The Portrayal Of The Occult

An essay on occultism in film from my third year of my degree, part of a Spiritualities, Sacred and the Screen module.

The portrayal of the Occult, in particular Satanism and Demonic Children; focusing on the films The Exorcist,  The Omen, Rosemary’s Baby and Little Nicky

The term ‘Occult’ refers to many things, the word itself comes from the Latin word occultus which roughly translated means hidden or concealed. Primarily, it is a term used to group together the paranormal or supernatural, (Dictionary) as well as covering left-hand path religions and beliefs such as Satanism and Devil Worship. Many religious groups ranging from Abrahamic religions (for example; Christianity, Judaism, Islam) to India religions (for example; Hinduism, Sikhism) recognise the Occult in one form or another (Jenkins, 2004). However, some religions, in particular conservative Christians, view anything that is not Christian as being Satanic, or of Satan, and therefore deem anything that is un-Christian as being part of the Occult (Cult Awareness). Many of these religions deem the Occult as acts or articles of paranormal or supernatural activity which are not achieved by or through their idea of ‘God’, and are therefore considered the work of an opposing entity of some form. However, ‘Occult’ can also refer to acts that require knowledge which is not generally widely know or “talents which lie beyond the five senses” (Religious Tolerance)         

Occultism is the study of the Occult and covers topics such as ‘Magick’, alchemy, spiritualism and astrology amongst others, and also includes activities such as tarot cards, tea leaf reading and Ouija boards (Cult Awareness). Many whom study the Occult, known as Occultists, claim to follow non-traditional religions such as Gnosticism, Hermeticism, Thelema and various forms of Satanism, such as LaVeyan Satanism and Luciferianism. It is unclear when exactly Occultism appeared, yet some ideas and beliefs systems can be traced back to at least the Middle Ages (Jenkins, 2004). However between the 15^th and 17^th centuries Occultism had a revival in Western countries (Jenkins, 2004). Many 17^th century scientists, for example Sir Isaac Newton, were accused of using the Occult within their research and experiments (Isaac Newton's Life). This revival was stopped due to the Age Of Enlightenment, which saw more people accepting reasoning from science and natural philosophy over religion (What Is The Age Of Enlightenment?).

Film Adaptation: One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

Another essay from my uni days, this one was part of a Film Adaptation module during my second year at TASC

Discuss the fidelity of the film adaptation of Ken Kesey's 'One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest' in relation to audience theories; including the reception of the film and the difference between readers of the novel and viewers of the film.

One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest was a 1962 novel written by American author Ken Kesey. It was adapted into a film of the same name in 1975. Actor Kirk Douglas originally played RP McMurphy in a stage version of the novel, after purchasing the rights to film the piece he passed them onto his son, fellow actor Michael Douglas who set into motion the production of the film whom also acted as producer for the film (Dirks). It was claimed that the film was made in order to appeal more to contemporary audiences. At the time, the now all-star cast were all relatively unknown, the film propelling their careers due to its critical acclaim, both as a film and also in novel form.

The film is set in a mental hospital in the 1960s and followed a group of patients on an all male ward. Kesey himself had spent time as a guinea pig for experimental drugs as well as an aide on a ward in a hospital in Oregon, and based his novel loosely upon his experiences and patients whom he had met during this time (Huffman, 2002). The novel is told from the point of view of a large Indian patient known as Chief Bromden, whereas the film is told from a more neutral view point, but closely follows McMurphy. The story begins when McMurphy is brought onto the ward after his behaviour becomes questionable whilst serving a prison sentence working on a farm after committing a string of crimes, the latest of which being statutory rape. The rest of the plot continues on, showing the reader and view what everyday life in the asylum is like. However McMurphy, not content with this, sneaks prostitutes onto the ward, gambles with the other patients and in the film, steals a bus and boat in order to take the men fishing (Dirks) (Kesey, 1962) (Forman, 1975).

Can Japanese Cinema Be Fully Understood By Western Audiences?

I've covered some really interesting topics through my degree and masters degree courses, so thought I'd pop them onto my blog so that people can see some elements that interest me from a film studies angle! This essay was from my second year at Trinity and All Saints College during my Film & Television Studies degree.

Discuss the claim that Japanese cinema cannot be properly understood by Western audiences without a wider understanding of the country’s history and society.

                Japanese culture is very different to that of the western world. To say that Japanese cinema cannot truly be understood by a western audience is only partly correct; it is true that a basic knowledge of Japanese society is useful, as the society structure is a lot different to that of Western areas, however it is not vital. For the majority of Japanese cinema it does not matter if the audience knows much about the history of Japan, as generally many relevant aspects are explained, however the more knowledge that the audiences possesses, the more sense the film will make and audiences will be able to place it into context more easily.

                History is important in Japan, and has helped to shape the way society is structured today. Events such as World War Two and the rise of Japan’s economy in the 1970s have had huge impact on Japan (Bordwell, 2003), especially as relationships with work are of huge importance to the Japanese as individuals. After Japan had boomed successfully, a recession began and the long time leaders, the Liberal Democratic party were shown to be corrupted on multiple occasions (Bordwell, 2003, p. 646). Aspects such as this are an important influence on films and the making of the films themselves, little knowledge of these events can hinder ones knowledge of the country as a whole, but generally are less relevant to most films, unless they are about a certain event itself, for example war, in which case historical facts are generally explained in the films plot or narrative.