Movies making a difference

The debate about media effects is an ongoing one. Usually negative effects are emphasised. Some people seem to think that the media have only bad effects on the rest of us. Naturally, this is debatable. We do not intend to join the debate but nevertheless we would like to mention the results of a study that was made in the United States about the effects of the film The Passion of the Christ.

Readers surely remember the showing of the film in Malta earlier this year. We had commented on it on more than one occasion, giving the opinions of different film critics and Church people. The film attracted a very large audience in this country, though it was not accompanied by a strong media discussion as it was in other countries.

We do not know what effect the film had here but a study by the Barna Group Survey gives us some insights about its effects overseas. According to this study Mel Gibson's film inspired a greater frequency of church attendance, personal prayer, and Church-related activity. In total, 18 per cent of respondents admitted that their practice of religion was altered as a result of seeing the film. The Barna Group surveyed 1,600 adults from across the United States.

In total, one-third (31 per cent) of Americans reported having seen the film. Although this is not as high as other blockbusters released in the last year, such as Finding Nemo (57 per cent) or Pirates of the Caribbean (45 per cent), the viewer totals for these films included VHS and DVD releases as well, whereas The Passion totals are for theatre release only. Typically, only one in ten films viewed by Americans are seen on the big screen - the remaining nine are viewed at home.

One in six viewers (16 per cent) revealed that The Passion had affected their religious beliefs. The types of change in belief were related as: an increased awareness of how one's actions affected others; a deeper appreciation for what Christ's suffering and death had wrought for them; and a renewed sense of the importance that one's life decisions and behaviour have.

On the other hand 18 per cent of filmgoers said they had changed their religious behaviour as a result of the film; 16 per cent said they had changed their religious beliefs because of the film's content; and 10 per cent said they changed both religious belief and religious behaviour.

One can look at these figures from the perspective of the half-empty/half-full syndrome.

Those who prefer the half-empty approach will say that among the most startling outcomes drawn from the research is the apparent absence of a direct evangelistic impact by the film. Despite marketing campaigns labelling the film the "greatest evangelistic tool" of our era, less than one tenth of one per cent of those who saw the film stated that they made a profession of faith or accepted Jesus Christ as their saviour in reaction to the film's content.

Besides, less than a half of one per cent of the audience said they were motivated to be more active in sharing their faith in Christ with others as a result of having seen the film.

Those who take the half-full glass attitude will say that these figures mean that about 13 million adults in America changed some aspect of their typical religious behaviour because of the film and about 11 million people altered some pre-existing religious beliefs because of its content. That's an enormous influence.

The results of this study also point to one of the characteristics of our culture: immediate effects which are soon forgotten. The statement published by the Barna Group notes that "immediate reaction to the movie seemed to be quite intense, but people's memories are short and are easily redirected in a media-saturated, fast-paced culture like ours...

"The typical adult had already watched another six movies at the time of the survey interview, not including dozens of hours of television programmes they had also watched."

As usual, one can play around with figures trying to prove one thing or another. Our tendency is to say that if 13 million people in the US were affected, that is no mean figure by any standard.