Bess the Christ Figure?: Theological Interpretations of Breaking the Waves
Is a woman who dies for love in order to "save" her husband, automatically a Christ figure? What about one who willingly submits to and is eventually killed by sexual violence and prostitution? And if she is seen as a Christ figure, would this be a progressive or a retrograde theological i...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2001
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| In: |
The journal of religion and film
Year: 2001, Volume: 5, Issue: 1 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | Is a woman who dies for love in order to "save" her husband, automatically a Christ figure? What about one who willingly submits to and is eventually killed by sexual violence and prostitution? And if she is seen as a Christ figure, would this be a progressive or a retrograde theological interpretation of a film with such a story line? The 1996 independent Scandinavian film Breaking the Waves, written and directed by Lars yon Trier, presents such a film and some have found Christological imagery there. I wanted to know how religious viewers, schooled in such imagery and devoted to it, would react to this film. Would they see allusions to Christ? Would they feel avant- in declaring a woman who sacrifices to save someone a Christ figure? Or would they react with distaste at such a seemingly bizarre sacrifice with its clear tones of sexual abuse and coercive stereotypes? And would any of this challenge or confirm their inherited views of Christ? |
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| ISSN: | 1092-1311 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: The journal of religion and film
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.32873/uno.dc.jrf.05.01.04 |
