The Vatican's Opinion of the Movie 'Prometheus'

[Mal12345]

"It's a bad idea to defy the gods."

Really? Since when is the pope a polytheist?

 

[Totenkindly]

Time to feed him the slimy slugs, and see what big things might spawn from something so little....

 

[WALMART]

"It's a bad idea to defy the gods."

Really? Since when is the pope a polytheist?

Don't they worship deities?


I think so.

 

[Beargryllz]

No, no

One deity, but 3 persons

Christianity is arguably a monotheistic religion

 

[Sniffles]

I don't see any real issue, and is probably a reference to the Prometheus story in Greek mythology.

 

[Sniffles]

I don't see any real issue, and is probably a reference to the Prometheus story in Greek mythology.

And lo and behold, a quick google search revealed that much:

The review itself, which appeared in Italian, consists mainly of a bland plot summary. But a mere handful of sentences that softly criticize the film were spun in the English language media to give the impression that the Vatican was issuing an angry condemnation of the film.

Yet this is a pure fabrication. The Italian review didn’t contain any criticisms about the movie that haven’t already been aired elsewhere by secular movie reviewers: for example, that Ridley Scott didn’t live up to the expectations set by his other films; that the script tells a story that is too convoluted; it doesn’t have enough thrills and surprises; it needs more work where it is lacking in explanations; and so on.

Yet that didn’t stop Eric J. Lyman from inventing a story with his piece in The Hollywood Reporter. Lyman begins with this: “The Vatican’s official newspaper attacked Ridley Scott’s Prometheus, taking issue with the film’s premise about the origins of mankind and saying it is ‘a bad idea to defy the gods.’”

Lyman makes it sound like the Vatican objects to the film’s theory that life on earth was started by aliens. But the review takes no such stance. The review just says that the story’s idea was not very well executed. It simply says that the film artistically “mishandles the delicate questions raised by” its premise. Moreover, the phrase “a bad idea to defy the gods” is an English translation only of the headline given to the movie review in Italian.

Lyman distorts the fact that the review itself only uses this phrase to explain the movie’s title. The phrase describes only what the reference to the figure of Prometheus from Greek mythology means.

http://www.catholicworldreport.com/Item/1622/is_iprometheusi_on_the_index_of_forbidden_films.aspx

 

[Totenkindly]

I don't see any real issue, and is probably a reference to the Prometheus story in Greek mythology.

To address that point specifically, yes, I concur with your assessment.

 

[Sniffles]

Furthering the point: towards the end of the original Greek story Prometheus declares his defiance of all the gods, to which Hermes replies: "It appears you have been stricken with no small madness."

So for the Vatican to declare it "it's a bad idea to defy the gods" makes sense when one understands the original story.

 

[Poindexter Arachnid]

Makes sense, given the context.
Clever bastard, that Pope.

 

[Giggly]

To my perception, The Vatican has actually been quite liberal in recent decades. The Pope even stopped requiring U.S. President's to kiss his ring when they visit.

 

[Habba]

To my perception, The Vatican has actually been quite liberal in recent decades. The Pope even stopped requiring U.S. President's to kiss his ring when they visit.

How liberal of them. Hopefully they'll stop being dumb bigots as well.

 

[Sniffles]

How liberal of them. Hopefully they'll stop being dumb bigots as well.

Maybe if you wish upon a star.

 

[Lark]

"It's a bad idea to defy the gods."

Really? Since when is the pope a polytheist?

I have my doubts about the veracity of this.

 

[Lark]

How liberal of them. Hopefully they'll stop being dumb bigots as well.

Yeah, those damn liberals, oh, wait...

 

[Sniffles]

I have my doubts about the veracity of this.

From what I understand, it's the just the title of a movie review written in the Vatican newspaper, in clear reference to the story in Greek mythology. Earth shattering I know!

 

[Lark]

From what I understand, it's the just the title of a movie review written in the Vatican newspaper, in clear reference to the story in Greek mythology. Earth shattering I know!

I'd actually figured that. Although its not just the Vatican press which liberals give that treatment to, there's a couple of the posts and most of the opinions which I think arrive hot of the headlines in the tabloids.

 

[Sniffles]

I'd actually figured that. Although its not just the Vatican press which liberals give that treatment to, there's a couple of the posts and most of the opinions which I think arrive hot of the headlines in the tabloids.

That's Tabloid Central for you.....eh I mean Typology Central.

 

[Lark]

That's Tabloid Central for you.....eh I mean Typology Central.

I'm actually tempted to find out what the review says, I liked that movie, didnt take that message away from it though.

Our local redemptorist publication's reviews section got took over by some ultra hardline media hater lately, I think the got reprimanded for a number of things but among others their reviews section, I think following complaints.

So the movie Brave, an animated feature which is either from or similar to a Disney Pixar, got roundly condemned and contained a warning about nudity!! (I think one of the characters runs past with a bare bottom at some point) Its a bit mad because I used to like their reviews when they were more balanced, they did warn about swearing, violence, family conflict that sort of thing which may not register as a concern for anyone but when I picked films for the young people I work with it was useful (the age rating was useless, films rated 12 would have content which was definitely 15 years ago and often had innuendo or sexualised content which could seriously trigger some inappropriate behaviour). Now it just feels a little like the reviewer doesnt own or like TV or films per se.

 

[Sniffles]

I'm actually tempted to find out what the review says, I liked that movie, didnt take that message away from it though.

I actually checked the newspaper's website, and couldn't find it. Supposedly it's only in Italian.

 

[Lark]

I actually checked the newspaper's website, and couldn't find it. Supposedly it's only in Italian.

Oh man!!

It gets worse then! There's no way at all of telling if this wasnt completely made up by some village idiot.