"Roma": Catholic Cultural Subtext and Powerful Cinematography

Image Credit: Theatrical Poster

On Saturday night I had the good fortune to see "Roma", the indie movie produced by Netflix that has created quite a buzz over the past two months. This movie is likely to win several academy awards due to its cinematography and directing. Had it been up to major movie producers and distributors it would never have seen the light of day because the industry, perhaps accurately, did not see an artsy non-English language film, which was shot in black and white, as being a smash hit at the box office in the United States. What the film may have lacked in its commercial appeal to mass audiences it has more than made up in its craftsmanship and artistry.

This film is more of a cinematic meditation of images than it is a conventional story, but its details and the sudden twists that become life and death circumstances are powerful enough to move even the most jaded and desensitized viewers.

The film is rich in symbolism about families and their disintegration and renewal, and about faith that has been infused within the general culture, even when the life of faith is not practiced in an ostentatious way. The film is very Catholic in the sense that one encounters a deeper meaning through everyday life and circumstances than what appears on the surface. The film is also about the tensions and transcendence of race, class, violence and the plight of women. This includes the plight of both affluent women and domestic workers.

The film is loosely based on the life of its director, Alfonso Cuaron, who also directed "Gravity" and "Children of Men".  Cuaron grew up in an affluent section of Mexico City, called Roma, during the early 1970s. It is from this section of town that the movie takes its name. It is filmed in three languages. It was mostly filmed in Spanish but there is also a language that is spoken by the indigenous population, and snippets of English in some of the scenes.

Seminarians will be particularly interested in how the movie handles topics such as unexpected pregnancies, families that are falling apart, social justice for domestic workers, and the curious ways in which a masculine identity is acted out at the expense of the dignity of women.

Cuaron, the director of the film, is a master of cinematic detail; what Cuaron was able to do with images in the film is itself worth the price of admission.

The character who represents Cuaron in the film is a young boy who captures viewer's hearts with his precociousness and his practice of referring to a time "When I was older...", by which he means a time before he was born. The boy's vivid imagination allows him to "remember" a previous life in which he was an adult. But the movie is not centered on the boy. The focal point of the movie turns out to be Cleo, a domestic worker, who is responsible for taking care of the child and his siblings. In a comical, but also symbolically significant way, the film also focuses on a dog that leaves impressive piles of feces all over the place.

Without giving the story away, viewers should note contrasts and recurring images: the enclosed space within the garage and airplanes flying overhead; viewers should note the recurrence of the impressively defecating dog and other dogs in general; viewers should note the imaginary guns, toy guns, and the real guns that appear in the film. They should note the recurrence of the marching band and the symbolic significance of the car that enters the garage, carefully at first, and later recklessly.

There are also the destructive forces of fire and water when the family goes on vacation, and there is the transition in how Cleo is treated -- at least up to a point -- from merely being an employee to having a role that more closely resembles the status of being a member of the family.

Another significant contrast in the film occurs in the scenes where Cleo and adults members of the family she works for, prepare for the birth of a new life under difficult circumstances, and the persistently threatening shadow of violence and death that hovers in the background.

The men in the film are only supportive of Cleo up to a point; they never seem to muster up the courage to stand with her when it is time to deliver the baby. It is the women (the lady of the household, the religious grandmother, Cleo's coworker in domestic service, and the female pediatrician) who are there for her through thick and thin.

In terms of the film's handling of the politics of social class, I can imagine some viewers criticizing it for a kind of "Uncle Tom" narrative in which the domestic servant overcomes social divisions by sacrificing everything -- her own personal life, the village of her upbringing and her own family -- for the privileged family she serves, but there is also something that is very "Christian" about the film in its depiction of vulnerability and mutual dependence that transcends racial status and socio-economic class. An underlying message is that one's humanity transcends one's social status and identity.

After two hours of enjoying the superb direction and cinematography, you will develop something akin to having a photographer's eye that allows you to appreciate details in the world around you and the director teaches you how to "see" in new and surprising ways.

Into the Spider-Verse and the Dimensions Inside of Us

From the theatrical release poster

Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse was released in theaters last month and its popularity is well-deserved. There is not a wasted scene in the story. We are right with the character as he struggles to develop and gain mastery over his newly-acquired powers. The artwork, particularly the nighttime scenes of New York, set and maintain the mood. This movie is a classic example of how to tell a good story employing perennial themes of innocence versus maturity, attempting to control outcomes versus taking the leap of faith, and the longing to be reunited with one's family, restore relationships and to find one's way home.

The central theme in the movie is that of resurrection. Miles Morales, the boy who is bitten by a radioactive spider and must, therefore, against his will,  become something he never really wanted to be, will never be able to live up the billing of Spiderman until he learns to get back up each time he is knocked down; metaphorically, he must come back from the dead.

Each of the major characters faces an emotional challenge on the road to maturity and is thrown into an ironic relationship that helps that character grow. The middle-aged Peter Parker, who has ruined his life due to his unwillingness to be open to having kids, ironically finds himself in a partnership with two teenagers who teach him what it means to be human once again.

Spiderwoman, who is no longer willing to “do friendships” after she was unable to prevent the killing of her closest friend -- Peter Parker in another universe -- finds herself partnered with Miles and confronted with the frightening prospect of learning to trust and to care again.

Miles can’t express his love for his father, and his father doesn’t quite know how to talk to the boy, saying all the wrong things at the wrong times, making it impossible for Miles to confide in him.

Early in the movie Miles enters a new environment and doesn’t know whether or not he will be accepted. All of his jokes fall flat and he finds it difficult to make new friends. Most of us can relate to that awkward feeling of standing out in our new environment when we’re just trying to keep our heads down and not to stand out at all.

We can also relate to the feeling of trying to impress a mentor who has already expressed that he or she sees something in us that others don’t see, and that we fail to see in ourselves.  We all know what it feels like to try to live up to what others expect from us, yet we repeatedly make a mess of things and let them down.

Throughout the movie, Miles struggles to gain control over his newly-acquired and extraordinary abilities. One of the main themes in the film is that ordinary people can do extraordinary things once they are able to give and receive love and take a leap of faith despite the fact that everything is not under their control. Through all of the trials and ordeals in the movie Miles learns that his uniqueness is his strength and that, in spite of everything, he is not alone.

Beale Street: Mid-70s African American Novel Gets 21st Century Cinematographic Treatment

Image Credit: TIFF

The movie "If Beale Street Could Talk" has finally been released and is now playing in theaters across the country.

This movie, which is based on a novel that James Baldwin wrote in 1974 and is directed by the award-winning cinematographer Barry Jenkins, provides rare insight into African American cinema and black literature.

The film explores themes that are highly relevant for priests and seminarians, including African American religiosity, relationships both inside and outside of marriage, challenges facing American families, and the racial and class dimensions of the American criminal justice system.

While the movie has many inspiring and uplifting scenes there are also parts of it that authentically express disturbing opinions about race in the United States which requires some degree of discretion, discernment, and context.

If one goes to movies mostly to be entertained and to escape from frustrating and unpleasant realities this film is not for you. It is not a movie that will make you "feel good", but is a movie that breaks new ground, will no doubt win awards, and will have movie critics talking for years to come.

Awakening the Faith of Men at Passionist Retreat Center

On Friday evening, February 9th, a flood of men from all parts of the Diocese of Pittsburgh flowed through the corridors of St. Paul of the Cross Passionist Center in the South Side of Pittsburgh. The chapel reverberated with the voices of 85 men singing traditional hymns and hymns of worship and praise.  It was the 2018 Men’s retreat, which continued a tradition that began more than 40 years ago. In front of me, I saw three generations of worshippers sharing a pew; they included a grandfather, his son, and his grandson. Their eyes were fixed on the Holy Eucharist exposed in a monstrance. The retreat continued until Sunday afternoon.

Catholic spirituality provided the foundation for the retreat. Between praying the Liturgy of the Hours each morning and evening the men participated in Eucharistic adoration, the Holy Rosary, walking reflectively along the path of an outdoor Stations of the Cross, and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Although there were moments of reflective silence the weekend was not exclusively devoted to prayer; there was plenty of good food and laughter, which is characteristic of Christian fellowship. The library and reading room were stocked with inspiring books to deepen our spiritual lives, but I found that I wasn’t likely to get through more than a page or two before I was drawn into a lively conversation about the challenges and opportunities of living a life of faith in today’s world.

The camaraderie between the men illustrated the theme of the retreat: “In Christ, United in Mind and Heart.” Not only did the retreat strengthen our identity as members of the Body of Christ, it challenged us to reach beyond the parameters of the institutional church to become a vibrant presence in the surrounding community. There were workshops emphasizing the relationship between empathy (the ability to understand and share other people’s feelings) and compassion (the motivation and ability to act upon the feeling of empathy). Compassion draws one out of oneself and one’s comfortable and familiar surroundings to minister to the world.

Men shared their experiences during conferences, talking about what it means to remain in Christ and to allow Christ to dwell in us. They also identified the many gifts of the Holy Spirit; and discussed what it means to live with compassion and love. One of the Passionist priests created devotional audio-visual presentations to stoke our imagination during our prayers. These visual images helped to make our prayers more vivid and moving. There was also a documentary video by Bishop Robert Barron.

The day after the retreat one of the men reflected on his experience: “I went to Mass this morning and I was thinking -- I want to hold onto this feeling forever.” As the men carry the fellowship of the retreat into all areas of their lives they demonstrate the awakening of faith among our laity and the vibrancy of the New Evangelization in our churches.

Do "our thoughts and prayers" mean anything anymore?

Vox media asked faith leaders whether or not our repeated invocation of “thoughts and prayers” in the face of tragedy has meaning anymore -- here are the diverse edited responses to their question for reflection:
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Pastor Kelly France, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Minneapolis: Prayer can be a powerful grounding force. Prayer isn’t just a matter of wishing that things would have turned out differently, although that is part of it. When people pray, we assume a posture of listening.
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Prayer opens us to hear what God is calling us to do in a situation; it is a way to find clarity in the chaos around us by turning to God, who is greater than our pain and anxiety.
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Prayer grounds us in God’s mission and reminds us that God is active in the world ... Prayer helps us to remember God’s will for creation. Prayer moves us beyond ourselves toward God’s promise.
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Rabbi Jill Jacobs, T’ruah The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, New York: Prayer reminds us to reflect on others. Prayer frees us from our intellectualizing and rationalizing, breaks down the protective barrier around our hearts, and allows us to voice our pain and anguish. "Every night, I drench my bed; I melt my couch in tears" (Psalms 6:7). And prayer enables us to seek strength from a connection both to the divine (however we conceive of divinity) and to the community praying with us.
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Ultimately, prayer also forces us back into the world. We cannot praise God for divine acts of justice and mercy without hearing the call to imitate God through our own actions. As the prophet Isaiah warns, "Though you pray at length, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood" (Isaiah 1:15). Prayer is necessary but never sufficient.
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Pastor Jim Kast-Keat, Riverside Church, New York: I often think the "thoughts and prayers" trope, especially in the immediate wake of a tragedy like this one, is utterly useless and only serves to alleviate the guilt that the "thinker" or "prayer" has for not being able to (or being willing to) do anything more ...
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As cheesy as it might sound, I want people to stop going to church and I want them to start being the church. I want them to stop praying with their thoughts and starting praying with their bodies...
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Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg: God doesn’t want your thoughts and prayers. God wants you to know that you are responsible to care for and protect other people. And to take action to do so.
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Patrick Hill, counselor at Focus on the Family, Colorado Springs, Colorado: Not only do our prayers move God's heart, but the direct communication with God strengthens our faith and provides comfort and peace — for the person praying and for those being prayed for. God’s desire for this world is peace. When we cry out to God, God pours out God's perfect peace.
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Pastor Dave Gass, Grace Family Fellowship, Pleasant Hill, Missouri:
“Thoughts and prayers” often get put together, when in actuality they are two very contra-distinct terms. Prayer is the idea of seeking help from outside of ourselves, while thoughts are internalized processing mechanisms ...
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We like to think of prayer as a way to get God to do what we want, but God is not a cosmic vending machine. We do not use prayer as a form of celestial manipulation. Instead, prayer is a means through which we communicate our hearts to God, and we surrender to God's perfect will. In other words, prayer is a means through which we remind ourselves ... that God is God and we are not.
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... I confess on behalf of many (perhaps most) Christians that prayer is often an excuse for inaction ...
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Prayer allows us to communicate our thoughts and feelings to God, knowing that God cares for us and is involved in our daily lives.
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... Prayer gives us space to grieve, to process, and to move toward actions of healing and growth from the pain we are experiencing both within ourselves and in the lives of others.
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In prayer we know that God is real, God is good, God is working, and God is calling us forward. Far from being inaction, prayer is a call to action.
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Rev. Elizabeth Rawlings, Lutheran Campus Ministry at University of Washington, Seattle: Prayer for my community and myself is time to be in relationship with God in an intimate, focused way.
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Through prayer, we are rooted in God. Sometimes we end up reflecting on hard truths about ourselves or the world; sometimes we are filled with love, strength, and grace. Sometimes we go to prayer to let out all of the pain and give it to God.
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Prayer for others allows us to focus on the needs of others and their suffering (or joy) and petition God for God's presence to be known in their lives.
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Prayer is being in relationship and communication with God. It breaks open our heart to the world and calls us to action.
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Simply stating that your thoughts and prayers are with someone is meaningless unless you are actively engaging in and with the pain and suffering in the world — and doing something about it.
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Father A.K.M. Adam, University of Oxford, Oxford, England: ... At this minute, in the face of such catastrophic evil, I can take an action that binds me closer in solidarity with many others around the globe, and that (in the faith by which I live) responds positively to a divine command and orients me toward a radically more benign state of affairs. So I pray.
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... prayer and activism are not zero-sum alternatives...
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Is tweeting, “Don't pray,” an improvement over tweeting, “I'm praying”?
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Imam Dawud Walid, executive director of the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Detroit: Acknowledging the suffering of others is important, even if the phrasing is trite. As there are those who may use the phrase “our thoughts and prayers are with victims and their families” as a cliché during tragic times, saying such is important nonetheless. Such statements reflect, at least in certain occasions, that there has been negative impact on fellow humans.
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The lack of acknowledging others’ suffering outside of one’s self or family is a sign of spiritual death. Spiritually dead people cannot bring healing and growth in any society.
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Father James Martin, SJ, author of Jesus: A Pilgrimage, New York: Prayer is communication with God. So how can one not cry out to God when one is in need? It's part of an open and honest communication, as in any relationship.
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But how God responds is up to God. God may respond, for instance, by encouraging you to reach out or help someone who is suffering. That is, God may move your heart to help the victims of a tragedy in some way.
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What God does is up to God. All I know is that I frequently ask God for help, and I'm grateful when people pray for me.

Is Self-Giving Love Outdated?

People often say that the self-giving love expressed in the scriptures is impractical and outdated in today's world; yet the stories of Anthony Borges, the 15-year old who was shot 5 times as he shielded his classmates during a mass shooting on February 14, 2018 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida and Aaron Fies, a coach at the school who gave his life shielding students, illustrate how ordinary people transcend themselves and do extraordinary things. And these are examples of the continuing relevance of the gospel of selfless love.

Eucharistic Meal and Eucharistic Heart

Breaking through barriers (between God and humanity and between human beings, ourselves) is at the core of the Eucharistic meal. The scandal of the Eucharist in the early church was that those who were once considered "outsiders" were now included at the banquet. To break bread together is the ultimate sign of communio. It breaks through the alienation that is caused by exclusion or being rendered invisible.

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This is why Denis Estimon's outreach, "We dine together," is so powerful in the Eucharistic sense. It emerged out of his own pain and loneliness when he was on the margins of his environment in elementary school.
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Following the typical Eucharistic pattern, it was out of his pain that he developed empathy, and out of that empathy that he developed the compassion and sense of solidarity to break through the isolation and loneliness of others. He knew how they felt and he responded.
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If we don't understand anything else about what it means to have "a heart formed after the Eucharist," we should at least understand this.