Suzanne E. Hassanein – Canada
In part one Suzanne, among other things, mentioned a number of children’s movies that were influenced by the occult and spirituality. In part two she gives us an overview of some well known adult movies. Part three will be published in the October issue of Theosophy Forward.
Part Two.
Adult Movies Incorporating Occult and Spiritual Ideas
Ghost: This film is about a dead person’s attempt to contact his wife in order to help solve his murder. A medium is used, mayhem results, a murderer is discovered, and the case is solved. The story is interesting and believable. A Buddhist friend stated that some monks in Tibet have said that the film accurately depicts the dark energies that come for the soul because of evil behaviour. The film’s violence is not appealing, but that is the way movies are often made.
The Fifth Element: This movie is sort of Sci-Fi, but has some interesting concepts in it. It shows that humanity has achieved space travel within the limits we can imagine for now. The story implies we are being watched—and that beings higher than man exist in another realm. There were a few occult concepts near the end, but the violence is not appealing.
What the Bleep Do We Know: Some matters of physics are explained, and the Writer/Director gives explanations about earth-reality—or nonreality. This picture is good for scientific minds and for any person who has seriously studied consciousness and the reality we perceive on planet Earth.
Lord of the Rings: This movie version of an epic fantasy depicts the great occult battle of the elements—one of the great battles of Good against Evil. This movie is very dramatic and imaginative —using fantasy to depict other realms. The viewer glimpses the author of the book’s vision of the kingdoms of nature and how, through some evil means, Nature has been disturbed by the battle of the opposites.
The Fountain: This story is an interesting and powerful look at the life of one who has lost a love interest through death, and it is also an intense look at the grief and suffering of the one left behind on earth. It deals with death, life, altered states of consciousness, a reincarnational past, and grief. This imaginative movie may help those who are wearied by their grief and are ready to watch an example of how to end its influence. We follow another’s trial—which in turn could be our own.
Pan’s Labyrinth: This movie shows us the monstrous nature of some humans, but also gives us a imaginative glimpse into the hidden side of nature and the life of a young girl who is initiated into Wisdom in a very karmic and often sad way. There are some moments implying the sacred, some moments of this hell world, some moments of a mysterious search, and some moments of finding a much better world elsewhere.
Australia: This movie gives insights into the history of whites in Australia with their interactions with the Aborigines, who are their brothers. We see a shamanic resonance of old magical ways of the Aboriginal ancestors of Australia, and the possibility of a young half-breed boy learning from his Aboriginal grandfather. Amid all the film’s drama, the power and strength of the boy and his grandfather are prominent, and we get an implied lesson in the occult, through sound. The movie presents truths that no one should forget.
Slum-Dog Millionaire: The trials and sorrows of two orphaned brothers in India are the subjects of thils film. The brothers belong to an unpopular sub-culture, are poor and have unsure destinies. One brother is honest, sweet, kind, and selfless, with unknown talents; the other is selfish and ambitious, dwelling in the company of evil and working for it. The story unfolds in a great wave of events circling one thing—the good boy wants to win a million dollars to rescue a friend who is a victim of circumstance. There are many lessons in this story.
Mission to Mars: This movie is from the year 2000, but its last 45 minutes are extraordinary. A “being” shows our astronauts how life forces were transferred from Mars to Earth. These scenes are extraordinarily occult—whatever their accuracy. The view of the transference of life from one planet to another is impressive, and the film is very Theosophical in some of its content. Viewers may find the beginning and middle of the movie to be boring and tiresome, but the end is stunning and surprising.