Despite the numerous assignments I had due during the last week of
class, after finding out that the focus of the last lecture was going to be
on the apocalypse and its representation in popular culture, I knew that I had
to attend. My interest in films documenting the world after "the end" was sparked after watching the cult classic, “28 Days Later”. Depicting a post-zombie apocalypse England, the film focusses on a small group of survivors who attempt to save themselves from hoards of individuals infected with the “rage”
virus, a scenario that continues to send shivers down my spine to this day (I mean, hypothetically speaking, the rage virus pandemic is totally probable!). Despite terrifying me, for reasons that I had trouble understanding, I found myself deeply intrigued by this movie and other apocalyptic films I have seen since.
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| Trafalgar Square...bet you've never seen it so bare |
However, Conrad Oswaldt’s chapter, “Movies and The
Apocalypse”, in Secular Steeples: Popular Culture And The Religious Imagination, provided some intriguing insight. Oswaldt discusses something he refers to as the "apocalyptic imagination", attributing the success of secular apocalyptic films to their ability to satisfy this aspect of the human psyche, something that I find particularly intriguing. However, something that I do not agree with entirely is Oswaldt's argument that the adoption of this new role is due to the increasingly secularized Christian church,
which, as a result of its mainstream status, no longer needs to focus on the apocalypse
to encourage solidarity amongst its followers.[1] Although the secularization of the church can likely be
attributed to some of the increased interest in secular representations of the
apocalypse, I feel that the widespread appeal of this genre is derived from a more innate aspect of the human mind. Starting in the late 1960’s and early 70’s, with films such as “Planet of the
Apes” and “Omega Man”, the apocalyptic film has been an extremely successful
model and continues to be the underlying theme for a large number of films
spanning a variety of genres. Thus, based on this widespread
popularity, I find it hard to believe that a shift in how mainstream Christianity
portrays the apocalypse can be the sole purpose for this success. In a society with
a diverse array of faith groups that haven’t been secularized to the degree that Christianity
has, coupled with a growing number of “faith-less” individuals, it is likely
that the interest in the apocalypse has origins that may include, but that are definitely not limited to, the decreased focus on the apocalypse by the Christian church.
However, whether rooted in Christianity or more innate aspects of the human mind, I believe that Oswaldt is ultimately correct in his argument that the human “apocalyptic imagination” serves as an effective method for coming
to terms with our finitude, providing an outlet for us to express our own fears
concerning our inevitable demise.[3]
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