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Review #274 of 365 BONUS REVIEW
Film: Jesus Camp (2006) [PG-13] 84 minutes
WIP™ Scale: $13.25
Where Viewed: Landmark Chez Artiste, Denver, CO
When 1st Seen: 12 October 2006
Time: 9:30 p.m.
Film's Official Website
Directed by: Heidi Ewing (The Boys of Baraka) and Rachel Grady (The Boys of Baraka)
Featured Cast (Where You Might Remember Him/Her From):
Becky Fischer (Children's Pastor) • Mike Papantonio (Commentator-Air America) • Ted Haggard (President of the National Association of Evangelicals)
Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word or less review of this film]
One of the most compelling documentaries of the year, the rising-star directors of Boys from Baraka, follow up that good film with Jesus Camp. This unintentionally, politically charged film warrants the attention of any in the USA who believes in the Constitution of the United States, freedom of speech, the fundamental freedom of religion, and the logical and essential separation of Church and State in a multi-cultural nation. Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady spent more than a year on this project in both filming and interacting with the people featured in the film. Their stated intention published in a statement in response to Pastor Ted Haggard's inflammatory statements regarding the film, was to enter into the project "…with the utmost respect for our subjects…" and to make "…non-fiction films as a way for our viewers and ourselves to connect with others." It does not seem that they intended, therefore, to make a political exposé. Still, like it or not, intentional or not, that is how the film has turned out. Their deft use of irony throughout their films has become a benchmark and rears its head repeatedly in Jesus Camp. Probably the greatest irony of the film, which begins with introductions to a few Evangelical children who attend a church where Youth Pastor Becky Fischer preaches directly to them her version of God's word, is that the film could be used by Evangelicals to promote their agenda and show their success in indoctrinating children as easily as it could be used to demonstrate the problems associated with the erosion of our Constitutional guarantees. These Evangelicals support freedom of religion—as long as you're Christian, freedom of speech—as long as you're Ted Haggard, and separation of church and state--as long as kids pray daily in school to the Christian Flag, teachers teach intelligent design/creationism side-by-side with evolution, Harry Potter is burned at the stake, abortion is illegal, and illegal immigrants are all deported.
"…a stunning, scary, and chilling look inside a religious-political movement..."
Furthering this irony is that without the Constitutional guarantees of a separation of church and state, the Evangelical movement might never have been possible; and, yet the leaders of these people believe fervently that indoctrinating the nation's children not even with God's word but with their interpretation of God's word, giving them no religious freedom and with the stated, albeit subtly, intention of affecting national government toward their perspectives via appointments of righteous judges and election of righteous politicians is just fine. Well, there is simply so much religiously to be concerned about with these Evangelical leaders, who certainly come across in the film as fanatics, self anointed zealots determined to impose their own beliefs and will on to anyone and everyone but, especially children below the age of nine years old, even devout Christian, Air America talk show host, Mike Papantonio is worried about them. What would the leaders of this group be called if they were doing this in a compound in rural Texas, instead of at a huge bible camp held in, again with the irony, Devil's Lake, North Dakota? Yet, the adult subjects of the film are so preoccupied with their narcissistic and self-glorifying morality they do not seem to notice any irony. What could be more blatant an example of this than obviously robust of physical size, self-proclaimed, youth pastor Becky painstakingly positioning every lock of her hair with layers of hairspray prior to 'going on' before her breathlessly awaiting minions getting up on stage and asking if the kids like her hair, and telling them that there are too many lazy, fat Christian parents in the world. She then urges them to accept Jesus and saves them by dousing their tiny hands with Nestlé's bottled water.
This film must be seen to be believed. If you are a non-Evangelical Christian, religious non-Christian, or other, you need to see this film and ask yourself if you agree that Evangelicals and their indoctrinated-from-birth, home-schooled children should be controlling the United States. How likely are kids who are taught that science is wrong to be the next generation of medical doctors, Nobel Prize-winning scientists, and engineers? There again comes the irony of the political and religious view of Evangelicals for in the same platform of beliefs they are anti-science and anti-immigration. If our future kids are not going to be scientists to invent the technology to keep our nation sovereign, won't we need immigrants who can? The film pushes further because the vast majority of non-Evangelical citizens who defend the right of Evangelicals to teach their kids whatever they want to must know that, while they don't mention Jewish people specifically like they do Muslims, they make it very clear that if you are not a born-again, Evangelical Christian with lavish Bible thumping rock, rap, hip hop, Jesus loves you music and with a Pastor delivering you from your misbegotten ways, you are the enemy and it is the mission of their war to get you on the right path. They use war terminology consistently with the kids and lead the kids to believe they are being chosen to be a part of God's army. They are not explicit in the film to give away their plans, the only glimpse into that comes at the very end of them film when pastor Becky says that if this, maybe referencing the film, or maybe her work, it's hard to say given the massive proportions of her ego, doesn't scare the liberals, maybe thinking about what these kids are going to be like when they grow up will. Few films this year have induced the kind of chills this one does primarily because the target of the indoctrination is children. You have a young kid named Levi who was saved and born again at five years old, he says, "Because life was boring and he needed something to do," who leads kids at Bible Camp in a sermon touting that this is a key generation in Jesus coming back, delivering what he's learned with convincing passion. Admittedly, it is cool to see a young kid so motivated to accomplish something in his life, to take on challenges, and to fight for his beliefs. All the more tragic then to see the way that the president of the Evangelicals, Ted Haggard, knocks him down a few pegs in the closing of the film when young Levi approaches him to thank him after his joke-laden sermon up on the pulpit-in-the-round at the Evangelical mega church in Colorado Springs, CO. Haggard asks him if people listen to him because he's a kid or because he has a good message, and without really listening to Levi's response, indicates he should rely on the kid stuff until he has a real message to deliver. Wow. How many little kids must he sting with comments like those to fully sustain his massive ego? In the end, that really is what Jesus Camp is about, arrogance and ego--the arrogance of one group of people to feel they have been compelled by God almighty to impose their will on every other person in the world. Jesus Camp is a stunning, scary, and chilling look inside a religious-political movement with such momentum they may, as indicated by Mike Papantonio, already control the government of the USA for decades to come.
This film must be seen to be believed. If you are a non-Evangelical Christian, religious non-Christian, or other, you need to see this film and ask yourself if you agree that Evangelicals and their indoctrinated-from-birth, home-schooled children should be controlling the United States. How likely are kids who are taught that science is wrong to be the next generation of medical doctors, Nobel Prize-winning scientists, and engineers? There again comes the irony of the political and religious view of Evangelicals for in the same platform of beliefs they are anti-science and anti-immigration. If our future kids are not going to be scientists to invent the technology to keep our nation sovereign, won't we need immigrants who can? The film pushes further because the vast majority of non-Evangelical citizens who defend the right of Evangelicals to teach their kids whatever they want to must know that, while they don't mention Jewish people specifically like they do Muslims, they make it very clear that if you are not a born-again, Evangelical Christian with lavish Bible thumping rock, rap, hip hop, Jesus loves you music and with a Pastor delivering you from your misbegotten ways, you are the enemy and it is the mission of their war to get you on the right path. They use war terminology consistently with the kids and lead the kids to believe they are being chosen to be a part of God's army. They are not explicit in the film to give away their plans, the only glimpse into that comes at the very end of them film when pastor Becky says that if this, maybe referencing the film, or maybe her work, it's hard to say given the massive proportions of her ego, doesn't scare the liberals, maybe thinking about what these kids are going to be like when they grow up will. Few films this year have induced the kind of chills this one does primarily because the target of the indoctrination is children. You have a young kid named Levi who was saved and born again at five years old, he says, "Because life was boring and he needed something to do," who leads kids at Bible Camp in a sermon touting that this is a key generation in Jesus coming back, delivering what he's learned with convincing passion. Admittedly, it is cool to see a young kid so motivated to accomplish something in his life, to take on challenges, and to fight for his beliefs. All the more tragic then to see the way that the president of the Evangelicals, Ted Haggard, knocks him down a few pegs in the closing of the film when young Levi approaches him to thank him after his joke-laden sermon up on the pulpit-in-the-round at the Evangelical mega church in Colorado Springs, CO. Haggard asks him if people listen to him because he's a kid or because he has a good message, and without really listening to Levi's response, indicates he should rely on the kid stuff until he has a real message to deliver. Wow. How many little kids must he sting with comments like those to fully sustain his massive ego? In the end, that really is what Jesus Camp is about, arrogance and ego--the arrogance of one group of people to feel they have been compelled by God almighty to impose their will on every other person in the world. Jesus Camp is a stunning, scary, and chilling look inside a religious-political movement with such momentum they may, as indicated by Mike Papantonio, already control the government of the USA for decades to come.
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Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word review of this film]
Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word review of this film]
Jesus Camp (2006) Review-lite [150-word cap]
One of the most compelling documentaries of the year, rising-star directors, Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, follow up Boys of Baraka with their new film Jesus Camp. The unintentionally, politically charged movie warrants the attention of anyone who believes in the Constitution of the United States, the fundamental freedoms of religion and speech, and the logical and essential separation of Church and State in a multi-cultural nation. Ewing and Grady spent more than a year filming and interacting with the people featured in their film, primarily Children's Pastor Becky Fischer who runs the annual Jesus Camp where kids are saved. While they many not have intended to make a political exposé, that is how the film has turned out. While the Evangelical plans are not stated explicitly, it is clear they feel compelled to indoctrinate children into becoming members of God's army to fight…who?
1 comment:
i appreciate that the makers of Jesus Camp let the people interviewed do all the talking; over all, there is some useful truth in this flick as long as it's taken with a grain (or maybe a bucket) of salt
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