Jim Caviezel, who has a role in the film, is interviewed here:
Is there anything else about the new movie you want to talk about?
Some [people] have walked out on the movie. I said, "Understand that it might be hard to watch this, but understand that that lady and many of those women that have gone
through this, suffered a little bit more than we did." It's good to bring attention to things that are highly immoral. In this case, I think it's more immoral not to do anything about it.
Weren't there similar responses to "Passion of the Christ"--where people couldn't bring themselves to finish watching it?
I think that people understand what the story is. It's about whether they see it or not. This one, they'll hear about it, and it's the same thing. We're all playing the story out of the Bible right now. Many of us are different characters. We always try to think of ourselves as the saints and the good characters, but many of us are playing the Pharisees, Pontius Pilate, Judas. There are good and there are bad in this world. But our job is not to figure that out. We just know who we are and try to take as many people we can to Heaven by how we live our life.
And I think stories like this, moral reminders, they're powerful. If we cower in the movie, we'll probably cower in life. If we cower in the movie, then we say, "I'm not ready. I've got to get ready." Something might come up where people are going to run from or walk away from, and I know I'm not there yet.
It's a humility thing. And eventually, that's when greatness happens [and] you're able to do courageous things. Movies like this help you see where you're at. Yes, it's very difficult to watch, but also, have you ever watched a move at times and you feel like you'd run? Well, you probably will in real life, too.
And so, playing it out is kind of a trial run--a practice for the real thing that might come to your doorstep one day. We all are going to have to make that, and it'll be different ways. It'll be different things. It'll be a trial like that and different ways to prove our love for God. Eventually, that will happen. I can promise you this much: It will take everything out of you, and it will demand nothing less than courage from God. If you won't have it within you--if you don't have it within you--we won't be able to do it when it really counts.
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Re: compartmentalizing
Very true. But it's also true that art and imagination can be a moral dry run. That was a lot of the idea behind studying the martyrs and thinking about death when you're still young and healthy -- to practice a frame of mind now, and to figure out what you need to do now to be ready then. And of course painful true stories in art can elicit prayer, which reaches across time and space, as well as more concrete forms of help for our faraway neighbors in trouble.
I think St. Therese talks about how imagination of martyrdom was very helpful to her spiritual growth, somewhere.
Saw the screening for the film in Los Angeles. It was absolutely beautiful and gives a whole new perspective on our own freedoms and struggles, and fueled my personal awe of the Islamic women who live with such threats; especially in light of the struggles in Iran following the elections.
My thoughts after seeing the film are here.
We cannot turn away when such injustices against innocent women occur. True, Iranian women suffer as do their Saudi sisters. The difference is that now Iranian women have been able to let their voice scream to the world. The deafening silence from Saudi Arabia's women is because many are abused, tormented, and denied basic human rights every day.
I wait for the day when a gutsy journalist or a gutsy politician or even human rights group will give these women their voice. So far, the ignorance against Saudi women's plight is total silence or indifference, or ignorance.
I've been corresponding with an Algerian woman who was involved in the war against France, which is going to take me far deeper into their struggle than I may be comfortable with - having read the biographies of Djamila Boupacha in the early 70's followed by Rosa Luxembourg of Poland both of which still sends chills up my spine.
Many other revelations of extreme hardship, toil & endurance often leading to torture and horrendous death have emerged - continue to become unfolded ... hopefully making us become more enlightened to the evil,that is being wrought upon the women of the world ... our mothers, sisters, daughters, wives can never be overlooked, forgotten ... let-alone be forgiven ...
Should we fail in our quest for honour, justice and ultimate worth and praise for our womenfolk - we do not deserve to call ourselves men ... and should hang our pithy heads in shame ...