Category: Belief

Introduction

Among all the female African-American artists in the United States, none are as closely attuned to her heritage, identity, sexuality and politics as Faith Ringgold.

Challenging traditional moral and philosophical boundaries, she mercilessly reveals her inner narratives entwined with her knowledge and experience of their racial history through unconventional images – that is, as far as “American” art is concerned (Baraka, 1985: 12).

Her soft-sculpture works juxtapose simple expressionistic figures with traditional African iconography dabbed with a touch of the contemporary – proof that it is still very much rooted in her socio-cultural history – while her more modern installation works incorporate performance art (Withers, 1980: 207).

To quote Baraka in her description of Ringgold’s choice of subject matter: “America has always been violence and blood for Africans and African Americans… So Faith’s [works speak] of the present (and, unfortunately, the future) and obviously about the past” (Baraka, 1985: 12).

Some scholars articulate that Ringgold only reveals her own experiences, but her creations are aimed at making people understand the unfairness and cruelty of life which many African Americans have to face. Ringgold’s art is, to great extent, her own political program. Her art is the scope of her beliefs, inclinations and longings.

Thus, while considering her artistic works it is essential to understand her political beliefs which shaped her art. This paper will examine how her socio-political life affected her art, taking into consideration her life experiences as an artist and a literary scholar, an African American woman.

Life and Times: A Brief Biography

Faith Ringgold is a strongly opinionated artist who professes her political beliefs though visual and literary art in various journals and other publications, although she is more known for being the former as some of her artworks have been called as “informed graphics” and “Idea Paintings” (Baraka, 1985: 12).

These titles best fit the essence of her works since she is an African-American mainstream feminist with an unshakeable commitment to cultural studies and a lifelong fascination for political and gender equality, as well as for identity.

Koppman also points out Ringgold’s art is based on “the cross cultural and generational traditions of women’s fabric work and storytelling”, and underlines that it is “an art that blends social commentary with aesthetic sensibility, an art that makes viewers alternately laugh and cry” (1991: 40).

Born on October 8, 1930, in Harlem, New York, she grew under the watchful care of her mother, who was “a creative force on her own” (Anderson, 2006: 365). Her fashion designer mother taught her to sew fabrics in a creative way, as well as how to sew quilts – fueling her fascination for story quilts, and her quest for identity, because her great-great-great grandmother had once been a slave in another life and sewn quilts upon the desires of her “white masters”.

Ringgold employs various quilt-making traditions learned from her, such as appliqués and patchwork, and with the knowledge of their history, she weaves them with themes and elements directly derived from her heritage, such as the spiritual symbols of asymmetry and bright colors.

This can be regarded as the first (and primary) influence which made her to devote her artistic skills to revealing the secrets of souls of African Americans, the heritage of her people. Nancy Doyle, a well known art writer from America, in her artist profile of Ringgold describes:

Quilts in the African-American slave community served various purposes: warmth, preserving memories and events, storytelling, and even as “message boards” for the Underground Railroad to guide slaves on their way north to freedom. (Doyle, 2008)

Sometime after her obtaining an art degree, she began to paint in the time of Civil Rights movement, influencing her subject and themes, such as with ‘Mr. Charlie’, a painting of a white man to portray the pervading racism then. Mr. Charlie is the generic term of African-Americans for white people. Most of her oil paintings in the 60’s commonly dealt with racial tension and the great cultural divide within America because it was what the times called for (Koppman, 1991: 40).

Thus, Ringgold becomes a frontier of those who are not afraid to say aloud that the democratic society is not that democratic for some groups of people. Anderson describes this period of “persistent poverty in the black community” as a testimony to “the powerful forces opposing the systemic changes needed to adequately address racial inequality and institutional racism” (2006: 364).

Just like Barbara Kreuger, another world renowned American artist famous for striking feminist works, Faith Ringgold chose to make her art about the insanity of the crazy place where we live. Then the 70’s came, and it was a decade of discovery and experimentation for Ringgold.

Eventually, the story quilts came, her mode of aesthetic for the last decade or so, which arose from a deep need to satisfy her urges to narrate stories, not just through visual symbols or images, but rather with words (Koppman, 1991: 41).

She also became acquainted with the feminist movement, and soon this too caught on with her growing choices on subject matter. Nevertheless, she was more preoccupied with the issues of equality since she was involved in the feminist movement concerned with African American women’s rights. For instance, Ringgold tried to object and change the existing trend when women African-American artists were excluded from the mainstream art institutions.

One of her paintings was about the children in an art museum from Europe playing under masterpieces while ignoring the eyes watching them to depict how African-American art is ignored and seen as childish when compared to that of the ‘masters’, especially when it comes from women such as herself – an issue that is not so prevalent anymore now, but was big back then.

Art as Catharsis for Identity-Crises

With fragmentation as the order of the day, crises of identity are becoming more and more prevalent, particularly with Western cultures that feel the full effects of narrow specialization or “specialism” as coined by Jacques Barzun, as well as reductionism through a fragmented “synthetic/mass” culture focusing on individualism.

Ringgold answers this kind of divide with significant art that is imbued with an almost spiritual force. Truly enough, Theophile Gautier’s doctrine l’art pour l’art or art for art’s sake has already been deemed obsolete; art is no longer just self-serving, for it has found one higher purpose among many in Ringgold’s art: the refection of societal problems, and a call to action that empowers the marginalized (Koppman, 1991: 40-42).

Traditional art is something aesthetically pleasing that has been continuously created properly for two or more generations. It is this which Ringgold fuses with contemporary themes and modern aesthetics.

The struggles between fragmentation and identity formation, political inequality and racial discrimination fuel her sharp activist art; so fervent is she to make a difference through expression, in fact, that her works already emulate a solid identity for itself that aims to uplift the marginalized and oppressed African-Americans.

Although her quilts and figures are presented in an effortlessly straightforward manner, her themes are anything but; it’s quite a simple matter to see her art, but it’s another thing to actually perceive it.

One is therefore left wondering: How does one fully comprehend the multiple layers of significance behind Faith Ringgold’s works? Evidently, only in tracing her journey as an artist can one understand the many meanings within her art, for it is in journeying through her creative evolution that one can truly delve into her psyche.

Art and Representation

A four-piece ensemble of life-sized dolls with African-inspired faces and woven textile clothing, the installation entitled Mama Jones, Andrew, Barbara and Faith is from the Family of Woman series, and portrays individuals from the artist’s memories (Withers, 1980: 207).

Capturing essences rather than façades of childhood friends, these soft sculptures are a testament to her dedication on preserving her heritage and imbuing them with a sense of herself. Without taking her dolls and quilts to the next level, she remains from the path of the radical feminist movement.

The most important art that pertains to identity, however, is entitled The Wake and Resurrection of the Bicentennial Negro and features two central characters, Bena and Buba, in a funeral, and the audience as participants of an improvised ritual. These participants are asked to wear costumes and masks to “mourn” the dolls, making them the family of the deceased.

Buba is the junkie of the family, and he died from drug overdose, while his wife, Bena, died of heartache at the loss of her husband. This was created in a time when drug abuse was rampant, and it shows how a family mainly suffers for the actions of the drug user.

An installation holding a cautionary tale, the figures are placed on a green, black and red flag – the colors of Rastafarri and La Vie Boheme – to serve as a warning on the impacts of drug abuse and social indifference. Ringgold then directs the performance with the help of her volunteer actors, and they act out the scenario with improvised dialogue.

The audience gets the feel not of an actual wake, but of something hopeful and joyous, as they know from the title that these figures would be resurrected:

After a lengthy and emotional wake (combining music and dance) they come back to life through the love of their family and especially of their mother, and become reformed…. The performance combines elements of the Black-American wake with African beliefs that [according to Terrie S. Rouse] “hold ancestral deities in a state of limbo until they are released through dance to return to the community in search of new lives.”

That is, African beliefs in the continued life of the spirits of the dead are here superimposed on the realities of 20th-century life in America.’ Connections are made between the dead and the living; hope and despair; past, present, and future; joy and sorrow; and the theatrical and mundane. (Koppman, 1991: 41)

Presented first in 1976, The Wake rouses the remaining audience’s senses to wake up and smell the reeking urbanite coffee – that there are social sicknesses in their midst, and that it is time to change it and be reborn anew. In Art Journal, Ringgold writes her sentiments on social awareness – the same sentiments she uses in the creation of her art: “People don’t often pay attention until their key no longer fits their lock…It is in your best interests to understand what is happening here” (Ringgold, 1991: 86).

The Wake shows the value of participation and unity, of never forgetting one’s own heritage, and of lessons on the hardships of life; people need to be more than observers and answer the call to action, for social change is a long-fought battle that will always be in need of more soldiers. But the key lies in knowing that the sickness is real, and her art strives to inform the masses of just that. She writes further:

They say: “if you can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen.” but I say: don’t go! Too many cooks don’t spoil the broth. Not at this meal. We need your help, your understanding, your generosity. This country has to change. That is the message that helms and bush have brought us. We have to come together to watch that pot, see that it keeps boiling, and add water to it from time to time.

A hot pot with no water can explode, kill the cooks, destroy the kitchen, create a famine, or worse, a war. That’s no way to nourish and nurture our progeny, keep the peace, our democracy, and all our freedoms secure. (Ringgold, 1991: 86)

Children’s Writing

Ringgold has always believed that one should know one’s own roots and culture, and what is more, to understand whether there is equality: “I don’t feel restricted by being female, any more than I feel restricted by being Black or being American-these are the facts of my life. It’s powerful to know who you are. The restriction comes in not knowing” (Withers, 1980: 207).

Tar Beach is the first among a series to have been written in 1988; it’s a modern fairy tale about a young eight year old girl named Cassie Louise Lightfoot that provides His Majesty of the George Washington Bridge with the inspiration of liberation (Koppman, 1991: 41). The summary is as follows:

As she gazes up at the stars from her mattress on the roof, she sees herself flying high over the bridge, over the skyscrapers of the city, over her family playing cards, over her little brother lying next to her. Ringgold gives her voice: “Now I have claimed it. All I had to do was fly over it for it to be mine forever. I can wear it like a giant diamond necklace, or just fly above it and marvel at its sparkling beauty. I can fly, yes fly. Cassie Louise Lightfoot, only eight years old and in the third grade and I can fly. With faith, one can conquer the world. (Koppman, 1991: 41-42)

Part autobiography and part allegory, Ringgold stays consistent with her themes in that she ingrains them in African-American social history, but even closer to home, she chooses her very own Harlem in the late 30’s as the setting of the story.

It’s true that in children’s literature, the audience’s attention is garnered through an array of simplistic and effective methods, such as reeling them in with a clean and fairly obvious plot, an interesting, completely plausible yet a bit fantastical plot, a character that’s’ easy to relate to, or even just a good narrator; now, although Tar Beach fulfills the latter, it definitely ignores the former, as it goes beyond what children expect.

Simplistic at first glance, Tar Beach is filled with insight and historical tidbits directly wrought from the author’s somewhat painful experiences. For example, in the book, while Cassie is flying and seeing all the interesting sights, while she passes them by, she is still nonetheless aware of her surroundings. In this story the little girls, in her own way, feels the unfairness of the world she lives in:

Ringgold makes it clear that even as a child, she knows her skilled father (who helped build the George Washington Bridge) is not allowed in a labor union, because his grandfather was not part of one. Ringgold’s childish cadence in language also offers the feeling of flight to the reader–but again makes Cassie conscious of her world: she knows that certain people simply see her father as colored or a half-breed Indian. Cassie however, flies over the union building and claims it for her father and continues her journey, undaunted. (Sweeney, 2011)

Imbuing the tale with a moral lesson is also an effective device used in enriching the plot and recall of Tar Beach; it shows African-American kids to be strong despite the odds:

Freedom needs careful preparation and a watchful eye. Not only will a watched pot boil, but when it comes to cooking up some freedom only the watched pot boils. All the others get turned off. Or boil over. The reality of this obscenity is that it exposes the corrupt values of American life. It is an assault on the future of America. It is what we have willed our children. The art we produce is only the expression of the obscene realities we have created (Ringgold, 1991: 84).

Pigeon keepers, rooftop gardeners and construction workers all explain the reality of their lives as to why they chose to do what they do, reflecting the need for employment to assuage poverty while maintaining it within the confines of a child’s complex imagination.

All in all, Tar Beach is a quilt woven with the author’s life story and wisdom that makes it an award-winning must read for everyone about the freedom to dream, which applies to non African-Americans as well; it contains valuable life lessons presented in easy to digest, bite-sized portions of interesting narrative and vibrant art.

Conclusion

Undoubtedly, Ringgold is a good writer, teacher and political activist, and an even better visual artist, given that she has successfully integrated into her works her deeper, richer knowledge of her own heritage, and in doing so, she makes sure that the culture of her generation remains intact.

It is essential to keep in mind that art “should extend beyond itself to become an act of ethical reform, influencing public opinion, public action, and pubic contribution” (Brustein, 1964: 184). Ringgold’s artistic work is one of the best examples of such extended art.

Faith Ringgold has been given numerous awards, written eleven children’s books, and has accomplished so much, all because her great-great grandmother taught her many things which she will never forget, and which hopefully other people will discover and learn from as well through her quilted stories and paintings.

Ringgold continues her legacy to enlighten people through the creation of quilted stories that exemplify the struggles and hardships experienced by every African- American, and perhaps the ways on how to cope to social strife. In such consists the enduring appeal of Ringgold’s exceptional vision.

Works Cited

Anderson, Joyce Owens. “Faith Ringgold, We Flew Over the Bridge: The Memoirs of Faith Ringgold.” The Journal of African American History 91.3 (2006): 364-365.

Baraka, Amiri. “Faith.” Black American Literature Forum 19.1 (1985): 12-13.

Brustein, Robert Sanford. The Theatre of Revolt. Boston: Little, Brown, 1964.

Doyle, Nancy. “Artist Profile: Faith Ringgold”. Nancy Doyle Fine Art. 2008. Web.

Koppman, Debbie. “Odyssey of Faith.” Woman’s Art Journal 12.2 (1991): 40-42.

Ringgold, Faith. Those Cookin’ up Ideas for Freedom Take Heed: Only a Watched Pot Boils. Art Journal. 50.3 (1991): 84-86.

Sweeney, Mallory. “Faith Ringgold’s Tar Beach, A Literary review.” Literary Traveler Web.

Withers, Josephine. “Faith Ringgold: Art.” Feminist Studies 6.1 (1980): 207-211.

Introduction

Protestantism emerged in Europe at the beginning of the 16th century as the opposition to the Roman Catholic Church and based on the belief in personal faith and the connection to God. Reformation had a direct impact on art as it undermined all the traditions of iconography. As Gardner and Kleiner note, Protestants believed that “representations of Christ, the Virgin, and saints could lead to idolatry” (p. 280.) Although Albrecht Dürer was influenced by Italian Renaissance art, he often referred to the ideas of Protestantism.

Main body

Dürer’s Four Apostles represent the artist’s support for Protestantism, especially Lutheranism. The first detail that speaks of it lies in the positioning of the apostles. Saint Peter and Saint Paul, who represent the Roman Catholic Church, are placed behind the evangelists John and Mark as Protestantism recognizes Gospel as its primary source. Moreover, Dürer’s apostles bear portraitlike features that oppose to the traditional imagery of catholic icons. The artist also added the quotations of the verses from the New Testament under each panel. The meaning of these inscriptions concerns the warning against false prophets whom Protestants were believed to come from the Catholic Church.

References

Gardner, Helen, and Fred S. Kleiner. Gardner’s Art through the Ages: a Concise Global History. 3rd ed., Cengage Learning, 2017.

Introduction

There is no one in the hospital room when Adam visits his terminally ill mentor, vicar Ivan. Humiliated time after time by his mentees at church and confronted with an array of misfortunes in life, the vicar had been fighting cancer, got shot in the head by a member of a Neo-Nazi gang, and seemingly, lost the battle for survival. However, the doctor announces that despite all odds, the bullet removed the brain tumor; Ivan recovered and is off to the hospital garden. Adam stands struck and dumbfounded for he witnesses a real wonder of a man escaping certain death.

Overview

In Adam’s Apples, 2005 Danish tar-pitched comedy by Anders Thomas Jensen, overly optimistic preacher Ivan takes care of Neo-Nazi Adam, Afghan thief Khalid, and rapist Gunnar. The trio is recently released from prison and does mandatory community service at his church. There are two sides to the vicar’s optimism; he seems to be lenient towards the people that need sternness and guidance and oblivious about life as he tries to process his trauma. This essay deals with the theme of the “Divine” in the movie and examines the characters’ testing of faith.

Understanding of Religion

Anders Thomas Jensen’s portrayal of a modern person’s journey in God or without Him complies with the postmodern paradigm of religion as the director does not take a hard stand nor answers if the events are caused by God. Ivan does not question religion; to him, the Devil tests him with misfortunes, but good faith makes him resilient. Adam, on the other hand, is skeptical and eager to confront the vicar, seeking to prove that Ivan’s miserable life is a sign of God’s hatred. The movie’s broader theme deals with spirituality that finds incarnation in Ivan who seeks non-materialistic good, practices forgiveness, and is concerned with the integrity of the human spirit. Adam, on the other hand, surrenders to most violent instincts and is vexed by Ivan’s serenity. The conflict forces the vicar to stand firm in his faith, and the mentee to reassess his convictions.

Plight of Ivan

Through Ivan’s figure, director Jensen depicts the story of Job and his testing of faith. His plight is woeful: a victim of child sexual abuse, Ivan witnesses his wife’s suicide, raises a disabled child, and fights cancer; however, he shows no anger for the almighty God. For all that, the story grows dark Ivan displays shocking unawareness of reality: Ivan is convinced that his child is perfectly healthy, and his wife didn’t commit suicide. At this point, the viewer may conclude that absolute faith quickly turns blind, and a Godly man becomes deluded which may, in turn, undermine religion exposing believers as foolish. However, akin to the Biblical Job, after a life of misery, Ivan is given grace and healed which justifies his perseverance in faith.

Faith in People

Another way Ivan’s faith is tested is through his hardships with the mentees. First Ivan’s humility and “love for his neighbors” baffles and overwhelms the trio, the most troublesome of which is undoubtedly Adam (Adam’s Apples). At the beginning of the movie, he attacks his housemates and keeps Hitler’s portrait in his room. Despite his hostile demeanor, the character is not devoid of redeeming qualities such as determination, which Ivan sees. However, he does not preach to him but lets him witness something genuinely life-changing. At one point, Adam is brought to a hospital where he meets an old man, who was a ward at a concentration camp, on his deathbed. The patient’s repentance moves Adam; soon, the infamous portrait is gone. The scene is pivotal to understanding the theme of the testing of faith. For Ivan, it takes a firm belief to reject imposing ideas and trust the good in people whereas, for Adam, it takes an encounter with someone who practiced his views to reject them.

God in Adam’s Apples

When examining the lives of the main characters in Adam’s Apples, one finds it difficult to claim that the movie’s God is a fair God. The comedy offers a striking opposition between a Godly man’s miserable life and a tainted Neo-Nazi’s quick redemption without facing any real repercussions. At the same time, having assumed a different standpoint, one may also describe God as the one that lets the characters take steps, but directs their paths. He seems to encourage strong will on par with a steadfast belief; the concept seems plausible as the characters who possessed precisely these traits turned out to be rewarded. At that, their stories seem to be utterly believable, devoid of any sense of mystery.

The Duality

The movie deepened my understanding of religion due to the duality of God mentioned earlier. His justice is outrageous, he is not devoid of human weaknesses as he may not be rewarding the right people (Ivan); at the same time, his compassion for the lost and sinful (Adam) is overwhelming. I agree with such a portrayal for from a Christian standpoint, I interpret this seemingly intractable ambiguity in line with the depictions of God in Old and New Testaments.

Conclusion

All in all, in Adam’s Apples, creator Anders Thomas Jensen wisely shies away from being self-righteous and brings the viewer to ask questions the answers to which the comedy never gives. Depending on their convictions, one is free to choose if it was the firm belief that saved Ivan or a coincidence, or if redemption is always a possibility even for a deeply tainted man. One claim, however, stands true. Even under the postmodern paradigm of doubt and relentless questioning, in his compelling narrative, the director shows real-life wonders and a feasible portrayal of one’s hardships and salvation.

Work Cited

Adam’s Apples. Directed by Anders Thomas Jensen, performances by Ulrich Thomsen, Mads Mikkelsen, Nicolas Bro, and Ali Kazim, Outsider Pictures, 2005.

Introduction

The film is a depiction of what it means to have unshakable Jewish faith. The two protagonists face so many tribulations, but stay true to their religious beliefs. An outsider may misinterpret their actions as naive; however, Jewish believers would find their behavior quite exemplary.

The film

This is a Jewish film owing to the title, language, setting, themes and even the actors involved in the film. In my view, a movie becomes Jewish when it is intended for Jewish audiences. The subject matter should be about the faith; the actors ought to be Jewish or should at least portray Jewish characters. Furthermore, it should possess elements that reflect the Jewish lifestyle such as Jewish foods, clothing, and locations.

First, the film is entitled Ushpizin; an Aramaic word for guests. In Jewish tradition, one should invite guests during a seven-day festival known as Sukkot (Ross 109). This tradition is designed to propagate unity and selfless acts among the Jewish population. The film’s main actor and actress are quite anxious about their lack of money. This status prevents them from building a sukkah (a tent that hosts guest in the festival).

Furthermore, they lack the money that is needed in order to purchase food for their guests. The level of concern that they have for the Sukkot festival is indicative of their commitment to their faith (Holden 3).

One should realize that Malli and Moshe were husband and wife in real life. This choice indicates the conservative values of stakeholders in the film. Orthodox Jews are not allowed to act alongside women who were not their wives (Paris 15).

The film is also Jewish because of the language and settings used. The speakers use Hebrew throughout the movie. Furthermore, the movie is set in a classic Jewish society; Jerusalem, Israel. In some scenes, one can view landmark buildings like Yad Labanim and Wolfson Towers. The appearance of Haredi neighborhoods also indicates the Jewish nature of this film. Their poverty stems from their social and economic environment.

In fact, it is quite admirable that the couple spends $300 dollars on a citron (lemon-like fruit) for the festival. This was clearly a sum that they could not afford given their particular circumstances. If their faith was shaky, they would have chosen to set aside the $1000 they got from well wishers for a rainy day.

However, they decided to dedicate that money towards the festival. Even when the Ushpizin cut up the citron, the couple responds quite gracefully towards them. This is quite admirable because the citron was supposed to facilitate the birth of their first born. The unruly guests undermine this goal, but get no reprieve for their actions.

The Jewish nature of the movie can also be depicted through the use of themes and actors. This film essentially espouses the importance of religious devotions. Moshe and Malli find solace in their religion even when circumstances seem hopeless. They pray when they have no money for the festival; they pray when they receive guests and even pray when the guests act wildly.

This wife and husband have an amazing ability to look for positive elements in any situations. For instance, after the guests play pop music, drink and smoke in their house, they continue to entertain them. Eventually, the Ushpizin come back.

The couple decides to treat their return as a test from God. They assert that their reward awaits them at the end of their lives. This unexpected response demonstrates their spiritual commitment. Such a theme relates to others learnt in class concerning temptation and religious devotion.

Works Cited

Holden, Stephen. “Guess who is coming for Sukkot? Unbelievers.” New York Times. New York Times, 19 Oct. 2005. Web.

Paris, Dov. A conversation with Shuli and Michal Rand. Jewish Action, Orthodox Union, 2006. Web..

Ross, Lesli. Celebrate! The Complete Jewish Holidays Handbook. London: Jason Aronson Inc., 1994. Print.

Auto-phobia otherwise known as self-hatred or self loathing is emblematic of low self-esteem. An extension of this behavior from a cultural perspective is ethic self-hatred – an extreme aversion to one’s ethic heritage. A self-hating Jew, a pejorative phrase classifying a Jewish person with alleged anti-Semitic beliefs, exemplifies ethic self-hatred. This life altering experience pervades the 2001 blockbuster film, The Believer, starring Ryan Gosling, Billy Zane, Theresa Russell, Garrett Dillahunt, and Summer Phoenix. Similar to the 1998 movie American X in terms of an expose on Neo Nazi beliefs, its infusion of ethnic self-hatred propels it into a unique sphere of its own. Recipient of the 2001” Sundance Film Festival’s Grand Jury Prize,” The Believer was directed and written by acclaimed American director/screenwriter/ producer/actor Henry Bean (Internal Affairs, Deep Cover, Venus Rising, and Noise). The biogragphical motivation for the film is the real life story of Daniel “Dan” Burros (March 5, 1937 — October 31, 1965), an American Jew turned Nazi Party member and Kleagle (New York state branch of the United Klans of America).

Well received by critics, The Believer was described as thrilling, riveting, and astonishing (The Independent, 2001). A gripping and intense performance, Ryan Gosling (Notebook, Half Nelson) plays twenty-something year old Daniel Balint, a troubled Orthodox self-hating Jew turned Neo-Nazi. Danny epitomizes a person whose faith has gone a wry. This stance is fueled by his belief that the Jews have taken a cowardly stance on atrocities that have happened to them throughout history (Abraham’s sacrifice, Holocaust, etc.). A walking paradox, Danny deduces that blasphemy, heresy and denial of the soul are the only way to survive. He is the epitome of a life lived in hell on earth. As opposed to physical grotesqueness, he illustrates mental and spiritual deformity. God is viewed as tyrannical and obeisance to Him is being subject to his mercy.

The Believer poses many questions concerning belief and faith particularly in its association with God or a higher power. Does a higher power exist and what are the benefits of obeisance to such a power? Can one love that which they hate or truly hate that which they supposedly love? Suffice to say a double-minded man is inherently unstable- not trustworthy / reliable. A believer places their trust and faith in something which they may not have seen and/or heard. The film purports the standard viewpoint of belief, faith, and religion as being synonymous and equal. Religion entails human thought, perceptions, cultural traditions and mythology. Despite his quest for self fulfillment and meaning, Danny’s extremist faith/belief via violence makes it hard to align with this position. Psychopathic/schizophrenia and belief/faith in God should not coincide. God is not the author of confusion – to do so could unleash a hellish situation in God’s name. To simply believe in God is not enough. It must become a way of life, manifest in all things that you say and do [the pathway to true Faith]. This intrinsically deters and protect against crossing certain boundaries that might be destructive.

Hebraic/Hebrew concept of belief/faith is different and relatable. Belonging to Shemitic-Hamitic [Afro-Asiatic] language family, Hebrew is referred to as the Holy Tongue – the language of creation. According to the Genesis account in the TANAKH (Old Testament), prior to the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:5-9) which lead to language diversification [confusion], Hebrew (Ivrit, עִבְרִית) was the spoken language which united all of mankind. The letters which comprise Hebrew have phenomenal meaning and essence – constituting a life-force which all things are created and understood. In Hebrew, the word for faith is emunah/eh-moo-nah – trust, steadfastness, firmness. Thus faith involves a process and belief is only a part of the process by way in which you acquire faith – faith being the ultimate expression of belief.

The process involves:

1. Le-Ah-Main,
2. E-Moon,
3. Le-Hah-Ah-Men,
4. Nay-Eh-Mahn,
5. Oh-Mahn.

Le-Ah-Main means to make firm, and removing doubt by serious study and investigation of the facts [or at least available information], in order be assured of the validity of your belief(s). You then confirm/verify what you have learned via your actions. E-moon means confirmation, training, or practice thus you must put into practice what you have learned or been taught – for without practice there is no progress and development [practice makes perfect]. With diligence and discipline you entrust and confirm your belief by your actions (faith without works is meaningless). Your actions illustrate your belief and simultaneously you inspire others to believe. Nay-Eh-Mahn incorporates reliability and trustworthiness, indicating a greater level of responsibility. With intensified teaching/learning and responsibility/trustworthiness, you become a master (O-Mahn) in your field(s) of studies (faith). Thus Hebraic faith consists of correlating thoughts, words, deeds and an intensified learning/teaching process which entails mastery, responsibility and accountability.

At the core of this faith/belief paradigm is the idea of God consciousness and moral responsibility- not from the viewpoint of religious sectarianism, but rather from the perspective of truth, justice, morals and ethics. We should focus on these Godly principles as opposed to the dogmas and personalities of any particular religion or ideology. God represents that which is true and right. Truth is the correct knowledge and understanding of reality. That which creates, sustains, and maintains life in harmony with the natural cycles of this planet, doing no harm to the ecology or people of the Earth – is right These definitions of Godliness, Truth, and Rightness often seem esoteric, but if they can be defined then they are knowable and thus attainable-Knowing Truth can make you free.

Belief based on religious ‘faith’ prevails in the world with the vast majority professing to believe in a higher power. Yet, as with the Tower of Babel, such diversity has been the cause of great strife and division. Despite this array of religions – mass scale pillaging, death and destruction are very much present in the world today. Corruption is rampant- a result of the failure to implement of these righteous principles beyond mere religious tokenism and rhetoric. The ramifications and repercussions are evident as indicated by rampant war and violence, deception (double speak &/or political spin), fraud, crime, torture, sexual abuse and lasciviousness, etc; which have been almost normalized via television, movies, music, the internet; and glossed over by the corporate controlled ‘news’ media. The above mentioned righteous/Godly principles such as Truth, Justice, Morals and Ethics, etc. have been down-played and even oft-times effectively eliminated from discourse in institutions of government, education, and especially business and science/technology – thus fading from society’s consciousness. ‘Greed is good’ and ‘Looking out for number one’ has replaced ‘I am my brother’s keeper’ and ‘Do onto other’s as you would have them do onto you’ as society’s current mottos.

Unfortunately the current paradigm for ‘successful’ individuals, institutions and societies is measured by their ability to project political, military, economic, and technological prowess and influence- not by establishing and upholding meaningful righteous/Godly principles and standards. So even though they often profess much religious ‘belief’ in God- yet their hearts [deeds] are far from what they profess. It is a blind faith – nebulous and unaccountable in nature. Thus these institutions and societies reveal the type of schizophrenic behavior that is so obvious in a Danny Balint/Daniel “Dan” Burros- the Nazi Jew.

Bibliography

Ross, Allen P. Introducing Biblical Hebrew: Baker Academic, 2001

“The Big Picture: The Believers (review)” The Independent, 2001. Web.

The horror film “Midsommar” was written and directed by Ari Aster in 2019. The work’s title hints at the central theme that follows the plot’s narrative – the power of belief in the higher force in the world. The word midsommar has a Swedish origin, which reflects the place and the origin of most authentic elements in the film. However, the concept of faith combines all aspects that refer to this phenomenon, including community, traditions, norms, and perception of the world.

The plot revolves around the protagonist, Deny, who suffered the loss of all family members and is going through complex relationships with her boyfriend. In the course of the story, she and her friends are flying on vacation to a remote destination, a small village in Sweden. The choice of the place reflects the abstract and universal idea that the story can take place anywhere; this village can be any village in any country. However, the specific stylistics of the background based on rituals and traditions of the local beliefs serves to create a realistic and believable environment. In the sequence of events, each member of the friend group suffers violent interactions with a pagan cult that is the villagers themselves.

The most significant scene reflecting the power of faith is the part where Dany, seeing her boyfriend being intimate with another woman, starts crying. The intense emotions of her previous grief for the family and anger with her social environment create a hysterical representation of feelings. The director builds the visual image of the personalization of despair. Moreover, when the commune women saw Deny, they started screaming and crying with her, reflecting her pain. The device of personification further reveals the visual representation of how faith and religion, emphasized in the form of the cult, support every community member by offering support through sharing. Many people find faith in despair and loneliness for the reason of a group of like-minded people who can help and understand dark emotions through empathy. Hence, the idea of group screaming and crying as a form of emotional support highlights the typical elements of support community of every religious belief.

Another crucial scene that impacted viewers the most and left a mixed impression of a happy or bad ending is the final scene, where Dany sacrifices her boyfriend instead of one of the commune men and, as a result, smiles during the ritual. The episode reflects more than the surface image of a mad woman who revenged her boyfriend and smiled upon her friend’s death. The visual elements are heavily influenced by oxymoron opposition in the frame—the end, the death of people, and the beginning symbolized by the bright summer flowers of Deny’s dress. The people’s screams and cries versus the main protagonist’s smile. She shares empathy for the commune member because she is now one of them, while her friends are strangers. That reflects how strong beliefs can unite different individuals anywhere in the world; that is why the place choice is also essential to the theme. The scene is her happy ending because she found new life in the faith and beliefs of the commune. The parallel stands for the new life people can find in church even after the darkest time of their life, and Deny, in the same way, lived through the tragic events to find a new purpose in the community.

To sum up, both mentioned scenes of “Midsommar” create a sublime feeling of a higher force that leads the people and their community. The reflection is exaggerated, but it serves the primary purpose of impressing and shocking viewers and making them feel small and vulnerable as people in the commune, where religious laws are more powerful than small humans. And being a part of this system means sharing every little aspect of pain and happiness with the community.