Return of the Patriarchs
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“Dad” and acknowledges his patriarchal authority. Previously, Robbie had
referred to his father exclusively as “Ray,” except once calling him “Dad” to
wake him from a sleep after calling him “Ray” had failed to do so (thereby
establishing in the narrative Ray’s “true” identity as Father). Earlier in the film,
Ray had objected to his son calling him by his first name, but his demand to be
called “Dad” went unheeded. So, parents: if you want your kids to leam respect
for your authority, send them to war.
The film’s closing monologue (Morgan Freeman again!) is taken directly
from the text of the novel, and was also used in the 1953 version (as is the
opening monologue). For those unfamiliar with the story, the Martian invasion
of Earth is stopped when the aliens are defeated by the countless Earthly germs
to which humans have become immune. Some of the best science fiction has
sought to bridge the gap between science and spirituality, for example The
Incredible Shrinking Man and 2001: A Space Odyssey. Such is the case with the
novel and first film version of War o f the Worlds. H.G. Wells gives some credit
to God for placing these tiny, humble organisms on Earth to defend our planet
from any alien invaders. While credit to God is given, organized religion is also
the object of criticism in the novel, in the figure of the curate. The 1950s film
maintains a similar stance, crediting God’s wisdom but criticizing the
foolishness of Uncle Matthew, the pastor.
Oddly, Spielberg’s version of the film is absent any discussion of God or
religion until the closing monologue, when God is presented mostly as the
handmaiden of (Social) Darwinism. Mankind triumphs over the Martians
because mankind has endured; natural selection has guaranteed that mankind is
fit to live upon the earth, but not the invader. Conspicuously absent from this
discourse, as is generally missing from the discourse of fundamentalist
conservatives, is the notion of humility before God’s creation. The values of
humility and compassion espoused by Jesus are the ones missing from right
wing campaign platforms and policies. The version of spirituality touted by
Patriarchy does not involve developing the conscience, awaiting spirit, or
heeding the angels of our better nature. Instead, Patriarchy emphasizes
obedience to the will of God the father and adherence to the scriptures as the
literal word of God, as interpreted by His hierarchical agents on Earth.
God figures prominently in Boondock Saints, a film brought to this author’s
attention by undergraduate papers written after 9/11. The film officially
premiered in 1999 at a film festival in Germany, and was released in the Untied
States on only five screens (for a whopping gross of $25,812.00) simultaneously
with its release on video in January of 2000. The film was released on DVD in
December of 2001, and has since become something of a cult favorite in some
quarters, despite mixed reviews and continued argument about the film’s merits
on Internet discussion boards. The story concerns two brothers from South
Boston, Connor and Murphy MacManus (Sean Patrick Flannery, Norman
Reedus), who get into a barroom brawl with some Russian mobsters. Killing the
mobsters in self-defense calls Connor and Murphy to the attention of the police,