Mass in the movies- War Horse

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Maryann_C

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I actually posted this in another thread - Mass in WWII and then thought it would be a good topic for discussion in a new thread. Not sure if this is the right forum so correct me if I am in the wrong place.
There is a moment in the movie War Horse ( WWI) where the soldiers were in the trenches and just before going ‘over the top’ one was receiving Holy Communion. I am not at all sure of the historical accuracy of this tiny scene but the moment evoked in me the beauty of faith in the face of fear, Our Lord giving strength to carry on, but I am sure that some would say well it was intended as an irony… The madness of it all and futility of faith. Anyone see the movie? What do you think?
 
Didn’t see the movie back then but from other personal experience I’m willing to bet that what you saw was the way it truly was. Folks were just more righteous back then.

We had spontaneous informal masses while serving in RVN and field masses were often said in the 80’s when I was a Reservist. For whatever reason I never had an opportunity to attend any field masses during my 5 year OIF/OEF service. I dunno why …could be just the wrong place wrong time kind of thing.
 
I have seen television shows use a combination of old rite vestments and Latin but using the New Mass rubrics even for Renaissance times: apparently some in Hollywood just assume it’s the same thing.

I know in one of the Godfather’s there’s a Baptism scene. I think that particular movie was made with John Paul I in mind because there’s supposedly a plot by some to assassinate the Pope shortly after he’s elected.
 
Maryann_C said:
I actually posted this in another thread - Mass in WWII and then thought it would be a good topic for discussion in a new thread. Not sure if this is the right forum so correct me if I am in the wrong place.
There is a moment in the movie War Horse ( WWI) where the soldiers were in the trenches and just before going ‘over the top’ one was receiving Holy Communion. I am not at all sure of the historical accuracy of this tiny scene but the moment evoked in me the beauty of faith in the face of fear, Our Lord giving strength to carry on, but I am sure that some would say well it was intended as an irony… The madness of it all and futility of faith. Anyone see the movie? What do you think?
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I’m going to watch it now
 
1AugustSon7 said:
I have seen television shows use a combination of old rite vestments and Latin but using the New Mass rubrics even for Renaissance times: apparently some in Hollywood just assume it’s the same thing.

I know in one of the Godfather’s there’s a Baptism scene. I think that particular movie was made with John Paul I in mind because there’s supposedly a plot by some to assassinate the Pope shortly after he’s elected.
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You are getting 2 different movies mixed up.
The batisim is in the 1st movie. The character similar to JPI is in the Godfather Part III
 
Big_Feet said:
You are getting 2 different movies mixed up.
The batisim is in the 1st movie. The character similar to JPI is in the Godfather Part III
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Exactly. And the original Godfather film was made in 1972, whereas Godfather Part III was made in 1990.

(Before anyone asks, Godfather Part II was made in 1974. That was the film that introduced the world to Robert DeNiro.)
 
I am lousy at titles…but in the past I have seen:
  1. A Christmas movie (I seem to remember that Loretta Young was in it as a very old lady) where the priest wears a green chasuble with a red stole over it for Christmas Mass. Hollywood, I guess, isn’t bound by the seasonal rubrics of the Church. Gold would have looked even more festive than red-and-green.
  2. The movie Breach where the main characters attend EF Mass. It appears to be accurate in the few Mass scenes they show.
  3. Monsignor with Christopher Reeve. The one Mass scene they show is somewhat accurate.
 
@Celticnovice…so what did you think? @ everyone else I can highly recommend watching War Horse it is a beautiful movie and just came out on DVD available at one of those Red box rental places.

I am really surprised at what everyone is describing about how Hollywood does not think it is important to be accurate how they portray mass in the movies… I guess I shouldn’t be but I just thought they were more precise about historic details…
 
Maryann_C said:
I actually posted this in another thread - Mass in WWII and then thought it would be a good topic for discussion in a new thread. Not sure if this is the right forum so correct me if I am in the wrong place.
There is a moment in the movie War Horse ( WWI) where the soldiers were in the trenches and just before going ‘over the top’ one was receiving Holy Communion. I am not at all sure of the historical accuracy of this tiny scene but the moment evoked in me the beauty of faith in the face of fear, Our Lord giving strength to carry on, but I am sure that some would say well it was intended as an irony… The madness of it all and futility of faith. Anyone see the movie? What do you think?
Click to expand...
During and after World War One there were many conversions of Anglicans to Catholicism. The soldiers had been very impressed by what a ‘pro-active’ religion Catholicism seemed to be compared to Anglicanism.

One example of that was the last rites given to dying soldiers.
 
Maryann_C said:
I actually posted this in another thread - Mass in WWII and then thought it would be a good topic for discussion in a new thread. Not sure if this is the right forum so correct me if I am in the wrong place.
There is a moment in the movie War Horse ( WWI) where the soldiers were in the trenches and just before going ‘over the top’ one was receiving Holy Communion. I am not at all sure of the historical accuracy of this tiny scene but the moment evoked in me the beauty of faith in the face of fear, Our Lord giving strength to carry on, but I am sure that some would say well it was intended as an irony… The madness of it all and futility of faith. Anyone see the movie? What do you think?
Click to expand...
I’ve heard of many instances of soldiers receiving Communion before conflict - I would suspect it was a most prominent practice during the first World War. When you stormed the opponent’s trenches you were basically guaranteed to be shot down, so it only makes sense to be prepared in every way possible. I myself haven’t seen the movie War Horse, but I do remember that there was an instance in World War I where a man received Communion right before going over the top.
 
I agree with the previous poster, I think this was common practice, no matter if Catholic or any other denomination.

That said, as the main character of the film is British, I believe, it is well possible the movie depicts an Anglican priest handing out communion, not a Catholic one (which is rather irrelevant, but I wanted to point it out).
 
@ Cran, Good point. Because the Irish are so well known for their horsemanship and their horses I subconsciously thought he was Irish but now that you mention it he did not speak with an Irish accent. Very observant:thumbsup:
 
Cran said:
I agree with the previous poster, I think this was common practice, no matter if Catholic or any other denomination.

That said, as the main character of the film is British, I believe, it is well possible the movie depicts an Anglican priest handing out communion, not a Catholic one (which is rather irrelevant, but I wanted to point it out).
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In my readings on the Anglican Communion I’ve gotten the impression that except for a small minority they don’t have that kind of sacramental worldview, but in any case if you can hear the priest speaking you’ll know if he’s Catholic: he’d say it in Latin.
 
A little diversion, but a nice one.

This is my favorite “Mass in the Movies” scene. It’s from True Confessions, and the priest is Robert DeNiro. He actually memorized the whole TLM and insisted on filming the whole thing. I think he did it a few times, and then the editors took the best parts to make the opening scene.

While I can’t recommend the movie, itself, the opening is beautiful.
 
Cran said:
I agree with the previous poster, I think this was common practice, no matter if Catholic or any other denomination.

That said, as the main character of the film is British, I believe, it is well possible the movie depicts an Anglican priest handing out communion, not a Catholic one (which is rather irrelevant, but I wanted to point it out).
Click to expand...
Please excuse me for correcting you.My father fought in WW1 From our town of Dumbarton in Scotland two thirds of the men were Catholics.The first Priest to be killed was Reverend Gordon of St Patrick’s RC Church Dumbarton /Scotland .The records show that Catholic clergy outstripped all other clergy on the front .The Salvation Army came a close second
 
jannes said:
Please excuse me for correcting you.My father fought in WW1 From our town of Dumbarton in Scotland two thirds of the men were Catholics.The first Priest to be killed was Reverend Gordon of St Patrick’s RC Church Dumbarton /Scotland .The records show that Catholic clergy outstripped all other clergy on the front .The Salvation Army came a close second
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How is tht a correction to my post? No matter how many Catholic clergymen they had, it is still POSSIBLE this scene was depicting an Anglican prist. As I don’t have the particular scene commited to my memory, I was making a suggestion.
Rich_C said:
In my readings on the Anglican Communion I’ve gotten the impression that except for a small minority they don’t have that kind of sacramental worldview
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Sorry, I do not understand this part of your post at all and how it relates to the topic, could you please elaborate?
 
In the Showtime series “The Borgias” mass is portrayed ad populum and the priest was talking about plenary indulgences. For that series, at least, the historical accuracy was not important. Whether by choice or not is unclear.
 
I missed the cinema screening, and the film itself is not due out just yet. Is the movie good?

God Bless,

Christopher.
 
Windmill said:
A little diversion, but a nice one.

This is my favorite “Mass in the Movies” scene. It’s from True Confessions, and the priest is Robert DeNiro. He actually memorized the whole TLM and insisted on filming the whole thing. I think he did it a few times, and then the editors took the best parts to make the opening scene you see below.

While I can’t recommend the movie, itself, the opening is beautiful.

youtube.com/watch?v=cPjcBl48dwU
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That’s awesome. I first got interested in the TLM from movies when I was a teenager, but I sadly assumed it was long gone.

On a side note: movies tend to be more anything-goes with OF Mass. I’ve scene any portion of it said word-for-word in an episode of Magnum P.I.
 
Cran said:
How is tht a correction to my post? No matter how many Catholic clergymen they had, it is still POSSIBLE this scene was depicting an Anglican prist. As I don’t have the particular scene commited to my memory, I was making a suggestion.

Sorry, I do not understand this part of your post at all and how it relates to the topic, could you please elaborate?
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My comment was intended to say that normally, I don’t think Anglicans would have had administered a sacrament before battle at the time (Anglo-Catholics aside). I could be wrong, but outside the Oxford movement they were pretty low church from what I understand. I am inferring that probably the priest in the movie scene was supposed to be Catholic.
 
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