You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
Okay yeah. I can't. I was hoping this would be a more middle of the road book about how movies can be their own religion and people can find solace in the art form, but this is so incredibly religious and somewhat patronizing that I could not get past page 25. Sorry Larsen.
3.5 Some helpful insights into prayer interspersed with an incredibly far-ranging survey of critical film study.
I was very excited to be selected to receive an advance copy of Movies Are Prayers.
Part film analysis, part Christian apologetics, Josh Larsen's book invites readers to consider films as expressions of human yearning: for lamentation, for confession and communion, for joy. Larsen (co-host of one of my favorite podcasts, Filmspotting) explores both the purpose for and meaning behind Christian ideas of prayer and the ways in which film can fit into that framework. For Larsen, it's not about filmmaker intention (though some space is given to contemplate the religious and philosophical outlook of some directors), it's about understanding how the movies we connect with reflect those desires within. Equal parts theological exploration of prayer and close reading of film, Larsen's book is readable, thought-provoking, and invites readers of any faith (or no faith) to contemplate film in a different framework. His closing case study on Rushmore convinced me to look at an already-favorite film with new eyes, and I think my appreciation of the movie is better for it.
A really enjoyable read.
Part film analysis, part Christian apologetics, Josh Larsen's book invites readers to consider films as expressions of human yearning: for lamentation, for confession and communion, for joy. Larsen (co-host of one of my favorite podcasts, Filmspotting) explores both the purpose for and meaning behind Christian ideas of prayer and the ways in which film can fit into that framework. For Larsen, it's not about filmmaker intention (though some space is given to contemplate the religious and philosophical outlook of some directors), it's about understanding how the movies we connect with reflect those desires within. Equal parts theological exploration of prayer and close reading of film, Larsen's book is readable, thought-provoking, and invites readers of any faith (or no faith) to contemplate film in a different framework. His closing case study on Rushmore convinced me to look at an already-favorite film with new eyes, and I think my appreciation of the movie is better for it.
A really enjoyable read.
Brilliant. I need to watch so many of these movies. The chapter on contemplation is particularly good.
A guide, of sorts, to help viewers watch and engage with movies more thoughtfully.
I get to hear Larsen speak in about a month, so I figured it was time to return to this.
I was gifted "Movies Are Prayers" by a friend in my second year of school, and while I slowly worked through it then, I think it was the ideas more than the content that really stuck with me. The central pitch of film as a form of meditation is very compelling, and paired with a few certain classes in my undergrad, pushed me to think of media and storytelling in a fascinating new light. What's more, the wealth of sources that Larsen pulls from definitely influenced by own habits; I remember in particular his colourful depictions of "Life Aquatic" and "Rushmore" were influential in getting me into Wes Anderson's work. Returning all these years later, it is striking to me just how many of the names that would have once been opaque now feel like old friends, citations from Julian of Norwich, Walter Brueggemann, and Henri Nouwen, while referencing the works of Miyazaki and Buster Keaton and the Coen Brothers, and including reviews from Alissa Wilkinson and David Chen. I read this very young in my pursuit of both film and academic faith, and it brings me some delight to realize how closely I followed Larsen's trail, even if it was a largely subconscious effort.
That said, the content did not stick closely with me then, and I must confess it still bounces off me a little now. Larsen's thesis is so inherently compelling, but it is almost too broad to be discussed at length. His general approach to tackle a theme from a variety of angles with a wide range of sources - documentaries, musicals, films of various style and genre, all supplemented with Christian thinking - and in so doing, show the way that cinema aligns with the ways of being human. But despite the suggestion in Seitz's forward that this book is accessible to all, Larsen's tone is decidedly pastoral. There is certainly the assumption that the reader is part of the in-group, that they are not only familiar with but will be inherently comforted by the reminders of the Christ-story. Larsen never fully breaks into sermon, but comes close enough that a non-Christian reader may be turned away.
To be clear (I feel a lot of my Goodreads reviews wind up with pages of criticism that I have to qualify), I do really like Larsen's book. I frequently got emotional as he baptized familiar scenes and imagery in a spiritual context. But something about me is constantly looking for the balance between pastoral and academic in my Christian reading, and I keep coming out of this one wishing for more theory. I find Larsen does great work in positing his claim that movies can be prayers, but the intricacies of how to apply that are more or less left to the reader. Romanowski's "Cinematic Faith," which I read a year ago, comes closer - certainly, he is more explicitly interested in discussions of form, content, and what constitutes "Christian themes." The openness of Larsen's vision means he doesn't take the time to craft a rubric in the same way that Romanowski does, even if they are playing around the same ideas. But even Romanowski's work felt limited to me, more interested in studying the source of cultural meaning than actually constructing a "Christian response." Moreover, while Romanowski has more to chew on, Larsen's book is vastly more inviting and approachable, even down to the cover design and the feel of the books themselves.
It is perhaps telling that both Romanowski and Larsen have brief jabs at the popular conception of Christian filmmaking, without actually delving into why the culture around such films is a problem. Maybe the issues feel so ubiquitous, and the subject matter so expansive, that a proper study of the Christian filmmaking industry would bloat and drag down books that are otherwise breezy and informative. And that's understandable! But I find myself wanting a text that has a proper diagnosis of the literalist filmmaking in pop-Christianity, which can then turn towards a study of how to more holistically live in the world of film, filled with practical theory of meaning-making and deeper ponderings on spirituality. But maybe I'll just have to write such a book myself.
I was gifted "Movies Are Prayers" by a friend in my second year of school, and while I slowly worked through it then, I think it was the ideas more than the content that really stuck with me. The central pitch of film as a form of meditation is very compelling, and paired with a few certain classes in my undergrad, pushed me to think of media and storytelling in a fascinating new light. What's more, the wealth of sources that Larsen pulls from definitely influenced by own habits; I remember in particular his colourful depictions of "Life Aquatic" and "Rushmore" were influential in getting me into Wes Anderson's work. Returning all these years later, it is striking to me just how many of the names that would have once been opaque now feel like old friends, citations from Julian of Norwich, Walter Brueggemann, and Henri Nouwen, while referencing the works of Miyazaki and Buster Keaton and the Coen Brothers, and including reviews from Alissa Wilkinson and David Chen. I read this very young in my pursuit of both film and academic faith, and it brings me some delight to realize how closely I followed Larsen's trail, even if it was a largely subconscious effort.
That said, the content did not stick closely with me then, and I must confess it still bounces off me a little now. Larsen's thesis is so inherently compelling, but it is almost too broad to be discussed at length. His general approach to tackle a theme from a variety of angles with a wide range of sources - documentaries, musicals, films of various style and genre, all supplemented with Christian thinking - and in so doing, show the way that cinema aligns with the ways of being human. But despite the suggestion in Seitz's forward that this book is accessible to all, Larsen's tone is decidedly pastoral. There is certainly the assumption that the reader is part of the in-group, that they are not only familiar with but will be inherently comforted by the reminders of the Christ-story. Larsen never fully breaks into sermon, but comes close enough that a non-Christian reader may be turned away.
To be clear (I feel a lot of my Goodreads reviews wind up with pages of criticism that I have to qualify), I do really like Larsen's book. I frequently got emotional as he baptized familiar scenes and imagery in a spiritual context. But something about me is constantly looking for the balance between pastoral and academic in my Christian reading, and I keep coming out of this one wishing for more theory. I find Larsen does great work in positing his claim that movies can be prayers, but the intricacies of how to apply that are more or less left to the reader. Romanowski's "Cinematic Faith," which I read a year ago, comes closer - certainly, he is more explicitly interested in discussions of form, content, and what constitutes "Christian themes." The openness of Larsen's vision means he doesn't take the time to craft a rubric in the same way that Romanowski does, even if they are playing around the same ideas. But even Romanowski's work felt limited to me, more interested in studying the source of cultural meaning than actually constructing a "Christian response." Moreover, while Romanowski has more to chew on, Larsen's book is vastly more inviting and approachable, even down to the cover design and the feel of the books themselves.
It is perhaps telling that both Romanowski and Larsen have brief jabs at the popular conception of Christian filmmaking, without actually delving into why the culture around such films is a problem. Maybe the issues feel so ubiquitous, and the subject matter so expansive, that a proper study of the Christian filmmaking industry would bloat and drag down books that are otherwise breezy and informative. And that's understandable! But I find myself wanting a text that has a proper diagnosis of the literalist filmmaking in pop-Christianity, which can then turn towards a study of how to more holistically live in the world of film, filled with practical theory of meaning-making and deeper ponderings on spirituality. But maybe I'll just have to write such a book myself.
reflective
slow-paced
A 2017 staff favorite highly recommended by Nate. Read his review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1999412976?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1
Check our catalog: https://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore/search/C__Smovies%20are%20prayers%20larsen__Orightresult__U?lang=eng&suite=gold
Check our catalog: https://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore/search/C__Smovies%20are%20prayers%20larsen__Orightresult__U?lang=eng&suite=gold
I bought this when it came out to read with friends but the plan fizzled. So on the TBR stack it went.
Larsen brings a framing structure of different sorts of prayers to film criticism and I really enjoyed it. He walks the fine line of being a serious film critic but doing so through a Christian worldview.
Would recommend.
Larsen brings a framing structure of different sorts of prayers to film criticism and I really enjoyed it. He walks the fine line of being a serious film critic but doing so through a Christian worldview.
Would recommend.
I enjoyed reading this book. I have always loved the narrative of movies and this book framed them in a great, prayerful way. It is clear that the author has a good understanding of biblical theology and he clearly shared the gospel while walking through the creation, fall, redemption, restoration story in the Bible. I appreciated the way that he made it clear that he was talking about movies that had hard themes but that were still part of the human experience.