewers. Therefore, before watching any film, even the apparently innocent ones, a counter-revolutionary should understand the revolutionary ideas that underlie the products coming from the film industry.
Immodest dance scenes abound in ‘family-friendly’ White Christmas; at right, pants for women in The Golden Age of Hollywood
The first error from which it is nearly impossible to escape is romanticism. True love, in a Catholic sense, is firmly rooted in God and springs from admiration and a sense of duty. The love portrayed in Hollywood films, on the other hand, is necessarily transient, foolish, empty, self-serving and sensuous.
Provocative clothing in The Sword & the Rose; below, spreading the dangerous habit of kissing for unmarried persons in Gone With the Wind
/A082_Gon.jpg)
With such views of love, traditional Catholic society is undermined, for the sacredness of marriage is abhorred due to the chains it imposes upon the spouses: A married person is not free to "follow his heart." The Sword and the Rose (1953) is one example of a movie that embraces all of these errors in a vivid manner.
Even if the film does not cause the viewer to sympathize with an adulterous relationship, the two lovers often engage in provocative love scenes. In the past, no decent person would have ever kissed in public; yet, with the introduction of kissing on screen, young couples in theaters began kissing publicly. Of course it was not long that public kisses became common outside theaters as well.
Another danger to purity is the flirtation scenes that creep into even the "most decent" films. What seems harmless and sweet in portrayals of the natural attraction between men and women – such as a little girl batting her eyes at a little boy or getting dressed in her finest and standing where boys can admire her – easily become a danger to the modesty and purity of girls and boys. Children who see such characters in the movies will be inclined to imitate their forward behavior and seek to attract the other sex in the way presented to them in these little love scenes.
A flirting scene in Bambi for children to imitate
Someone may object that the characters are only animals, but they are personified so as to resemble the behavior of forward girls. Flirtation is presented in an attractive and humorous manner, and herein lies the real danger.
Live-action films also contain instances of flirtation similar to the exaggerated portrayal in Bambi. It’s a Wonderful Life contains many such apparently "harmless" scenes, such as the episode in the ice cream parlor in which two young girls flirt in different ways with a boy.
Romanticism in Wonderful Life; below, the perfect two-child American suburb Cleaver family
Romanticism is almost always accompanied by immodesty. To find a movie in which all of the characters are dressed appropriately all of the time is nearly impossible.
Finally, the old “wholesome” movies or television shows, when they do present stable homes, show the Protestant model family, that is, the parents and one or two children, perhaps three at most: for example, Leave It To Beaver, I Love Lucy, Father Knows Best, My Three Sons, to name a few.
This impressed on the Catholic mind a new model ideal: A family with only a few children so that all can enjoy the good life to which everyone has the right as an American. In the few cases of films that show large families, such as Cheaper by the Dozen or The Brady Bunch, family life is presented as chaotic, trite or hilarious, without religion as the guiding principle.
The Catholic concept of marriage is much more serious and responsible, with a balanced proportion between its first goal, children and their formation for Heaven, and then its second goal, the mutual support of the spouses understood as the commitment for each to help the other to bear the crosses of life.
Egalitarianism & masonic liberty
Egalitarianism plays a prominent role in most, if not all, Hollywood movies. Inspired by the American revolutionary spirit, hierarchy and authority are criticized either openly or subtly. The Masonic ideals of the French Revolution – liberty, equality and fraternity – are always promoted but cleverly concealed without the viewer’s realizing the indoctrination.
Pomp & majesty are often presented as the characteristic of bad kings as in Becket
Examples of such movies abound, but one worthy to note is the movie Becket (1964), which many Catholics may think is a good film. The first few scenes of Becket show dirty peasants in rags living in disorderly huts, while young Becket gallivants around with the young prince, taking advantage of and seducing beautiful women.
Dirty bedraggled peasants in Monty Python; below, wild unkempt hippie warriors in Braveheart
/A082_Bra.jpg)
In general, Hollywood films foster an attitude of defiance towards authority. Inferiors, be they women, youths or subjects, are portrayed as knowing more than their betters. Hierarchy is ridiculed, equality is the highest virtue, and liberty is proclaimed as a right – liberty of conscience as well as political freedom.
Notwithstanding, liberty and equality can never be fully reconciled to each other, so fraternity enters the scene to cover the contradictions. As long as every person minds his own business and accepts others for “who they are,” everything turns out well in the end.
The Monty Python movies always depict the peasants as filthy and mock the nobility and the Church, a common Hollywood theme.
In summary, some common errors to look for include:
Stupid adults & genius children who despise authority in Matilda
● Children talking back to their parents or being disobedient: Oftentimes the plot of a movie presents a compelling reason for the child to disobey authority, accustoming youth to the notion that they have the right to question their parents or teachers. The authority of the parents is undermined in this cunning manner.
Some examples include the Harry Potter series, Matilda, Brave, Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, and Mulan. As the reader may note, most modern Disney movies promote this idea. Another example of a more serious movie with this flaw is The Man from Snowy River.
● The portrayal of elegant society as being rigid and bigoted while the poor are shown to be personable and caring. Examples include Saint John Baptist de la Salle: Patron of Teachers and The Princess Bride (which embodies many of the other errors on this list in addition to romanticism).
Les Miserables leads the viewer to sympathize with the revolutionaries, who are the heroes
● Praising members of the nobility or upper classes who reject refinement in manners, customs and morals. Scenes often show nobles spending time with friends from the lower classes who have a more natural and free way of life, which the nobles then adopt to become more like one of the people. One example is the Daniel Boone episode “Noblesse Oblige”.
● The common people are shown to scorn, mock or complain about those above them, be they priests, magistrates, politicians, nobility and so on.
The Abbot of Saint Mary's in Nottingham, vile & greedy
● The promotion of the idea that all must put aside their beliefs and differences to work towards a common goal. Oftentimes, this means accepting the religions or bad morals of others.
The next article will analyze the errors of spontaneity and optimism that abound in films, past and present.
Continued
Posted July 15, 2024
______________________
______________________
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