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The Significance of the Stigmata Scene spoiler

posted 19 years ago by JKazoo
21 replies | jump to latest

Okay, here's my personal interpuitation of the scene where Alan does his song and dance, then bleeds out of his hands:

This is symbolic of the way many Christians percieve Jesus. Jesus had some wonderful teachings about doing unto others and turning the other cheek (his song and dance), but unfortunately, the masses do not respond. But when he begins to bleed out of his hands (the crucifiction), the people go nuts. The masses like blood and guts, and Jesus' crucifiction is a safe outlet for it. Because he did it for our sins, it's not only okay to focus on it, it is encouraged. (Consider the blockbuster success of "The Passion".)Thus you have an unfortunate majority of Christians who ignore Christ's teachings and focus on his torment.

But as Dennis Miller says: "Of course, that's just my opinion, I could be wrong."

[–] The_Dying_Flutchman 18 years ago

And then again ye could be righter than right. Anyway its looked at "Greaser's" is one for the gawds!

Nothing exists more beautifully than nothing.

[–] TalesOfBraveUlysses 18 years ago

Damn, it's been YEARS since I've seen, or even thought of, this movie(saw it multiple times back in the 70's)! Funny thing is, I was writing to someone about my thoughts on religion, specifically making reference to the movie "Stigmata", & this movie popped into my head. Just looked up Allan Arba--had no idea he is that old!
Also never knew that Robert Downey Sr. wrote/directed it. Never knew who he was in those days.

Anyway, there's very little I remember about this movie anymore, except the girl that keeps getting shot w/arrows, The Holy Ghost, & of course,

"If ya feel, ya heal."

And oh yeah! Doesn't a sh-thouse get blown up or something at the end?

[–] robinlamkie 17 years ago

Dropping the crutches and saying "I can crawl again" has come to mind a million times since I first saw that film 30 plus years ago.

[–] The_Dying_Flutchman 18 years ago

Yeah, the safest hotel in town gets blowed up at end. Have you seen "The Rapture" with Duchovny? View it for a few larfs.

Nothing exists more beautifully than nothing.

[–] dogeymon 17 years ago

If that is honestly the message of this film, that it's pretty dissapointing. Oh yeah, the majority of Christians only focus on his torment. That's a laugh. That's why we only study his teachings and words like 24 hours a day. That's all our bible studies consist of. And we're more than happy to. The Word is an entire body of knowledge that all should be known.

I think the reason that's so completely untrue is that whenever non-believers try to attack Christianity and the Word, we always return the attack with the Word put in the proper context. But how can we know the word if we're all "focusing on Jesus' torment". Hmmm??

The Passion was a great and touching film. But if you don't know why Jesus did it, than the film is just about violence to people. But then again, I feel what the film succeeded at was making us feel miserable for the pain Jesus went through, and Jesus says in the Word that he doesn't want us to mourn over him. He wants us to rejoice and be glad in him.

Amazing how I knew that, huh? A teaching of Jesus. Since I focus on Jesus' torment.

[–] screaminmimi 17 years ago

dogeymon wrote:

> If that is honestly the message of this film, that it's pretty dissapointing. Oh
> yeah, the majority of Christians only focus on his torment.

I wouldn't presume to know what the majority of Christians focus on, and that was an infelicitous bit of writing, I agree. However what GREASER focuses on is making his saloon profitable, and he wants to hire the next big thing. Jesse is so anachronistic (probably as much as Jesus was in his own time) that the only thing more alien is Morris the Agent, whom--apparently--the others in Greaser's town never see.

I think the significance of Greaser glomming onto the sensationalism of the stigmata and ignoring the part of the act Jesse wants people to focus on is twofold:

1. Jesse will not be the Messiah based on his ego alone. He has to sacrifice something he'd rather not part with. The stigmata foreshadow his later argument with the Father.

2. Greaser is nearly impervious to anything that doesn't fatten his coffers, although eventually his contact with Jesse (via the resurrection of Lamey Homo) softens his heart a little.

BTW, am I the only one who thinks the relationship between Greaser and Cholera was creepy?

[–] kingarthurup 14 years ago

Yes, I agree with what you said:

"you could be wrong."

[–] The_Dying_Flutchman 12 years ago

It always cracks me up the stuff people believe about Xhristianity. Bible bangers say this is the Word, but how can it be solid, verifyable truth, when the man they put their "faith" into was an illiterate peasant who never spoke in anything but Aramaic? ANd that book they're always beating, yeah all them guys in it were English scholars. Uber crock!

Reference is inscrutable because there is nothing to scrute.

[–] zurichpoet 12 years ago

The Bible stuff I don't run into much but America gets weirder and weirder the more I live away from it and come back and see it and hear it with fresh eyes.

This time I've noticed everyone talks about The Economy with tones of great deification.

How's The Economy, Bill? They talk about the reports of the latest size of The Economy and if it's growing. All these abstract theoretical forces have now become a tangible thing! As if it's in the air! And here in the Wall St. Journal it actually stole something, like's an evil being.

"The Economy Stole My Retirement"

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444230504577615861593287 688.html

It's insane. Funny, yes. But insane.

[–] The_Dying_Flutchman 12 years ago

Then U must be getting lots of larfs out of our Parade of Dead political hacks. What Clint Eastwood did last night was pure political theater actually performance art. They only used him cuz he's a cowboy kindda guy, but he looked pickled in cheap likker and acted like an indolent ass! I better quit before somebody on here takes me "seriously".

Obtained from the liver of the inflatable mongoose.

[–] zurichpoet 12 years ago

Noticed when there are moments of humanity, clarity, or love, they respond with snide comments, racism , or banality and then this laugh: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Rav9ijyyZk

I just starteded to laugh like that all the time. "I see a black man!!!!!!HHAHAHAHHAHAHAH!" or "I heard Jews rule the world!!! HAHHAHAHAHAA."

[–] The_Dying_Flutchman 12 years ago

Isn't it black jews disguised as southern bigots who truly rule?

There is nothing more beautiful than Skelton Knaggs and/or Reggie Nalder.

[–] zurichpoet 12 years ago

I'd rather take a nap than hate. Or cut a pineapple. So tiring. Or as Robinson said:

"...You are far
From Dante's feet, but even farther from his dirty
Political hatreds."

Hate is odd enough, but they have corrupt hate. Huh? What? Eh, it's not new. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.......

[–] The_Dying_Flutchman 12 years ago

I was being sarcastic. They r all dingbats in silly suits. Look at them sometime; lousy dressers.

There is nothing more beautiful than Skelton Knaggs and/or Reggie Nalder.

[–] zurichpoet 12 years ago

I got 'ya flutchman! Don't think you are sarcastic. You aren't literal like a maroon! That's why you rule, dude.

[–] The_Dying_Flutchman 12 years ago

That's no way for someone born in a palace to talk!

There is nothing more beautiful than Skelton Knaggs and/or Reggie Nalder.

[–] zurichpoet 12 years ago

You'll like this: My poetry collection. Met this editor at a big poetry house in New York. He smelled ok. The title of it was:

"I'm Not Catullus, Well Aware "

I thought it was a funny fun & verve laden title. He liked it. And started referencing the point of the collection as being Catullus??!! Which was a compliment. But he'd never read Jeffers? He's a real American poet. Balls true. Bonzo odd moment.

[–] The_Dying_Flutchman 12 years ago

Yes, I know Robinson Jeffers, but only Cattle-haus. Not big on Latin these nights.

There is nothing more beautiful than Skelton Knaggs and/or Reggie Nalder.

[–] zurichpoet 12 years ago

What poets do you like?

[–] The_Dying_Flutchman 12 years ago

Probably not too different from some of those you have enjoyed. When I first crawled out of the tomb, I mean womb I was read to at a frighteningly young age by my maternal grandmama the works of Poe, STevenson all them rhyming cats. Poe to this day is a gigantic fave even some of his copiers like Lovecraft who is actually a far better short story writer than poet, but even so I still cling to his one poetry book.

The Dadaist crowd still gives the occasional chuckle Tzara, Arp and I believe they were from yer neck of the hills.

The Surrealist crowd Appollinaire, Aragon, Eluard, Desnos

The AMerican weirds everyone from Wallace Stevens, Cummings, Langston Hughes then the later ones transplant Auden and Ashberry who is still a huge fave.

The Beats Gary Snyder, Ferlinghetti etc.

Culminating for me in Zappa, Vivian Stanshall, Don Van Vliet. Just that old time musical mishmash of No Commercial Potential. I still spout it on occasion.

I forgot Yeats, Joyce, Thomas. How could I?

There is nothing more beautiful than Skelton Knaggs and/or Reggie Nalder.

[–] Bobby Briggs Briganza 8 years ago

Excellent interpultation and, indeed, highly personal.

Your film gods: Lee Van Cleef and Laura Gemser
http://tinyurl.com/pa4ud44

The Significance of the Stigmata Scene *spoiler*

The Significance of the Stigmata Scene spoiler