Free Faith, Asceticism And Apostasy Through Film Essay: Top-Quality Sample To Follow

Faith is one of the central tenants of the Christian religion. One of the greatest depictions of this concept in film can be found in Darren Arofnosky’s Noah. In this non-traditional retelling of the classical Biblical story, there is an emphasis on the eponymous character trusting God to the greatest extents. He tries to go as far as possible with respect to what he perceives to be the will of God. This includes almost destroying his family in the process. In fact, it is only at the end that he finally reconciles with his family. He had been estranged from them for some time.
Noah does not question God, building the vessel that he knows will only save his family and the animals, all while destroying the rest of humanity. If Noah did not have faith in the Lord, he probably would not have done this, pleading Him instead not to wipe out the rest of humankind. This is even harder on the character because he must face the fact that he is going to save himself and his family while everybody around him dies a horrible death. The film astonishingly depicts this, as one can see the rest of the population dying in the water around the ark. At the same time, Noah tries to reconcile his feelings towards this ultimately horrendous act of human cleansing happen.
Noah is one of the characters that best represents faith because he never questions God, even though He is wiping off the rest of the people in the world. Noah shows that faith, even though infinitely positive may also be very difficult to reconcile with what actually happens in one’s life. This is because it represents the truest relation to God.
Asceticism is the belief that renouncing to the earthly pleasures that life may bring is the only way to really be in tune with God and find salvation. Correspondingly, people that sustain this belief usually give away or even destroy their physical and material possessions in order to find this type of liberation. One of the movies that most interestingly depict this is David Fincher’s Fight Club.
In this 1999 movie, Tyler Durden, one of the main characters, founds a cult-like movement that promotes asceticism in its followers. He attempts to have them live all together in a shabby house, with all their hair cut off and in an almost military regimen. Instead of living in the commodity of their private houses, they prefer to live without reliable electric and water sources. Durden has to almost brainwash them in order for them to think that consumerism is negative, something to be despised.
Nevertheless, interestingly, this club attempts to impose this method of transcendence into other people as well, even if they do not form a part of the group. They attempt to do this by social interventions that sometimes cross the line into terrorism. Finally, one could even think about the eponymous group as being a part of this ascetic process. This is because it deliberately damages the body, inflicting pain on it.
The dangers and ultimate dissatisfaction of asceticism is also discussed in the movie. Even though it may be very edgy and culturally-significant, one can see the discontent that this type of theory leads its followers to. Edward Norton’s character even denounces this, raising his voice against Brad Pitt’s character in the end.
Apostasy is not believing in God anymore even though one did before. It is the breaking up of one’s relation to the Lord, estranging one’s self from Him. There are many ways to do this, including failing to uphold one’s pact to the Lord, not participating in Church and not believing in Him intellectually. One of the greatest songs that portray the anguish and frustration that apostasy makes a person feel is “Curse Your Branches” by David Bazan.
In this song, he likens himself to a leaf that has fallen from a branch, which on could assume to mean God. The song’s mood oscillates between anger and doubt. It is basically a protest song about God for letting him go astray.
Somewhat disturbingly, Bazan recriminates God for not forcing him to keep his faith. He says that he, along with everybody else that has falling away from God, should curse Him for not giving them liberty and for allowing them part from Him at all. This is obviously a great contradiction, and raises one of the most interesting issues with respect to liberty. God gives people freedom, yet he also establishes certain limits as to how people should act in order to be in His grace. Nevertheless, it is up to humans to decide how they will lead their lives: in God’s favor or turning their back against Him.
Finally, questioning and doubt are also greatly displayed in this song. The greatest question is where his confusion comes from. As stated above, this comes from a misinterpretation of the liberty that God gives man, who is even free to choose not to believe. Doubt is a very common part of the human experience. Nevertheless, by having faith in God, one can resolve many of these questions.