I saw Rent (the movie, not the show) about a year and a half ago, and I’ve wanted to blog about it ever since, but never quite had the words. A very close friend of mine saw it before I did and she was horrified. She couldn’t understand why we as Christians would want to watch a movie like that. I GREATLY respect this friend’s opinion and I understand fully what she was saying, but I had wanted to see it for so long and loved certain parts of the soundtrack so much that it didn’t stop me from seeing it. As a side note, I kind of learned from the whole Harry Potter phenomenon that I need to find out for myself what I think about things that people are swearing off, instead of just going with what others are saying. Needless to say, I'm a big Harry fan and Harry Potter vs. the basic Christian opinion could be a whole blog topic in itself--side note over. A few minutes ago, a couple of songs from the Rent soundtrack came up on the playlist I was listening to, and I felt today was the day to put down a few words. The impact Rent had on me was huge. This movie is hard to deal with. It deals with heavy issues, the biggest being AIDS. Rent is a 90’s rock version of the Italian opera, La Boheme. If I have my facts straight, La Boheme is a story about bohemians (poets, artists, writers) living in 1800’s Paris, considered the worldliest place during that time. Some of the characters ended up contracting a fatal disease. In comparison, in Rent, the characters are living in the East Village in NY in the 90’s, considered a pretty seedy place at that time, and a few have AIDS. They live for their art, they live for today, they live for love. It’s gripping. In trying to figure out why this movie haunts me, I came up with this: in the very safe Christian world I grew up in, no one uttered the word AIDS, no one knew anyone who was living lives of sin and destruction (ie, gay lifestyles, drugs, rampant sex) and that’s what the characters in Rent are doing. But it shows their minds, their insecurity, and most of all their hearts. I saw the other side of their lives; I loved these characters. I’m telling you, God used this movie to make me love PEOPLE. I never had an overwhelming desire to share my God with others—just chalk it up to immaturity, I guess. Because of this movie, my entire outlook on the people around me every day has changed. I want people to see the beauty and the art that is God. I want to see it more myself. I don’t know how to end this…I don’t think I’ve put into words exactly what I feel or what's going through my mind…
I’m ending now.
7 years ago
3 comments:
Tara - I agree whole-heartedly with your post. When I saw Rent on Broadway, and when I watched the movie...I can't help but be moved with compassion. I also received the same opinion/review (maybe from the same friend), and I understand where she's coming from....but I can't help but see something like that and be moved, like Jesus was moved, to truly care for people. You're absolutely right about our Christian 'world/bubble/whatever' - we feel safe inside it...protected. But there's a world going on around us that NEEDS the light of God, the love of God, the grace of God, the compassion of God, the forgiveness of God, the healing of God - and Rent is one of those stories that reminds me what it means to be human...to be alive...and that there is a calling on my life to exit my 'safe' bubble, and bump shoulders with hurt that exists.
First of all, I have not seen the movie..no comments on the movie. I just want to say (because I am Dr. Defensive)that while some people are movie people and God uses movies to bring certain spiritual realities to life-- other people do not connect so much with that, and that is okay. Which is good for me, since I am not a movie person (except for a stint of girly movies I watched with Tara) and I am admittedly easily disturbed by some of them(not the girly movies, just some movies in general). So I am just being that voice on this blog. I probably won't ever see Rent--no reason, just cuz...but I hope that I am still aware of the hurt in the world and compassionate for the people that are all around me because God has shown me, in other ways than a movie, that they are out there. So whether taught by movie or by other means---may we all get along and may all Christians everywhere love all people like Jesus does. Thanks for sharing.
Yeah, I totally get that Gretchen. I've always connected in a weird way to books and movies. I completely understand people not loving this movie, but just felt I had to proclaim what it meant to me.
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