MovieChat Forums > Epoch (2001) Discussion > Was it Christian sci-fi

Was it Christian sci-fi

posted 13 years ago by hottr6
6 replies | jump to latest

Was the movie Xtian sci-fi? There were many references to the monolith as 'god', through to the last spoken scene of the immaculate conception.

I found the film interesting with good promise, but found the twee spiritual scenes gratuitous. The final scene of the immaculate conception was weak. Better that the film had ended on a human victory, but with credits rolling as another monolith heads to Earth. This alternate ending may be formulaic, but ultimately, more successful. Goodness, you could call the sequel "Battle: Los Angeles".

[–] daniel624 13 years ago

First of all, there's no such thing as "Xtian."

Many people have trouble differentiating between advocacy and reporting of events or ideas. I found the film to be quite realistic in its showing of religious overtones. Throughout history, there has always been a strong tendency to consider anything that's new or unknown or frightening as supernatural. Witness all the witch hunts during the Middle Ages.

[–] queenoftheuniverse1 9 years ago

there's no such thing as "Xtian."

Just another way to diss religious believers. I find it odd how loudly some non-believers protest especially on the internet with their anonymity intact.

I am agnostic but I don't go around disrespecting what others believe. I was brought up in a strict Christian home which may have something to do with my tolerance of those who do believe.

Throughout history, there has always been a strong tendency to consider anything that's new or unknown or frightening as supernatural

I believe that is the root of why many people turn to religion. When things are out of their control, it is a way for them to make sense of this craziness in our world and to seek some semblance of peace. If they choose to believe there is a supreme being in control of their destiny they can more readily accept what goes wrong in their lives.

[–] titian-imdb 7 years ago

> there's no such thing as "Xtian"
it's a chi, the first letter of Christos in Greek. The chi-rho was a secret symbol of Christianity from its earliest days. I can't imagine it is disrespectful (Christians shouldn't care, anyway).

[–] AccidntlTourist 11 years ago

No it was not "Christian-sci-fi".

"... found the twee spiritual scenes gratuitous"

I think it depends on the viewer's perspective and what they want to see.

I thought it was a fairly decent script/story and over-all well balanced.

As for the religious overtones - I thought this movie did an excellent job of trying to present several points of view, among them:

- The scientists were "scientific"
- The "believers" (Buddhists, Christians, etc) - were ... religious
- The governments were - geo-political
- The military - were prepared to follow orders

If anything, I think this was more of an anti-religion film. Remember after his lecture at the end, Dr Czaban approaches and she's stopped by security? Mason explains his overprotective security by saying something like, "The price a heretic pays in a world full of religious fervor."

"The final scene of the immaculate conception was weak."
Well, I can see that as indeed "gratuitous", but it never even occurred to me that it was meant to parallel the immaculate conception, but I appreciate you pointing that possibility out. I thought of it as simply a gift of this "entity" billions of years more advanced than ours that must have sensed that this would be the perfect gift to this brave couple that had risked their lives to protect it.

"...credits rolling as another monolith heads to Earth." Maybe I'm wrong, but I thought it was the same entity. I think the planets were in alignment (as we saw earlier) and this was the entity (the same one) moving away from earth leaving us to wonder what it might do next. It just doesn't make sense to me that all of a sudden, after 4 billion years we have multiples of this thing roaming our solar system.

Some people actually don't have all the answers when it comes to creation.
I thought this movie did an excellent job of simply laying some of the possibilities out there and then letting people come to their own conclusions.

I think this movie deserves more respect and appreciation (I gave it a seven).

[–] VerJeen 10 years ago

The planet at the end that the monolith was approaching was definitely not Earth. It had rings.

[–] Costumer (1789) 4 years ago

I'd like to clear up one thing that AccidntlTourist said. There was not a depiction of Immaculate Conception in this film. I understand it is a misunderstood term. Immaculate Conception does not mean a virgin birth (or conception).

The Immaculate Conception is, primarily, a Catholic theological concept. As far as I know, only the various Catholic Churches (Roman, Orthodox and so forth) ascribe to it.

It does not refer to to Christ. It refers to Mary. The Immaculate Conception is the concept that Mary was born without the stain of original sin.

Please, I do not want to debate the accuracy of that belief and I will not. This is just a matter of fact about the term. I'm sure someone will say "my understanding is" or "I was told". This is the meaning. You are all welcome to visit any Catholic site, or look it up in any Catholic catechism.