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Saturday, August 28, 2010

Feverish thoughts on two movies

Well I'm sick today. I've been hit with a Summer cold for the first time in ages. I am cold but my skin feels hot. My bones hurt, my ribs ache from all the coughing, my glands are huge and my nose has rendered me socially unacceptable. So I'm confined to quarters and wandering from the sofa to the bed. Thanks to the Nyquil I've been having some pretty loopy dreams. The last one involved me lecturing a class on Christian lessons to be found in movies. Odd but when I woke up I thought for who knows how long about two movies in particular.

Ben Hur is one my all time favorites and I actually do think of it often when I'm heading up to communion. There's a scene where Judah has finally found his mother and sister and is trying to get them to Jesus so the Lord can heal their leprosy. When they discover that Our Lord has been crucified Judah thinks it's too late and he falls to his knees to weep, not only for his family but because he know Jesus has done no wrong. Then the rain starts and the Precious Blood flows down Golgotha to where Judah and his family are. His mother and sister are healed. When I go up to communion the prayer, "Oh Jesus, heal me of my sinfulness, the leprosy of my soul," frequently comes to mind.

And there's How Green Was My Valley, a movie that everyone passionately loves but I really don't care for. Roddy McDowell was adorable but a terrible thing is done by the "good guys" and no critic seems to have picked up on it. Aangharad and Mr. Gryfud, preacher are in love but she marries the son of the mine owner, with Gryfud presiding. They ruin a man's life but come off as the hero and heroine of the movie. It's funny. As a child I liked the movie but as a grown married woman I was repelled. Time is a real sentiment wrecker.