"The Grey" A Review by Fr. Barron (SPOILERS)

Another part of a video series from Wordonfire.org. Father Barron will be commenting on subjects from modern day culture. For more visit http://www.wordonfire.org/

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[filthyswit]

Father Barron, do you ever watch a movie for pure enjoyment and not look too deeply into it? Not that there's anything wrong with it. Just curious.

[wordonfirevideo]

Sure. I see lots of movies, but once in a while a particular film strikes me as worthy of a deeper commentary.

[ERoBB1]

I'm a stone cold atheist screenwriter, and I love your thoughtful insightful reviews.

[Phrigmeat]

Thanks for the review. I loved this film, though it struck me that Ottway DOES in fact get an answer to his demand, "Show me something real!", when he finds the photos in his friends' wallets of their families. He builds a little altar of them, and God's answer seems to be "Love." It's then that he determines to live and to fight for life, because Love is worth fighting for.

[MEGANERDZMP]

TO BE CLEAR, GOD DID HELP HIM, HE RECEIVED THE COURAGE TO BATTLE THE ALPHA MALE WOLF. AND AFTER THE CREDITS FINISH ROLLING THERE IS A SCENE WHERE THEY SHOW THE WOLF DEAD!

[MEGANERDZMP]

I HAD A FEELING THIS MOVIE WAS ANTI GODLY, BUT IT MADE ME LOOK AT LIFE IN A WHOLE NEW POINT OF VIEW. GOD WON'T DO FOR YOU BESIDES WHAT HE HAS ALREADY DONE...

[urpleurple]

Haven't seen the movie, but this description reminds me of the truly wonderful story by Stephen Crane, "The Open Boat." Same type of set-up (men struggling to survive against nature), same theological issues, same essentially atheist answer -- but also, unstated, possible room for "something more."

What did Schopenhauer mean to say with his parable of the waterfall?

[Blaseboniface]

When God breaks silence and speaks "out of the windstorm" in Job (38:1-2), in this case, I find the translation in the NWT compatible with other translations and helpful:"Who is this that is obscuring counsel by words without knowledge?" Yes, there is a cosmic tour that places life in context, but notice also there is a reassuring counsel that the mind that has not yet moved to the heart obscures. This fits perfectly the first instruction of Jesus: "Metanoia te." (Repent/Move your mind).

[bheadh]

I agree with you! They soul that finds itself before God without ever loving Him in life will KNOW that he rejected God in this life, and therefore must also reject him in after-life..if he didn't love God on earth, how could he ever love Him in heaven? Man knows so little about the universe,(we don't even know whats in our own seas) yet claims to have all the answers with "modern technology" & "science". It is obvious to me that "this life" is NOT where "it's at". Heaven is. WITH GOD

[Leiflton]

its keithtruth! yeah he said f it, ill do it myself...but i think the movie redeems itself. ottway from ottoway, "one who is fortunate in battle." i dont think the names are accident...Peter...drowned because of the rock...John , "gift from the Lord," which he got "i can't explain it, there's no words...that's all for me." so at the end after the credits, john ottway is laying on the ground with the wolf and theyre breathing heavy...i think the name indicates he wins and survives ie God did help

[Herdewelle]

Nice jacket, Father!

[dsydebot]

What *has* changed is that we today tend to assume that more people are invincibly ignorant than was common prior to Vatican II. This is a cultural shift, though, and not a doctrinal change.

And of course, there are plenty who simply ignore "extra Ecclesiam nulla salus" altogether. They ought not be seen as representatives of Catholic teaching, though.

[dsydebot]

I am fortunate enough to be well read in the Catholic theology prior to Vatican II. Whatever you were learning at the popular level, Catholic theologians have always acknowledged invincible ignorance prevents nonbelievers or material heretics from being responsible for sins against faith. E.g., search Google Books for "Charity and Truth" by Edward Hawarden.

[dsydebot]

God actively remains Himself (He must, because he is immutable). One of the results of that act of remaining Himself is the damnation of those who reject him. In that sense it is perfectly true to say that God sends people to Hell. The language used prior to Vatican II was correct. The difference is due looking at the "mechanisms" from the perspective of human experience, instead of from the perspective of divine simplicity. Human language is limited.