Lights, Camera, Friction: Negative Views of Religion in film

While early films dared not be critical of religion, a few managed to break the ice later on. The earliest film to stir up religious controversy, The Exorcist, released in America in 1973 became highly controversial due to its portrayal of religion. In 1979, Monty Python's the Life of Brian was widely attacked for its satire of Christianity. In 1988, The Last Temptation of Christ was attacked for showing Jesus to have a sexual life. Along similar lines, the film The Crime of Father Amaro would be controversial for showing a Catholic priest having sex. Dogma attempted to be a light religious comedy in 1999, but was criticized for satirizing religion. Things died down until Mel Gibson's film The Passion of the Christ in 2004. While many in the religious community felt this film to be a wonderful depiction of Christ's suffering, others complained that it associated extreme violence with religion. The latest controversy came in 2007, with the film September Dawn. The film recounted a true story of a massacre carried out by Mormons, but was attacked by the Mormon Church for its negative and sometimes inaccurate depiction of Mormons.