Part educational documentary and part personal rumination, Rebellion of Thought combines a scholarly analysis of the meaning of postmodernism—presented through interviews with academics—with conversations between filmmaker brothers Kent and Brad Williamson about the implications for contemporary religious belief and practice. The scholarly aspect, which features excerpts from remarks by theologians, philosophers, and others, is solid—defining postmodernism as rejecting absolutes in favor of a relativist vision of reality—although it's occasionally redundant. The onscreen discussions by the brothers, on the other hand, as they seek to apply what they learn about the nature of postmodern thought to contemporary Christianity, are often meandering and opaque, on top of which the cinematic style—marked by arty camerawork and flashy editing—tends to obfuscate rather than elucidate. The Williamsons began Rebellion of Thought as a straightforward examination of postmodernism, and only later expanded the focus to include more personal reflection about its meaning for their own lives. Judging by the finished project, this might have been a better film if the pair had stuck to their original concept. An optional purchase. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)
Rebellion of Thought
(2007) 74 min. DVD: $22.95. Exploration Films (avail. from most distributors). PPR. Volume 23, Issue 1
Rebellion of Thought
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