MovieChat Forums > The Infidel (2010) Discussion > The Whole Premise Of This Movie Is Absur...

The Whole Premise Of This Movie Is Absurd

posted 14 years ago by Brainy-2
45 replies | jump to latest

I have not seen the film, but I have viewed the trailer. This movie appears to revolve around the assumption that Islam and Judaism are ethnicities. They are not. They are both religions and therefore, choices.

Here in the United States, former secretary of state Madeline Albright discovered late in life that her biological parents were Jewish which she found interesting, but it did not stop her from attending church services.

A person's religion is whatever they choose to be. This film would suggest that one has the obligation to choose the religion of one's biological parents, which is ridiculous. The world is full of people who were raised Muslim who later converted to Judaism, and vice-versa, based solely on which faith felt more comfortable to them.

If a man's adoptive parents are Methodists, then later discovers that his biological parents are Episcopalians, I seriously doubt that he would suddenly feel an uncontrolable urge to switch churches (and I also don't think it would make a particularly entertaining movie either).

If this were set in Northern Ireland in the 70s, and was about a Catholic who suddenly discovers he's "supposed to be" a Protestant (or vice-versa), it might make an interesting film, but it wouldn't be a comedy. It would be a serious rumination on the absurdity of how people wind up being who they are, based largely on what the people that raised them tell them they are.

Everyone's faith should be based exclusively on whatever it is they feel most spiritually drawn to. Incidentally, I am an Atheist.

[–] russellsolomon 13 years ago

It depends on the person. Many people want to know the truth about their ancestors because it is important to them. Many people feel that they should honor the traditions of their ancestors. For instance, I was raised Christian, but there is a story passed down in my family that we were once Jewish. My grandfather researched genealogy and although hasn't found proof of this, our last name is Solomon and a common Jewish name. He converted to Juddaism because of the oral stories passed down even though there is no written proof of it in our family. It is important to him and he feels that is a big part of who we are.

[–] CasGomez 13 years ago

the whole point is that he was a man that was not in touch in his faith and it took him seeing what the other side is like to truly believe in the religion he was brought up in

Tracy Jordan: I learned fried chicken at the school of hard knocks

[–] richimorton 12 years ago

Well said Brainy - I am an Agnostic myself , which I suggest you look into whilst taking some magic mushrooms lol . Too many people - Jews & Muslims especially - seem to think they are all somehow blood relatives , which is patently absurd . Why Humanity seems to be going backwards in this respect is baffling - why don't we all now realise that organised religion is just that - ORGANISED . Look inside yourselves people and grow up .

That which does not Kill me makes me Stranger

[–] PoppyTransfusion 12 years ago

I'm going to see the film shortly so I'll see if the premise seems absurd in light of the film, which is its context and which you (OP) haven't seen. Anything removed from its context can seem absurd. That's a philosophical and perceptual certainty.

However the religion that people are raised in forms part of their identity. It may not be a biological ethnicity but as it contributes to identity it is more important than you allow. The fact that people later change or, as in the case of Madeline Allbright, stay with what they've been raised as even if their family were otherwise, shows how important to identity one's religion can be.

my vessel is magnificent and large and huge-ish

[–] theonewithalltheusernames 12 years ago

As soon as you wrote I havent seen the movie....I stopped reading

[–] frumwannabe 12 years ago

This movie doesn't have to be a comedy. It could well be a tragedy with the same basic plot.

What is needed is a contrast of antithetical groups. Robert Duvall was in a movie "A Family Thing" which shows him discovering his mother was black. "Pinky" from 1949 is about the same story; but without comedy.

An ordinary American girl discovering she is of royal blood in "The Princess Diaries" covers some of the same territory.

[–] joseph-jp-devine 11 years ago

haha sounds like someone has completely missed the point of the film, which incidentally points to the fact you probably haven't even seen it. also, no one cares if you are an atheist or a quantum presbyterian

ugh

[–] gabypanama 11 years ago

in judaism, "the son of a jewish mother is a jew" no matter what he practices.