Right-wing zealots behind Left Behind

Clever marketing promotes high budget made-in-Canada feature evangelist flick

By: Barrie Zwicker

  In late January, across the U.S.A., an unusual made-in-Canada movie opened. It's called Left Behind. Next month it will open in this country. Left Behind was the subject of two major newspaper features, which appeared on the same day, in The Globe and Mail and the National Post. This movie is unusual for several reasons. First, the story line faithfully follows literalist evangelical Christian beliefs. Second, the movie's initial release was on video, a real departure.
  But this is part of a strategy. The producers want the first audience for Left Behind to be evangelical Christians. They receive a pitch on the video, from Kirk Cameron, the star:
  [VIDEO CLIPS: Kirk Cameron: "You are part of a very select group of people. And that group makes up less than one percent of the population in this country. That's why we're doing things a little differently… "So talk to your church or talk to your Christian book store. Talk to anyone you know who might be interested in being a part of this." [END]
 

Viewers of a pre-released video are even urged to give cash up front to local movie houses to get them to show the film

  The video's viewers are even urged to give cash up front to local movie houses to get them to show the film. It's all part of a more ambitious goal -- to create an audience large enough to impress Hollywood, so that Hollywood ­ for the sheer profit motive ­ will start producing movies like Left Behind.
  [VIDEO CLIP: Kirk Cameron: "Now think about that. Every city in America. Can you imagine the kind of impact that will have on people?" [END]
  If the strategy works, Tinseltown's worldwide influence will serve of the agenda of Biblically literal evangelical Christians.
  The film's about "the rapture" - the belief, shared by the movie's producers and backers - that in the near future God will pluck from earth and carry to Heaven evangelical Christian believers-and children.
  [VIDEO CLIPS: (On a passenger aircraft) Kirk Cameron (seated across the aisle from an elderly lady): "Ma'am? Is everything okay?" Woman: "It's my husband. He's disappeared." KC: "You know what? I bet he just slipped off to the restroom while you were asleep." Woman: "Would you mind checking please?" KC: "Okay, sure." Woman: "And, and, take this (holds up her husband's jacket)." KC: "Ma'am?" Woman: "I think he's gone off naked." (Younger woman in another part of the plane, her husband sleeping beside her): "Honey, have you seen the kids?" Husband: "Mmmf, I'm sleepin'." Woman: "Where are they?" (rises from seat, incipient hysteria): "Where, where are my kids?" [END]
  Who's to be left behind? Everybody else ­ the vast majority of humankind. And a vengeful God will create Hell on Earth for that majority for a long time thereafter.
  With a 17.4-million-dollar budget, Left Behind is the biggest yet of a series from Cloud Ten Pictures of St. Catharines, Ontario -- a series aimed at converting the unconverted. Unconverted to what? Well, to the belief that all Scripture is literally true. Christian Bible scripture, that is. No Koran or Torah here. That there's such a thing as being saved. That the only way to achieve this blessed state is by accepting Jesus as one's saviour.
  The movie's producers and backers believe in the coming of an anti-Christ. In the movie he turns out to be the secretary-general of the United Nations, a guy named Nikolae Carpathia:
  [VIDEO CLIP: Nicolae Carpathia (seen on TV screen in office environment): "I am proposing the complete and total disarmament and destruction of all nuclear weapons by nations with nuclear capability." Young woman in office: "Ya, finally somebody out there's making sense." NC: "I am working closely with my dear friend, Dr. Haim Rosensweig. He has agreed to give his full support for a UN peace initiative and a program to see that every human mouth on Earth is fed." Young woman: "That's a good man!" NC: "Thank you. Thank you very much." [END]
 

A little more truth in labelling is in order here

  Audience members swayed by the messages of Left Behind absorb an inoculation against anyone who speaks out in favour of world peace, disarmament and feeding the hungry.
  This is a far-right political message, something the newspaper articles steer well clear of saying. Ronald Reagan believed in the rapture and shunned the UN. There are plenty of such believers associated with the new occupant of White House. Fundamentalist Christian bodies have never taken a stand against nuclear war, never supported disarmament. On the other hand mainstream Protestant churches, U.S. and Canadian Catholic Bishops, the World Council of Churches and in fact most religious bodies oppose nuclear war as "an unspeakable crime against God and Man."
  Literalist evangelical Christians, by contrast, believe in a prophetic nuclear Armageddon.
  Forty-nine references are made in the two newspaper articles to churches, religion, faith, spirituality, Christianity, "loving the Lord," and so on. Only six of these specify that the particular strain of religio-political belief in Left Behind is literalist Christian evangelism. A little more truth in labelling is in order here.
  The Jesus I was taught about in Sunday School was called "the Prince of Peace." He preached turning swords into ploughshares and feeding the hungry. If He returned, he'd have to scramble to explain he's not the anti-Christ...
  ... At least to those who believe Left Behind is God's word made... celluloid.

Barrie Zwicker is Media Critic with the Vision TV [www.visiontv.ca] program Skylight. This commentary, in broadcast form, first aired Monday, 05 February 2001.

Posted: February 26, 2001

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