Posted on 02/26/2016 3:52:47 PM PST by NYer
It has become almost a self-parodying habit of mainstream media outlets: if the calendar says the season is holy, then the headlines and activities are meant to mock and to shock. Every Advent brings theories meant to “explain” a virgin birth and brightly shining stars, and every Lent brings reruns of The DaVinci Code to cable outlets, and it’s all meant to seem daring and smart and provocative.
These efforts, by the way, sometimes incite outrage, mostly because some people are so predictably willing to be outraged when they could actually choose — like Christ himself — to be patiently instructive or sometimes even mildly amused.
In the case of Turner Movie Classics’ decision to spend the Thursdays leading up to Easter Sunday showcasing 27 films condemned by the Catholic Legion of Decency, the best choice might be mild amusement, with a willingness to learn something, and not least because a very media savvy (and often funny) Catholic sister will be introducing 17 of the movies.
Sister Rose Pacatte is the author of The Way: A Cinematic Retreat Guide and numerous film study guides. She is a Daughter of Saint Paul who — in keeping with that community’s charism — evangelizes through multiple platforms in modern media. She is also the founding director of the Pauline Center for Media Studies. With her lifelong exploration of media (she holds a masters in Media Studies from the University of London), Sister Rose is eminently qualified to discuss both the history of the Legion of Decency and its effect on American Cinema, and to comment knowledgeably on the impact of film on society and, for that matter, on society’s impact on film-making.
In a telephone interview with the Catholic News Service, Sister Rose admitted, she’d never seen most of the films. “They’re old,” she said, and “The hoopla and the outrage that they caused! They’re not even good movies. You can see that they’re most dominated by sex, and the Legion’s reaction to that in the context of the times — and everybody reacted, not just them.â€
As with most things, context means everything. Modern films stretch limits of sexual imagery and depict ultra-violence that would once have been unimaginable, not only to the Legion of Decency, but to moviegoers themselves (although undoubtedly for some, objections and condemnations could make a film more, not less, alluring). Were the Legion in existence today, would their condemnations hold, or would a denounced film like 1957’s “Love in the Afternoon” or the 1958 Brigitte Bardot launcher, “And God Created Woman” be seen as an adult-themed journies that ultimately affirm traditional values? Referencing the Bardot film, Sister Rose notes, “after all [the main characters] go through — the violence, the passion — the two are going to marry, and hold hands and walk into their little apartment together.â€
Talking to Aleteia, the sister said, “‘Black Narcissus’, ‘L’Amore’, ‘M’ are all worthy films. ‘Baby Doll’ was reevaluated in the 80s and reclassified. ‘L’Amore’ was passed by the Vatican censor before it ever got to the USA – this is the kind of info I am providing [with the TCM series]. I hope people will watch because this is not a take-down of the Legion of Decency but a look at history, the tension between the Church and Hollywood, and how things have changed or developed.
The headlines, “Catholic Nun Hosts Series of Condemned Movies” might be typical Lenten teasing from the media, but an examination of film, the Legion and society may give us a great deal more to think about, particularly in the Year of Mercy, when the human journey is being examined with compassionate eyes, and especially under a sister’s guidance.
According to the Wikipedia list, “Spartacus” was banned. Why? For its historical inaccuracies?
“At some point, the B and C ratings were combined into a new O rating for “morally offensive” films.”
I take it that was only 1978 to 1980, when they shut down the Legion of Decency.
Most of the really egregious bad calls happened in the late 60s and 70s, at least in my opinion. I mean, ‘The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly’?! Come on. I also though there was some devil/pagan themed movies that a actually showed Christianity in pretty cool light, like Exorcist and the Wicker Man.
Freegards
Your liver spots are genetic so I doubt that they will do anything but MULTIPLY.
They may grown into ONE giant liver spot and you will be couple of shades darker.
As for the near-naked woman...well she MEANS to get your shorts all in a bunch, so to speak. That's what she was hired to do.
And when you are 63 or 73 or 83, the near-naked women will still make you smile. I admit that I do look overlong at the beef-cake. I just look...and smile.
I think "The Exorcist" got an A-IV. That is one of the "morally unobjectionable" categories: that is, it's OK, for adults. The "reservations" expressed were --- I don't know, but --- possibly doctrinal, due to a few questionable theological points: it was, after all, a heavily theological thriller. Good one, too.
But no, "The Exorcist" was not condemned.
Geeze
I feel better.
Thnx
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_films_condemned_by_the_Legion_of_Decency
You could be right, but this list has Excorcist being condemned, so I take it got a C rating. It’s been a while since I saw it, so I can’t speak to any theological errors with it, I supposed theological errors made by a depiction by an actual priest would be the problem here?
They also condemned ‘High Plains Drifter,’ I take it for the rape scene. I think they are differing here with what I would describe as gritty as opposed to prurient interest or something. It’s not like it didn’t make sense in the story.
Freegards
It was respect, yes, but more so it was the Hays Code, which the extremely powerful Legion got enacted. That held sway for 3 strong decades until a film where a girl says about a single woman, “Is she pregnant?” I forget title, with David Niven, great movie.
The Legion and the Code were still in tact for a while, but no longer socially influential. Only Catholic diocesan papers printed ratings into the 1970’s.
If you want to see really sexy movies done artistically like they could never do now, see the films prior to 1934!
"Examples of movies which received the A-IV rating include The Exorcist and Saturday Night Fever, two films whose content was seen by many as being exaggerated by the mainstream press, perhaps leading to the wrong interpretations and false conclusions cited in the rating's full description. In 1995, the description [of A-IV] was changed to films 'which are not morally offensive in themselves but are not for casual viewing.'"
I don't know one way or the other about "The Drifter."
The Legion of Decency ratings are were neither Church legislation nor Church doctrine. They constituted moral guidance but were not obligatory. Like any film rating system, they no doubt made some highly debatable calls. That's the nature of film criticism.
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