With Darren Aronofsky's interpretation of the classic Noah story playing in some cinemas across the world now, all the old controversy surrounding religious films has been reignited. Conservative Christians have to decide whether or not the new Biblical film is godly enough, staying faithful to the text that they worship as the word of God. Oftentimes, if they believe a movie is "Christian", it scares off secular audiences, who are occasionally uncomfortable watching films that are overtly religious. How Christian is too Christian, and how do movies find that fine line between honoring the material and telling a good story? Should it even matter if they make changes to improve the flow of the film? After all, any Harry Potter fan will tell you that the books are always better than the film. And then there's this element of preachiness that often worms its way into Christian films. Nobody likes being preached to, especially atheists and agnostics who have often gone to great lengths to develop their own moral code that is true to them, not just written in a book. Here are some of the most famous religious films that have managed to avoid this quagmire -- they tell a religious story, but in a way that is palatable and engaging for secular audiences.
Audrey Fox is an ex-film student, which means that she prefers to spend her days in the dark, watching movies and pondering the director's use of diegetic sound. She currently works as an entertainment writer, joyfully rambling about all things film and television related. Add her on Twitter at @audonamission and check out her film blog at 1001moviesandbeyond.com.
