The movie Chariots of Fire tells the story of the tests and trials faced by two men competing for two kinds of glory at the 1924 Olympic Games. In this movie, our class left the showdowns of the Old West and the horrors of war to confront the challenges of will and character in athletic competition.

At the same time, however, the decimation and sacrifice of a generation shadows the story, especially early on when the incoming class of Cambridge freshmen have their attention directed to a wall listing the names of Cambridge students and graduates who died in the recently concluded conflict. The new young men are reminded that they now have the privilege of pursuing dreams and goals no longer available to those who have died, and they are challenged to live up to the opportunity before them.

Both the talented and driven Jew, Harold Abrams, and the devout Scotsman, Eric Liddell, end up ignoring convention and even antagonizing society, but from different perspectives. Harold competes for his own glory and rejects the standards of a society that has rejected him. Though he is an amateur, he hires a professional coach – something that was strongly frowned upon at the time. While generally polite to his teammates, his single-mindedness and intensity set him apart from them. Eric runs, so he says, to glorify God and refuses to compete on Sundays out of honor and obedience to the Lord. Yet when it turns out that, once at the Olympics, the qualifying heat in his event falls on a Sunday he must go against the wishes of his teammates, his coaches, and even his Prince and country – as well as personally confront his own desire to compete and his commitment to do what he believes is right.

Key Points

• Commitment to principle, even in the face of personal objectives, peer pressure – even your government.
• Sportsmanship
• Personal discipline and dedication lead to success.
• Appreciation of the benefits that you enjoy as a result of the sacrifices of others.
• More examples of how prejudice insinuates itself into our lives.

Discussion questions

1. Why was Eric’s sister opposed to his running? What was his response to her?
2. What scriptural reason does Eric have for not competing on Sunday?
3. What were the negative effects of Eric’s decision? What were the positive ones?
4. What was the significance of the names on the wall of the dining hall? Why did the faculty draw the attention of the new students to these names?
5. Who did Eric seek to glorify? Who did Harold seek to glorify?
6. How did Harold feel leading up to and after the gold medal race? Why?
7. What was the nature of Lindsey’s (the hurdler) sacrifice? Why did he do it?
8. What principle(s) – in sports or spiritually – did Jackson Schulz’s note to Eric demonstrate?

Points to Ponder

• Are you aware of how your personal honor and conduct reflects on, and affects, those around you?
• Based on the movie, in what ways can a person’s worthy desire for personal excellence be a source of strength and destruction?
• How do you honor the Sabbath and keep it holy?

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Gary Cooper returned to the class as a soldier instead of a marshall (High Noon), but still playing a guy who does what has to be done. In Sergeant York Cooper wrestled with his own faith, not his wife’s, when faced with the possibility of violence. The struggle was not only more real for his character but for us as viewers as well. The reason I selected this movie wasn’t just because it dealt with the transformation of a drunken, rowdy wild man into a steady hero, but because it is also an excellent dramatization of someone going to the Bible to thoughtfully sort out a conflict as intense (if not as action-packed) as anything he’d meet on an actual battlefield.

Other important details I wanted to get across to the boys was the sense of responsibility Alvin York took on after his conversion; how he sought to walk uprightly in dealing with others and his character in refusing to trifle with the heart of the girl he greatly desired until he had the land and the means to support her. Furthermore, while the movie is a story of courage, it is also a story of humility, restoration and redemption and its tangible benefits. Finally, it provides a last lesson in character as the hero, having overcome persecution and the threat of bodily harm, must deal with the seductive appeal of being a celebrity.

Given these heavy themes and the fact that this movie was the oldest and most archaic in terms of production values, I was somewhat surprised when at the end of the semester the boys said that this was their favorite movie and the one they could most relate to.

Questions to Answer:

1. What reasons did Mrs. York give for the way Alvin behaved early in the movie? What did she do about it?
2. What did Rev. Pile mean when he said “Once the furrows get crooked, it’s hard to get them straightened out again”?
3. Why was getting the piece of bottom land so important to Alvin? Why did he initially fail?
4. Why did Gracie not want to marry Alvin at first? What did he think was her reason?
5. What did Rev. Pile mean when he told Alvin, “You’ve got the using kind of religion, not the meeting house kind”?
6. List the following four things in the proper order (as shown in the movie): redemption, humility, blessing and repentence.
7. How did Alvin go about resolving the conflict between his belief and his duty?
8. Why did Alvin think it was wrong to make money off of what he had done in the war?

Points to Ponder:

1. Why was “the set-up” so important when someone wanted to get married. Is this still important today?
2. Was Alvin right in believing that he should not kill? Do you think killing in war is permissable?
3. Alvin told Pastor Pile that “he had prayed ‘til he was blue in the face.” Pastor Pile replied, “It’s not just prayin’ – it’s believing.” Explain.
4. Which do you think is harder to stand firm in the face of – persecution or seduction?

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The fourth movie in the series is Glory , the story of the all-black regiment that fought in the Civil War. It had the requisite blood and guts action to get the class’s attention but also some intense lessons. The key points for me were to focus on were personal honor and self-respect mixed in with the dynamics of being part of a larger group and being able to sublimate yourself in order to function as a team, even to the point of extreme sacrifice.

Matthew Broderick plays Robert Gould Shaw, a young, idealistic white officer in the Union army. Wounded in his first action, he returns to Massachusetts and is promoted to Colonel and asked to lead a newly-formed, all-black regiment – The Massachusetts 54th Infantry. Assisted by his best friend, Major Cabot Forbes and joined by another friend, Corporal Thomas Searles, a free and well-educated black man who had grown up in Boston who enlisted in the regiment, the men and the rest of the 54th not only have to deal with their own personal challenges and prejudices (even between the black soldiers) but the dismissive attitude of the Army and high command as well.

While some of the racism was ugly and overt, there were also examples of a form of prejudice that was kindly and sensitive (at least on the surface) while having low expectations of the troops. This was best displayed by Major Forbes who was friendly with the men, but didn’t expect them to perform at a high level and often cut them slack. In contrast, Col. Shaw – having seen up close the horror and devastation ahead of them if the 54th – assumed an uncharacteristic harshness in order to drive the men hard in their training, even bringing in a bigoted Irish non-com to drill and berate the men mercilessly to toughen them up.

The movie has interesting character studies of men dealing with their own issues in order to become part of something larger. Col. Shaw is afraid he doesn’t have the courage and ability to lead the men well; Thomas has to face ugly truths about himself after his sheltered upbringing, and Trip (Denzel Washington), a runaway slave, has to deal with his own stubborn independence and rebelliousness. It was an interesting exercise to discuss the movie with the boys as I asked them which character they most identified with, and what they thought were the requirements of giving, earning and receiving respect to and from others, and challenged them on what perceptions and misperceptions of themselves and others they might have in their own lives.

Some discussion questions:

1. What was the difference between the way Col. Shaw saw the troops and the way Major Forbes saw them? How did this affect the way they acted towards them?
2. Describe the two ways (both appropriate) that Col. Shaw reacted to the reduced pay and the men’s protest?
3. Why did Robert bring in Sgt. Mulcahy? Were Sgt. Mulcahy’s methods appropriate and effective?
4. How did Trip change over the course of the story? What did he have to overcome?
5. How did Robert change? What did he have to overcome?
6. Why did Thomas volunteer? What did he learn?
7. Trip and Col. Shaw maintained eye contact throughout Trip’s flogging. Describe why this was necessary in each man’s eyes?

Which main character changed the least through the course of the story? Why?

Points to Ponder:

1. Which character in the movie (Col. Shaw, Major Forbes, Thomas, Trip, Sgt. Rawlins) is the most like you? What were his positive and negative attributes?
2. Is there an issue in our nation today that divides society in the way that slavery did then? If so, what is it and why?
   What was the difference between the way the black “contraband” troops acted and the way the 54th acted? Why?

3. Robert Shaw, Cabot Forbes, and Thomas Searles were all friends before the war. Did Robert treat his friends unfairly in the army, or did his friends treat him unfairly? Why?
4. Describe the significance of the worship service the night before the big battle, and the effect it had on both Trip and Thomas.

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The Tin Star is another western and my personal favorite from this genre. I selected it for this series because, while it has similar themes of honor and duty as in High Noon, it adds an element of what the world today calls “mentoring” but I call “discipleship”.

The story involves a wizened and jaded bounty hunter, Morgan (Morg) Hickman, played by Henry Fonda, who rides into town with his latest “dead or alive” target, who is distinctly in the former category. While Morg would just as soon get paid and get out of town, he has to wait around a few days while the local bank gets confirmation in order to release the money. Morg’s claim naturally brings him into contact with the town sheriff, Ben Owens (Anthony Perkins), a young and idealistic man filling in as a temporary replacement for his recently murdered predecessor. Ben is eager to be a force for law and order in the town (despite his girlfriend’s objections) and tries to make up for what he lacks in experience with bravado and passion. He finds Morg’s work disgusting and doesn’t approve of killing, even if it’s a bad guy.

Nevertheless, the two hit it off as Morg, a former sheriff, sees something of his less jaded self in Ben, while Ben (after an unexpected demonstration in the streets) admires Morg’s experience and ability to size up a situation and react appropriately. When Ben learns Morg used to be a sheriff he asks him for help in learning how to do the job effectively and stay alive. Morg reluctantly agrees since he has to hang around for a few days anyway and he sees that young Ben has a lot to learn.

Of course, it turns out to be a pretty eventful few days as Ben has to deal both with a rabble-rousing, power-hungry bigot who wants the sheriff’s job for himself, as well as the murder of a much-beloved citizen and a lynch-mob that wants to exact its own justice. Throughout the process Ben learns that a fast brain is more important than a fast gun and Morg learns simply that some things are just more important, period. Along with that you see an interesting illustration of bullies and mob dynamics. There’s also the pusillanimous townspeople with high-minded notions of justice but ultimately wanting peace at any price (which inadvertently became a sub-theme in this series as it appears in this movie, in High Noon and in a later movie we’ll look at as well).

While the action and drama centers around Morg and Ben, the kindly Doc McCord (John McIntyre) also sets an example of service and selflessness that is easily overlooked by the viewer, perhaps because he’s an “old” guy. When I discussed the movie with the class I went around the room and asked each lad who he thought the best man in the movie was. Some said Morg, some said Ben; none said Doc McCord so we had a fruitful discussion about his character traits as well. Here’s the rest of the outline the boys and I went through:

Key Points:
The importance of discipleship: being willing to receive it, and being willing to provide it.

The importance of will in separating a leader from a follower.

The importance of character (and vision/understanding of a cause or ideal beyond yourself) in separating a leader for good from a leader for evil.

The Rule of Law is worth defending, even at great personal cost.

Some Questions to Answer:

1. Why did Ben want to be Sheriff? Can you come up with four words that describe his character?
2. Why did Bogardes want to be Sheriff? What words describe his character? (Does he remind you of anybody?)
3. Why did the crowd want to follow him?
4. What is the most important “tool” a Sheriff needs to know how to use?
5. Why was Bogardes almost able to get the drop on Ben the first time?
6. Why was it important that the McGaffy brothers get a fair trial even though it was obvious they were guilty?
7. Why wouldn’t Morg accept the badge at first? Why did he put it on later?
8. Were Morg’s reasons for turning his back on being a sheriff justified?

Points to Ponder:
Compare and contrast Morg and Ben with Will Kane (High Noon).

1. What role could faith have played in Morg’s life?
2. Why does a mob behave the way it does?
3. What would you do?
4. Who was the best man in the movie?

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The second movie in the series for the boys was the classic “Zulu“, starring a very slender Michael Caine in, I think, his first movie. It’s based on the true story of barely 100 British soldier’s standing alone against some 10,000 Zulu warriors in the battle of Roark’s Drift the day after a much larger British force had been wiped out by the same Zulu army. I selected this movie for the boys not only because it is an example of courage in the face of great odds, but because it shows the value of discipline as preparation for unseen and unknown challenges in the future.

While there are many real life stories of heroes rising to the occasion on a moment’s notice, many times this is possible because the “hero” has spent considerable time learning to master his/her fear and will. In this movie both sides show a tremendous amount of discipline under great stress and in the face of carnage. Additionally this is an interesting examination of the way prejudice and disrespect is reflected not only between races, but even within the same race and society.

Here are the key points I wanted the young men to get out of this movie and ensuing discussion:
Courage and discipline in the face of extreme odds can carry the day.

The power of words to both encourage and discourage.

The importance of training and discipline, combined with character and courage, in making it possible to rise to an occasion when called upon.

Overcoming differences in order to work together for success.

Courage and tenacity will win the respect of your enemy.

Complaining when you find yourself in a tough situation isn’t going to help you resolve that situation.

The questions:

1. Was Rev. Witt’s use of scripture appropriate? Why or why not?
2. How did each army demonstrate discipline?
3. How many forms of prejudice were demonstrated in the movie?
4. Why did Lt. Bromhead say at one point that he wished he “were not an officer and a gentleman?”
5. What was the nature of the relationship between Sgt. Maxfield (the sick man in the infirmary) and Private Hook? Why did each behave as he did?
6. The way Color Sergeant Bourne conducted himself hardly changed regardless of what was happening around him. Why do you think he was so unflappable?

Great Quotes:
Chard: “Hold our ground? What military genius came up with that? Someone’s son and heir who got his commission before he could shave?”
Bromhead: “I rather expect he’s no one’s son and heir now.”

Bromhead: “When you assume command, Old Boy, you’re on your own.”

Soldier: “Why us?”
Color Sergeant Vaughn: “Because we’re here lad. No one else. Just us.”

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It seems that most of the television and movies kids are exposed to today don’t offer much in the way of constructive lessons or examples of how to live your life, especially for young men. Well, just about everything is an example I guess, but good ones are few and far between. There are some movies, new and old, that do offer inspiring examples and over the next few Fridays I’d like to share some of these with you, along with the story of how they were incorporated into a group of junior high and high school aged boys. The first movie in this series is the Gary Cooper classic, High Noon, but before I get into that allow me to offer a little background.

A couple of years ago my oldest daughter was still in private school and I found myself frequently in the company of the boys in her classes. Listening to their conversation and the things that were interesting to them I could tell that the images of manhood they were getting from their entertainment were rather limited: essentially either Homer Simpson or pro wrestlers, and this was showing up in their behavior.

Now this is a complex age for boys already, and these images they were absorbing weren’t helpful. I wanted better for their lives, especially since they were around my daughter, so I tried to think of a way both entertaining and challenging to offer examples to model character in concentrated doses. Almost immediately a plan developed nearly fully formed in my mind. I worked it out with the school and my employer so that I could show a series of movies (with discussion time after each) to the boys on Friday afternoons during the spring semester as part of an elective class where the boys would be graded. Naturally, an afternoon of watching movies was appealing to the lads, but there was a catch. I divided them into two teams, gave each boy a scorecard I designed and announced special rules, only for them.

In order to view that week’s movie, each boy would have to earn a set number of points on his scorecard. The card detailed the point values of various acts of service and courtesy they could earn. There was also a list of things with point values that would subtract from their totals. If a young man hadn’t earned the minimum number of points by class time, he’d have to spend the afternoon in a study hall or in classes with the girls. Not only that, his behavior also affected his team which not only got credit for all points earned by its members, but also for having a full complement present during class time. At the end of the semester the highest scoring team would be treated to a Famous Dave’s feast. In the coming weeks I’ll describe how this experiment played out, along with providing the questions and “thinking points” I brought up with the guys for each movie. If you’re already familiar with these movies then try the questions out yourself. If there are important issues you think I’ve missed in any of the films then feel free to leave your input in a comment. As with the young men, I hope you’ll find this exercise entertaining and useful.

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