"Sin City" and Hell

Recently, I got a mailing from Focus on the Family. On the envelope, it says “Dr. Dobson speaks out about Hollywood”. I was about to trash it as I figured that I knew pretty much what he was about to say and that he was probably preaching to the choir as I am not a big fan of Hollywood either. Folks who trip over themselves to praise the euthanasia primer, “Million Dollar Baby” and diss the “Passion of the Christ” tells me a bit about where many of these folks are coming from.

Dr. Dobson spoke out against the movie “Sin City” as it contained references to violence, prostitution, cannibalism, etc. It was a movie about horrible darkness and depravity.

The thing is, I actually saw “Sin City” and I have a different take on it. Dr. Dobson is correct in that it had much expression of depravity in it and much worse. But, then, it was indeed a movie about “Sin City”. It was a series of vignettes that took place in the city of Bastion (bastion of sin, get it?) The premise was a city where restraint has been removed, and people lived in complete lawlessness. No one could be trusted and everyone did whatever they could to survive. Any “trust” between people were mutual, temporary agreements to get one’s way. One character (who had a little good in him in that he was trying to protect a young girl) had to face the hard reality that he lived in a world where everyone was reduced to their basic animalistic needs to do whatever it takes to survive. It was dark and hopeless.

It, to me, was a great picture and portrayal of hell (seriously). I don’t know if hell is a giant sterno can in the middle of the earth. I lean towards C.S. Lewis’ portrayal in “The Great Divorce” that sees hell as the natural outcome of people’s rejection and separation from God – that they move (and are moved) so far from God that none of His preserving influence remain and they are left in a world of rejection, isolation, lawlessness, and despair – Sin City. Jesus used the word “gehena” of the garbage waste dump outside the city gates – where the raw sewage would attract wild beasts (weeping and gnashing of teeth), decay (the worm dies not) and perpetual burning. It is a Biblical image or word-picture that as one lives in rejection of God, that person will ultimately find himself in a place of rejection outside the kingdom.

To me, “Sin City” was an apt portrayal of the reality of hell. I prefer that movie to some mindless teen flick where the rebellious adolescent prevails over the prudish authority figure.

Perhaps I am just worldly and as Shakespeare says, “the lady protests overmuch”. But, then maybe there is something behind the depravity of this R-rated movie that has a strong element of truth not generally found in the Hollywood scene.