This movie makes all Christian look like bigots. It's highly offensive.
And it's also rated to be Very Offensive on the Christian Answers, so think twice before watching it.
http://www.christiananswers.net/spotlight/movies/2000/chocolat.html
I'm a Christian, and this movie doesn't offend me at all.
If anything, it helps spread the message of the acceptance of different types of people, and encourages not to pass judgement on others--which can be an easy path for religious people, when it is not our job to do such judging.
In fact, I think this is a very informative movie to watch.
And in that Christian Answers movie review which you cite, other website viewers commented that the review "leaked a heavy bias." I read it all the way through, and I think the reviewer was looking to be offended, even though they did point out some good messages in the movie.
Don't move! You're surrounded by armed basterds!
I've just read the book, which was more so than the movie. I believe the film actually played down the anti-Christian element.
In the novel Reynaud was the village priest, and not a nice person at all. The movie at least made him the mayor, and Pere Henri (who wasn't in the book)really wasn't that bad.
I've been a Christian for 19 years. For the 41 years prior to that I wouldn't never have believed my conversion possible, because most Christians I had met before were narrow minded, bigoted people just like those in the story.
So I guess the old adage contains a lot of truth - There is nothing wrong with Christianity. It's only the people who practice it.
Love is never having to say you're sober.
To the OP, may I recommend another delightful film for your delectation ? Pleasantville, if you haven't seen it already, I'm sure you and your uptight brethren will find even more enjoyably offensive than Chocolat.
shareChristians are bigots. And you're apparently a fool. Go be offended someplace else, and you may want to spend some time considering how bigoted you actually are, and how God is going to react to that.
It should also be pointed out that you're confusing Catholics with Christians, so one must assume that you are Catholic, or you would take no offense, as most Christians are intelligent enough to divest themselves of the Catholic belief system that approves of not only raping little boys, but actively supports it, and tells you what you can eat and when.
To quote Abraham Lincoln, "if you look for the bad in mankind expecting to find it, you surely will." The Bible has several passages about treating everyone with respect, and not one passage advocates meanness. I think that the intent behind this movie was to prove just that. Religion in and of itself is not evil, but the way certain people tweak a religion to fit their personal means is. The main thing that bugs me about posts like this is that one person assumes that everyone else affiliated with that religion agrees with him/her. On the contrary, I found it a very important look into how judging outsiders can be dangerous. Christ taught his followers to be kind and tolerant, and some (not all) churches tend to preach just the opposite.
Catholicism is a denomination of Christianity, not a separate religion. And not every Catholic advocates rape. That's akin to saying that every German is a Nazi, or that every middle-aged man is a pedophile. It's a broad and often inaccurate generalization. And no, I'm not a Catholic, but I do think that it's unfair to assume.
"Memories like spies, the salt betrays my eyes again." -Turpentine, Brandi Carlile
[deleted]
"It should be pointed out that you're confusing Catholics with Christians,..."
For your own information, Catholics **ARE** Christians!!!! For you to say they are not, just goes to show your own bigotry, especially since Catholicism is the **ORIGINAL** Christianity!!!!!
Actually, your bigotry was confirmed when you said that the "Catholic belief system approves of raping little boys, but actually supports it."
This just goes to show you know **NOTHING AT ALL** what Catholicism teaches concerning rape, especially the rape of children:
2356 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, "Rape is the forcible violation of the sexual intimacy of another person. It does injury to justice & charity. Rape deeply wounds the respect, freedom, & physical & moral integrity to which every person has a right. It causes grave damage that can mark the person for life. It is always an intrinsically evil act. Graver still is the rape of children committed by parents (incest) or those responsible for the education of those entrusted to them.
(Bold faced, mine.)
If you love Jesus Christ and are 100% proud of it copy this and make your signature!
Is the movie anti-Christian? Well, yeah, maybe a little bit. But so what? There are plenty of pro-Christian movies out there, so if you don't like it, why not watch one of those?
There is a lot of hypocrisy and intolerance associated with some Christians, and this movie (and the book) highlight that. It's refreshing that Viane's brand of paganism is portrayed so positively - but clearly this is the type of thing that right-wing fundamentalist websites like christiananswers can't deal with.
Not everything is about "praising god" or whatever. Some people are more interested in chocolate :)
I'm a Christian. If anything, Chocolat demonstrates God's grace for his people. The movie fights against the idea of slumbering in life, just going through the motions. This movie is about thriving; about living life to the fullest, about loving your neighbours as you love yourself and about dispensing love to those who don't deserve it. It's a beautiful movie, much more Christian than any number of 'Christian' movies and better made. Yes, there's a short sex scene and some mild language but the message is one of redemption.
shareYou could read anything into a movie. People do it with all sorts of things, they call a movie offensive to a religion or a race, and while some are, others are only looking hard to find something to complain about.
On the reverse side, others can look into movies to find a moral message that may not have been intended. I know of several examples of preachers or Christians looking into movies and finding a Christian message that may not have been the intent of the writers, but helps them personally put their belief in perspective.
I can see where someone may be offended by this film, but I can also see where the above poster could take away a positive message.
Honestly? It is a film for pure enjoyment, using beautiful imagery surrounding chocolate being devoured by astounding acting talent to unfold a story. The world is not perfect, and neither is this movie, but for two hours you can just escape into the storyline, no matter what your beliefs, and just, simply, indulge.
"I'm the distraction that's going with her to England, sir."
-Say Anything
The most important Christian figure in the movie is the priest, and he was actually a good guy, much more tolerant than the mayor.
I understand that in the book, the priest and mayor characters were merged, and the priest really comes out bad, but not in this movie.
I am Catholic, but I know that like it or not, in many Catholic countries (especially the rural areas such as the setting of this film), some Catholic practitioners could be really set on their ways and conservative: well, it applies to Christian fundamentalists in the USA too. It does not necessarily mean they are "bad" - they are just being who they are, and this is how the movie portrays them.
What I found a bit strange was that this movie and the book are set in FRANCE, which is known to be by far the "least religious" of the Catholic nations in southern Europe. But in movies like this and in Jean de Florette/Manon of the Spring, rural French folk are always shown to be really conservative Catholic types. I don't think that's been the case in France for many many decades.
Whatever the truth, this is a good charming movie, not to be taken too seriously.
[deleted]
Honestly, throughout the movie it came to my mind that at least it is a little offensive, but I also noticed that Vianne only stated that she doesn't go to church, not that she's against the Christian belief or doesn't believe in God. OK, there are some indecent innuendos like the "venus nipples" and the naked woman sculpture in the window. So Vianne is definitely no pious woman. Maybe she also exaggerated a bit in order to provocate Reynaud even more. But I think this isn't a direct offense to Christianity. Although I wasn't sure what all the messing between Reynaud and Vianne should mean.
However, I was satisfied at the end when it became clear that none of this picture was intended to be anti-christian. I'm talking about the scene in the church on Easter Sunday when the priest improvises his speech and tells the community about how tolerant and lovely Jesus treated everyone. This definitely indicates that the story tellers assume Jesus to be like he is described in the Bible and implies that the conclusion of the movie is that Christianity is a wonderful thing, and not what many people abuse it for, namely to justify the social exclusion of people that are not hundred percent conservative. A very good message from a very good movie if you ask me.
I'm not sure if it is anti-Christian or not. I think there will always be those who put anti-Christian messages out there because of their own anti-Christian biases. But that's how it is.
I'm not sure that's the intention of this movie. It does tend to put out that "if it feels good, do it," message....and don't let the repressed dictate what you do.
I agree that Christians don't always represent the way they should, and the anti-Christian will always use those types as the reason they don't believe or follow Christianity themselves.
This is just how it is.
If a person is looking for a reason not to believe, that's up to them. And they'll find it.
Pointing out people who call themselves Christians but don't necessarily act like Christians is one way they do it.
But I think that's more to justify their non-belief than anything else.
Most rational-thinking people know that all groups have their hypocrites, and to judge the lot by those few, is not always fair.
I am sorry but when you say "anti Christians" do you in fact mean atheists/people of other religions? Because judging by your following statement that "the anti-Christian will always use those types as the reason they don't believe or follow Christianity themselves" it does seem so, to me at least.
Assuming you do I must really protest, because not being a Christian is not something that follows the one reason that you had the misfortune to meet some misbehaving or rude Christian. Some people happen to believe in quite different things and some, like myself, doesn't believe in God at all.
As I can only speak for myself I can just say that "those types" are certainly not "the reason" I feel that way.
As a last comment I would just like to apologise if I seem like a complete bastard, I certainly didn't intend to.
This movie makes all Christian look like bigots.No it doesn't. It makes some Christians in a village in France in the 1950s look like bigots. Which they were.