I watched what turned out to be a particularly fitting Lenten movie with two of my children this weekend. Terrance Fisher’s Curse of the Werewolf provided ample opportunity to talk through many of this season’s themes. I’m not meaning…
What's that?
Yes, I said The Curse of the Werewolf was a great movie for Lent.
No, I’ve not been gnawing at that poisonous Federal Vision root. Well, ...yeah I have, but that has nothing to do with this. Give me a second. Hear me out.
Mr. Fisher went out of his way to make the Christian message of his films hard to miss. Hammer Studios made a large number of horror films without Fischer, and these as a rule ought to be avoided. The exploitive nature of these films is further confirmation that the Christian slant of his films was intentional. But Fisher had an axe to grind, and he did it on the head of Hell.
This particular movie deals with a curse. Specifically, it’s a curse that turns a man into a horrible beast. Brian Abshire has explained: “The real horror of the were-wolf is that something once human has now become a ravenous beast. It is the loss of humanity and the adoption of bestial characteristics that makes the were-wolf such a figure of horror.”
St. Paul tells us in his letter to the church in Rome that mankind has refused to worship the Creator and instead gives homage to fellow creatures- creatures he was meant to rule over. A couple of inalterable laws come into play here: first, we must worship, and second, we become like that to which we render our worship. Made as the supreme image of the supreme God, men and women have come to resemble beasts. Living off the blood, whether metaphorical or not, of fellow human beings, mankind sinks to an embracement of values indistinguishable from those of a worm, a rat, or…a wolf.
Lycanthropy is particularly horrific, not because it involves a creature that might devour you (a night’s watching of such critters on the Discovery Channel may be pleasant, educational and even inspiring), rather it is the fact that these savage creatures look just like the men and women that we love. In fact, they are those individuals we love and trust- the ones we call Father, Nurse, Teacher and Pastor. One can shut a door against a wild beast, but how do you defend yourself against the monster who shares your bed, or meets you in the confessional, or who mows your lawn every Saturday.
This tale of fantasy (and Fisher hated the description of “Horror Film”- preferring “Adult Fairy Tale”), like all good fantasy, makes clear and visible the nature of the world we inhabit. Tales of Lycanthropy are simply a clarifying of the nature of fallen men and women. They are an exposition on sin. They tell the truths that the season of Lent is meant to uncover.
The spiritual symbolism is obvious- almost too obvious, really. Werewolf movies must seem too preachy. Surely, everyone gets it, but few do.
The reason is probably to be found in the telling. The differences between Hammer Studio’s version and those of Universal and others are very revealing. At least Universal’s original Wolfman retained the supernatural element (an element central to all of Fisher’s productions). Lon Chaney’s character had been cursed- by a real, honest to god evil curse. Columbia Tri-Star’s Underworld felt the need to locate the origin of the bestial transformation in a viral infection. To be expected, I guess, in a culture that “medicalizes” all evil behavior. But the movie and the culture that spawned it are simply wrong.
In Fisher’s version a priest explains that young Leon (the werewolf in the story) had been possessed by an evil elemental spirit. It would war with Leon’s soul. Importantly, Leon’s soul had been claimed by God in baptism.
Interestingly, it is in the baptismal scene of the movie that the movie’s theme is spelled out. As the child is taken into the priest’s arms, the sky darkens and a storm boils. The Lord’s Prayer is recited and the minister’s hand reaches for the laver. The water begins to move and a demonic face- a reflection of a carving on the church ceiling- reflects upward. But the priest persists. The water calms and God speaks peace to this child through the healing waters. Evil made its initial claim, but God’s silenced it.
Significantl
y, the priest explains that the battle waging in Leon’s heart would be won by love- both Leon's love of others, but more importantly that which is offered by others to the child. Surely nothing like this is to be found in other Werewolf tales. Luna’s full orbed appearance is sufficient to bring about the transformation in other films. A full moon meant unbridled violence, but not in Fisher’s tale. In Hammer’s version the transformation was the result of Leon’s loosing the battle within. In fact after the initial attacks on the animals of his village, Leon grows into manhood without any further reoccurrences. It is only after being taken to a brothel/bar that the bestial behavior returns (!) In a memorable scene, Leon passes a full-mooned night without any transformation taking place, because he slept in the lap of one who truly loved him.
In addition, the explicit Christian symbols are almost constantly present. There are churches and church bells, priests, crucifixes, Icons of Madonna and child, etc, etc. Part of the fun is in trying to catch them all.
Of course there were things that I didn’t care for. By today’s production standards the movie doesn’t measure up, but this is part of its charm. The violence is overdone in places and Fisher seems to equate voluptuous female characters with sinful weakness. I think St. Augustine would give him high marks here, but not me.
All in all, it’s a movie well worth watching and talking about- precisely because its fiction speaks truth.
What's that?
Yes, I said The Curse of the Werewolf was a great movie for Lent.
No, I’ve not been gnawing at that poisonous Federal Vision root. Well, ...yeah I have, but that has nothing to do with this. Give me a second. Hear me out.
Mr. Fisher went out of his way to make the Christian message of his films hard to miss. Hammer Studios made a large number of horror films without Fischer, and these as a rule ought to be avoided. The exploitive nature of these films is further confirmation that the Christian slant of his films was intentional. But Fisher had an axe to grind, and he did it on the head of Hell.
This particular movie deals with a curse. Specifically, it’s a curse that turns a man into a horrible beast. Brian Abshire has explained: “The real horror of the were-wolf is that something once human has now become a ravenous beast. It is the loss of humanity and the adoption of bestial characteristics that makes the were-wolf such a figure of horror.”
St. Paul tells us in his letter to the church in Rome that mankind has refused to worship the Creator and instead gives homage to fellow creatures- creatures he was meant to rule over. A couple of inalterable laws come into play here: first, we must worship, and second, we become like that to which we render our worship. Made as the supreme image of the supreme God, men and women have come to resemble beasts. Living off the blood, whether metaphorical or not, of fellow human beings, mankind sinks to an embracement of values indistinguishable from those of a worm, a rat, or…a wolf.
Lycanthropy is particularly horrific, not because it involves a creature that might devour you (a night’s watching of such critters on the Discovery Channel may be pleasant, educational and even inspiring), rather it is the fact that these savage creatures look just like the men and women that we love. In fact, they are those individuals we love and trust- the ones we call Father, Nurse, Teacher and Pastor. One can shut a door against a wild beast, but how do you defend yourself against the monster who shares your bed, or meets you in the confessional, or who mows your lawn every Saturday.
This tale of fantasy (and Fisher hated the description of “Horror Film”- preferring “Adult Fairy Tale”), like all good fantasy, makes clear and visible the nature of the world we inhabit. Tales of Lycanthropy are simply a clarifying of the nature of fallen men and women. They are an exposition on sin. They tell the truths that the season of Lent is meant to uncover.
The spiritual symbolism is obvious- almost too obvious, really. Werewolf movies must seem too preachy. Surely, everyone gets it, but few do.
The reason is probably to be found in the telling. The differences between Hammer Studio’s version and those of Universal and others are very revealing. At least Universal’s original Wolfman retained the supernatural element (an element central to all of Fisher’s productions). Lon Chaney’s character had been cursed- by a real, honest to god evil curse. Columbia Tri-Star’s Underworld felt the need to locate the origin of the bestial transformation in a viral infection. To be expected, I guess, in a culture that “medicalizes” all evil behavior. But the movie and the culture that spawned it are simply wrong.
In Fisher’s version a priest explains that young Leon (the werewolf in the story) had been possessed by an evil elemental spirit. It would war with Leon’s soul. Importantly, Leon’s soul had been claimed by God in baptism.
Interestingly, it is in the baptismal scene of the movie that the movie’s theme is spelled out. As the child is taken into the priest’s arms, the sky darkens and a storm boils. The Lord’s Prayer is recited and the minister’s hand reaches for the laver. The water begins to move and a demonic face- a reflection of a carving on the church ceiling- reflects upward. But the priest persists. The water calms and God speaks peace to this child through the healing waters. Evil made its initial claim, but God’s silenced it.
Significantl
y, the priest explains that the battle waging in Leon’s heart would be won by love- both Leon's love of others, but more importantly that which is offered by others to the child. Surely nothing like this is to be found in other Werewolf tales. Luna’s full orbed appearance is sufficient to bring about the transformation in other films. A full moon meant unbridled violence, but not in Fisher’s tale. In Hammer’s version the transformation was the result of Leon’s loosing the battle within. In fact after the initial attacks on the animals of his village, Leon grows into manhood without any further reoccurrences. It is only after being taken to a brothel/bar that the bestial behavior returns (!) In a memorable scene, Leon passes a full-mooned night without any transformation taking place, because he slept in the lap of one who truly loved him.In addition, the explicit Christian symbols are almost constantly present. There are churches and church bells, priests, crucifixes, Icons of Madonna and child, etc, etc. Part of the fun is in trying to catch them all.
Of course there were things that I didn’t care for. By today’s production standards the movie doesn’t measure up, but this is part of its charm. The violence is overdone in places and Fisher seems to equate voluptuous female characters with sinful weakness. I think St. Augustine would give him high marks here, but not me.
All in all, it’s a movie well worth watching and talking about- precisely because its fiction speaks truth.
2 comments:
This review was most excellent Phil. Last year, Mosaic Church out of Los Angeles (Erwin McManis is the pastor) did a series called "God in the Movies." It is available on podcast if you want to check it out...not because you arent adept at seeing God in many places, (of this I have no doubt) but rather because it is often wonderful to see how others find God in these situations.
I am reminded of a book that my dear Mother read to me as a child. It was called "Tales of the Kingdom" and was long out of print until a small company purchased the rights and began making them again. The series is wonderful, and there is a running theme. As the main character walks through the kingdom, the children are often playing a game called "I see the King" The children are always on the lookout for the King, but our young hero can never figure the game out...the narrative often says, "He suddenly heard a child yell out, "I see the King!" But when he looked, there was only an old woman, sitting on a bench feeding birds."
In this case, it would read, "but all he saw was a werewolf."
This leaves us only one last question...
Why isn't Robs blog linked to your list of daily reads? I am insulted sir. Absolutely hurt and in anguish.
Most definetly an interesting read, especially given the fact that I had never seen the movie before. But now that I have read this, It leads me to want to see the movie.
Thanks for the great blog. I'll talk to you later....
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