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Our Tokyo Jesuit Social Center translated into Japanese 3 booklets, last
year published by the Center "Cristianisme i Justicia" (Spain).
We introduce here the Japanese translation of a 4th booklet, CINEMA and
the metamorphosis of great epic tales that has just been published. The
above center, located in Barcelona (Spain), is run by a team of Jesuits
that publishes studies and lectures given at seminars, focused on justice
and faith issues, organized by the center. The present booklet picks up
4 SF fantasy movies quite popular nowadays among the youth and after examining
their content, ethical and Christian reflections are given. We recommend
the reading of the booklet to all those who like movies and those who would
like to understand the culture of modern youth.
The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Star Wars, The Matrix were SF fantasy
movies produced in modern times with a cost of over 100 million dollars,
per movie, and an audience of more than 100 million persons, according
to the author of the booklet. The profit has been over all expectations
a mega-hit. Besides, it led to a whole new iconography that expanded through
video games, role-playing games, posters, dolls, networks of fans on the
Internet, so that it created an independent empire that has exerted a big
impact on the youth. Young people discuss seriously the symbols represented
in the films, the common elements to both, the heroes of the films and
of the epic tales, the ethical and Christian values included in their messages.
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The titles of the films might be surprising but if you read through you
will get to understand.
In fact, I (Shibata) have watched all the 4 movies that appear in the booklet
and I'm a fan of SF fantasy films. That's why I can understand the passion
of the young for such movies. The problem comes from the lack of criticism
youth shows for the messages given. Certainly, in Japan, some films and
Animation stories are just "cult films" that attract today's
generations as if they were new religions. They are neither "difficult"
nor sophisticated films in their content, but are aimed at a mainstream
public audience, and designed to be seen by millions of people. They include
mythical symbols very attractive to the youth. In the myth there is often
an extra meaning that relates to the sacred.
In every culture it is the sacred that really affects individuals and groups.
The word "sacred" comes from the Indo-European word "sak-,"
which means, "to give life to," or "to make something become
real." The domain of entertainment becomes something resembling the
sacred when it is capable of bringing people to experience a different
dimension of space and time to that which is real.
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*Please, contact Tokyo's Jesuit Social Center, by mail, fax or e-mail.
Write your name, address and the number of copies desired. The charge for
copy (A5 size, pp32) is 100 Yen + mail costs.
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