Over at the Arts & Faith discussion board back in
2004 we created a list of 100 Spiritually Significant Films. In
2005 Alan Thomas took that over from me, then repeated the process in
2006. He skipped 2007, but now the nominations are open for another run at the whole process.
Folks at A&F have put forward an immense number of nominees to be considered in this year's voting. It's a fascinating compendium of films that some (probably Christian) film buff somewhere finds "spiritually significant." I'm going to flag the ones that, on first pass through, would be most likely to get my votes. See how close we come to a hundred.
And if all this is something you want to get in on, just hop over to Arts & Faith, become a member (it's ultra-cheap), and cast your votes!
2008 Nominees(my first-round picks in bold, my "nah" titles in italics)
Adam's ApplesThe AddictionAfter LifeAmadeusAmistadAndrei RublevThe ApostleThe Apu Trilogy
L'Argent
Autumn in New York
Babel
Babette's Feast
Au Hasard Balthazar
Becket
Being There
Sure a guy walks on water, but that doesn't make him a Christ figure. Faith is the target, not the point.
The Believer
The Best Years of Our Lives
The Bicycle Thief
The Big Kahuna
Tackles spiritual things, and I could add it to my list. But at the moment, the fact that I think the film doesn't play fair keeps it from being a first round pick for me.
Black Narcissus
Black Robe
Blade Runner
I'm closer to considering this than I used to be. Certainly has lots of religious references layered in.
The Blood of Jesus (aka The Glory Road)
Breaking The Waves
Bruce Almighty
Chariots of Fire
Children of Men
People find Nativity resonances, but that falls so far short of the spiritual significance of the novel it's based on, I just can't get excited. Would The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe seem quite so spiritually significant if you took out that lion character?
A Christmas Carol
Citizen Kane
Greatest film ever made, many say. I have yet to succumb to its glories, but intend to give it another run. S'pose it could be considered a cinematic gloss on "What profiteth a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul." So maybe I'll come around.
Close-Up (aka Nema-ye Nazdik)
The Color of Paradise
Cries and Whispers
Crimes And Misdemeanors
Cry, the Beloved Country
The Da Vinci Code
Can't take the ideas seriously, can't take the film seriously.
Day of Wrath
The Day the Earth Stood Still
Definite Christ symbolism, but - for all its rep - really cheesy fifties sci-fi corn.
Days of Heaven
Dead Man Walking
Death: A Love Story
The Decalogue
Dersu Uzala
Devil's Playground
The Diary of a Country Priest
Distant (aka Uzak)
Dogma
Dogville
La Dolce Vita
Have tried watching it twice, don't get too far. Jesus hanging from the copter is potent. Need to see the whole thing to know if it oughta rank, though, or if the fuss about it as a religious film is just because there was such slim pickin's back in the sixties.
Donnie Darko
Downfall
Dream of Light
East of Eden
The Elephant Man
Entertaining Angels: The Dorothy Day Story
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
This keeps getting nominated, even voted for, but nobody anywhere's even tried to reply to my request that they make the case that there's something distinctly spiritual about the film. Clever film about either the persistence or impermanence of romantic love, but where's the God stuff, or even ethical stuff?
Europa '51
Probably belongs on my list, but I've not yet seen it.
The Exorcist
Believe it or not, the book was a significant influence on my early Christian life. But it's been 25 years, and I've not yet seen the film, so for now...
Faust
Fearless
Fiddler on the Roof
Field of Dreams
Fight Club
Maybe almost. I think the ending diminishes the film, but even that is reaching for something spiritual, maybe Pauline?
Le Fils (aka The Son)
Absolutely. But where's L'Enfant?!?!?!!!!! Guess I needed to have nominated it. Too bad this year's noms came along when my attention was demanded elsewhere.
The Fisher King
At one time, I would have said so. But rewatching it more recently, the film didn't wear well for me.
Flock of Dodos: The Evolution-Intelligent Design Circus
The Flowers of St. Francis (aka Francesco, giullare di Dio)
Forgiveness
The Fountain
The Godfather (trilogy)
Under consideration. Not for the Catholicism, which I'm afraid just feels cultural to me. But certainly a powerful, even mythic tale of the compromise and loss of a human soul.
Godspell
Golgotha
The Good Son
The Gospel According to Matthew (aka Il Vangelo Secondo Matteo)
The Gospel of John
The Grapes of Wrath
Grave of the Fireflies (aka Hotaru no haka)
The Green Mile
Groundhog Day
Hannah and Her Sisters
He Who Must Die (aka Celui qui doit mourir)
Sure want to see this.
Heaven
Hell House
Basically an "Aren't Those Christians Freaks?" show, though the glimpses of real faith (and maybe even a miracle?) are fascinating.
The Hiding Place
Hotel Rwanda
Very fine movie, but I don't see the specifically spiritual referent. And if we list all the films that have a conscience about atrocities as being spiritually significant...
I Heart Huckabees
Sophomoric philosophical goofing around.
Ikiru (aka To Live)
In America
Half of a terrific movie, but it loses its nerve and therefore its significance.
In Your Hands (aka Forbrydelser)
The Iron Giant
It's A Wonderful Life
Jalsaghar (aka The Music Room)
Jean de Florette / Manon of the Spring
Jesus Christ Superstar
Jesus of Montreal
Jesus of Nazareth
The Jeweller's Shop (aka La Bottega dell'orefice)
Joyeux Noel (aka Merry Christmas)
Koyaanisqatsi (aka Life Out of Balance)
Need to see this.
Kundun
The Last Temptation Of Christ
Late Spring (aka Banshun)
Life is Beautiful
I know this is deeply affecting and spiritual to many. But I find it maudlin, way too far across the line into sentiment and wishful thinking.
Life of Brian
Lilies of the Field
The Lord of the Rings trilogy
Lost in Translation
Good film. A moral choice is made - or an immoral one not made - but that's not enough to put it into this category for me.
Luther
Magnolia
As spiritually significant as they get. My #2 favourite film.
Make Way for Tomorrow
A Man Escaped (aka Un condamne a mort s'est echappe ou Le vent souffle ou il veut)
A Man for All Seasons
The Man Who Planted Trees (aka L'Homme qui plantait des arbres)
The Man Without A Past (aka Mies vailla menneisyytta)
The Matrix
I know, it ends up salvation by violent mayhem, which doesn't sit so well with this pacifist. But the first half potently evoked my own experience of spiritual awakening.
Meet John Doe
Millions
The Miracle Maker
The Mirror (aka Zerkalo)
Les Miserables
Les Miserables du vingtieme siecle
The Mission
Molokai: The Story of Father Damien
A Moment of Innocence (aka Nun va Goldoon)
Mosquito Coast
Another film that makes obvious attacks on Christians. So how is it, then, spiritual?
Most (aka The Bridge)
The Motorcycle Diaries (aka Diarios de motocicleta)
The first steps in a young man's journey toward militant atheist Marxism? I don't get it. Sure he liked lepers, but am I the only person who found the whole swim across the river climax kind of melodramatic and dumb?
My Night at Maud's (aka Ma nuit chez Maud)
A near miss for me. Definite spiritual conundrum, embodied in a believable human experience. And faith front and centre, in a way that was especially rare in the film's time period. Ultimately, I think it only misses my first round nod because it doesn't particularly engage or affect me.
Nazarin
The New World
Jeffrey Overstreet almost persuades me: the second half is certainly all about authentic Christian faith, about conversion, all sorts of good stuff. And what feels like gross film-making ineptitude to me (but transcendent artistry to Jeff) grated on me less my last time through. Closer to making the cut than previously.
The Night Of The Hunter
A classic. But the style held me at arm's length, and I bailed out not all that far in. Deserves repeated tries.
The Night (aka La Notte)
Nights of Cabiria (aka Le Notti di Cabiria)
Need to see it. By rep, quite possible candidate.
Nostalghia
Not of This World (aka Fuori dal mondo)
Not One Less (aka Yi ge dou bu neng shao)
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
On The Waterfront
Open City (aka Roma, citta aperta)
Ordet (aka The Word)
Pan's Labyrinth (aka El Laberinto del fauno)
Huge spiritual impact, for me.
Paradise Road
The Passion of Joan of Arc (aka La Passion De Jeanne D'arc)
The Passion Of The Christ
Perceval (aka Perceval le Gallois)
The Perfect Stranger
Peter and Paul
Pickpocket
Need to see this. Definite contender, I suspect.
Places in the Heart
That final scene is spiritually significant, 100%. But I'm not sure that ought to haul the whole film into contention.
Ponette
The Prince Of Egypt
La Promesse
Terrific film. Just doesn't have quite the direct connection to things I would consider quite so directly spiritual as L'Enfant or The Son.
The Purple Rose of Cairo
Quiz Show
Huh? Ethical stuff, I guess?
Rashomon
Red Beard (aka Akahige)
Repentance (aka Monanieba)
Really curious to see this glasnost flick. Rare for a Russian film to deal directly with Christian elements.
Requiem for a Dream
The River
Romero
Rosetta
See La Promesse.
The Sacrifice (aka Offret - Sacrificatio)
Saints and Soldiers
Sansho the Bailiff (aka Sanshô dayû)
Saved!
Say Amen, Somebody
Schindler's List
Secrets & Lies
Need to see this again. It was a top twenty favourite when I saw it when it was released, but I don't remember a specifically spiritual/religious angle. Probably just my blurry memory.
The Seventh Seal (aka Det Sjunde Inseglet)
Shadowlands
The Shawshank Redemption
Shoah
Signs
Definitely tackles spiritual themes, but in such a dumb way.
The Silence (aka Tystnaden)
The Sixth Sense
Sling Blade
Solaris (aka Solyaris)
Need to see this. Very likely for my list, unless I have the averse reaction I had to STALKER.
The Song of Bernadette
Songs From the Second Floor
Sophie's Choice
One of the great, devastating moral conundrums. But not quite exactly spiritual, to me.
The Sound of Music
A nuns on the run does not a spiritual classic make.
Spirited Away (aka Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi)
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring
Stalker
Stars in My Crown
Stevie
The Straight Story
Stromboli
Summer / The Green Ray (aka Le Rayon vert)
Need to see this. A likely contender.
Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans
The Sweet Hereafter
Tales of Ugetsu (aka Ugetsu monogatari)
Mythic for sure. Religious to some, yes. But it's not a religion I'm attuned to, so for me, makes no spiritual connection
A Taste of Cherry
The Ten Commandments
Tender Mercies
As spiritually significant as they get. My #1 favourite film.
Therese
The Third Miracle
13 Conversations About One Thing
Its detractors say not, but I can't see how one can overlook the Ecclesiastes themes - and Ecclesiastes is these days pretty much my Number One Bible Book. But I think if you order the splintered narratives and look real carefully at the choice/action/consequence logic of the story, it goes well beyond that to assert some pretty powerful things about grace, providence, and the life of faith.
The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada
Three Colors Trilogy
To End All Wars
Decidedly religious. Too religious, there's the problem. It's all message, all worldview assertion.
To Kill a Mockingbird
Tokyo Story (aka Tokyo Monogatari)
Sublime film, and I don't doubt that it is spiritual. But its spirituality is unknown to me, and I don't pick up the resonances with my own faith. Not that it would have to toe the Christian line, but what it evokes in me I don't specifically connect with my spiritualit.
Touching the Void
Gripping story. Spiritual?
The Tree of Wooden Clogs
Trial of Joan of Arc (aka Proces de Jeanne d'Arc)
The Trip to Bountiful
The Truman Show
I can make the argument about it spiritual facets, but truth be told, it still doesn't powerfully connect with me. A little too head-oriented, a little too commercial a gloss.
2001: A Space Odyssey
Awe and wonder are evoked, sure - but they're distinctly meant NOT to be religious awe and wonder. Jeez, Arthur C. Clarke was the Richard Dawkin of his day - he figures we Christian types are deluded, for goodness sake! And 2001 is a bit of a manifesto along those lines. You see this a spiritual, you need to know you're reading very much against the grain.
Unforgiven
The United States of Leland
Vanya on 42nd Street
The Virgin Spring
Waking Life
Werckmeister Harmonies
The Wicker Man
Number One is serious about spirituality, sure enough. But it ain't no spirituality I can celebrate, I must say. The whole human sacrifice thing I find just a bit problematic.
Wild Strawberries
The Wind Will Carry Us
Wings of Desire
Winter Light
Wit
Witness
The Year Of Living Dangerously
Yi Yi: A One and a Two
Zelig
Very funny. And it's got a rabbi in it...
