The Wolfman – Movie Review
The Wolfman
Movie Review by Stacey Tuttle
Instead of delving into a review of plot and story, I would simply like to point to some provocative quotes from the Wolfman movie which could easily lead to some interesting discussion. Hopefully this will spur you into some meaningful reflection and conversations.
“Even a man who is pure of heart and says his prayers at night may become a wolf….”
Let wolf simply be symbolic of becoming something evil – falling prey to your demons, your sinful self. The point is, even a good, sincere person may have a dark night and do horrible things, things he never thought he would, or maybe even could do. Is this biblical? Can a godly man (or woman) commit heinous sins?
David’s story would indicate yes. Adultery, lies, scheming and murder (you can read about it in 2 Sam. 11 and following)… yet he was a man after God’s own heart (I Sam. 13:14). I Cor. 10:12 cautions, “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!”. The implication is that yes, even those who are pure of heart and say their prayers at night may fall into sin. But David’s story also tells us that redemption is possible when we turn from our sin and to the God who has paid the ultimate price to atone for it.
Questions: What experience have you had with godly people doing ungodly things? Have you had this experience in your own life? Do you believe God can forgive such things?
“Sometimes the way of fate is a cruel one.”
Yes, sometimes life deals a cruel hand. But, is it “fate”? Or is there a God who is in control? If there is a God in control, does it follow that because life hands us a “cruel hand” for all present appearances, God is cruel for allowing it? Or, is it possible that He is working out a good which we lack the perspective to see and appreciate? Romans 8:28, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose.” (NAS)
Questions: Do you believe in fate or a God who is in control? If you believe in God, is He a loving God, the God of the Bible, or something else? Do you believe that if you had the right perspective you too would see that there was good even in the things which seem cruel?
“He can only be released by one who loves him.”
Apparently, the werewolf curse was so strong, only a pure love could undo it. According to the Bible, the same is true for us. We are under a curse, the curse of death. (Rom 6:23a, “For the wages of sin is death.”) And only one whose love was of the greatest, purest kind could release us. John 15:13 says, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” Jesus Christ loved with such a great love he laid his life down to free mankind from the curse of death they were under. His perfection broke the curse, his love made him willing to die. Romans 6:23b continues, “But the gift of God is eternal life.”
Question: Have you been released from the curse of sin and death in your life by the love of Christ?
“I didn’t know you hunted monsters.” “Sometimes Monsters hunt you.”
Though he wasn’t looking for trouble, Singh was wise enough to know that sometimes trouble comes looking for you. I Peter 5:8 warns, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
Questions: Do you believe that Satan is real? Do you believe there is an enemy out to devour you? Have you experienced something you know or suspect to be demonic attack? How do you fight against Satan and/or prepare for his attacks?
“It is said, there is no sin in killing a beast, only in killing a man. But where does one end and one begin?”
At what point does a man stop acting a man and act so much an animal we must treat him as such? What about serial killers? What about rapists? What about people who sell children as sex slaves?….Is there a point where a person ceases to act as a human? They act beastly and therefore must be dealt with as a beast? Actions have or at least ought to have consequences. But what does this mean for us practically? What about things like the death penalty, rehabilitation, etc?
God values human life – He created us in His own image (Gen. 1:26-27). Not only does He value human life, but He believes in change, restoration and redemption of human life enough to die for it and help us toward it (John 3:16). However, He is also a just God. Romans 3:23 states, “The wages of sin is death” – there are consequences to sin. How do we reconcile God’s justice with his hope for redemption?
Perhaps the key is found in this: God has a long-term (eternal, to be exact) perspective. This life is not the end. So, even if someone is executed in consequence of former actions, if they choose to repent they have an eternity in heaven. Therefore, earthly consequences do not negate the offer of redemption. In light of this, consequences (even to the point of execution) are not the real evil. The real evil is in rejecting Christ’s offer of eternal forgiveness and redemption. Think of the criminal on the cross beside Jesus (Luke 23:39-43). In the scope of the eternity he is spending with Christ in paradise, his execution on the cross (in consequence of his life of crime) was actually of small import. Therefore, physical life and death, in light of eternity, may not be quite as significant as we in our earthly mindset tend to make it – so long as the offer of eternal redemption is available to all.
As for the question about man and beast – where does one end and the other begin? If our sinful nature represents the beast, then to the extent that we put our sinful nature to death, we find the end of the beast. The beginning of the man in us is the beginning of our spiritual man. Man was made in the image of God, so to the extent that we become more and more like God, the more we manifest our intended nature.
Questions: Which do you value more: immediate (physical) life or eternal (spiritual) life? What do you think about the death penalty? What examples can you think of of people who have refused to put their flesh to death and as a result have lived beastly lives? Can you think of examples of people who have been true men, men who have become very like God? Do you work to put to death your sinful nature and grow in your likeness to God?