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Portrayals of Jesuits in Popular Culture

tories elsewhere in this issue of Conversations detail the 1844, the Jesuits d’Aigrigny and Rodin scheme to take possession political and cultural forces that led to the suppression of the of a family’s fortune while Gabriel, a family member who was a Society of Jesus in the mid 1700s. These years generated a lot Jesuit for a while, shows “the fatal stamp of that enervating subjec- Sof stories that fed the popular imagination. In South America, the tion, that moral emasculation with which the victims of the government agents who confiscated Jesuit property hoped to get Company of Jesus are always branded, when they are not fortunate- their hands on the legendary hoards of Jesuit gold locked in the ly delivered in time from their homicidal influence.” Two centuries vaults of their houses. The fact that they found none simply con- later, Modest Mussorgsky’s opera Boris Godunov presents its own firmed how sneaky those Jesuits were, hiding their treasures beyond unflattering Jesuit characters. finding. Treasure maps came to be printed for the gullible: Buy this Jesuit characters still appear in print and film. A southern pub- map and you will get rich. Then there was rumor of a Jesuit letter lisher still puts out anti-Jesuit works in books and comics. More that disputed King Charles III’s legitimacy, which infuriated the king positively, last summer Judith Rock’s fourth novel appeared featur- and fueled his purpose against the Society. No such letter has ever ing Charles du Luc, a Jesuit scholastic solving crimes in Paris in the been found. late 1600s. And the trend is far from over: coming soon to a theater Stories led to literature like Voltaire’s Candide, which takes near you, Laurie Ann Brit-Smith notes in the next article, are two place partly in the Jesuit reductions of South America; Candide’s new films with Jesuit characters, The Jesuit and Silence. And in the beloved Cunegonde has an unnamed brother who was a leading subsequent article, Ernest Fontana studies a prominent Jesuit Jesuit there. In Eugène Sue’s notorious The Wandering Jew from character in Italian literature (The Leopard).

fascination with the but one has to wonder at this ideals and history of attempt to goose audience the Jesuit order has interest. Why create a char- Jesuits in Film seeped into popular acter with that name or try to cultureA though all types of market a picture with that Pioneers, media, but particularly film. title? There is some kind of Type the word Jesuit into the pop culture shorthand at search window of the Internet work that connects the con- Musketeers, Movie Database and this com- cept of Jesuit to the willing- ing attraction pops up: The ness to go to an extreme in Jesuit (2014) “A man nick- the cause of correcting a Exorcists named ‘the Jesuit’ is impris- serious injustice. Whatever oned for a crime he didn’t the genre, this is not the only commit. When his wife is incident of this type of char- By Laurie Ann Britt-Smith murdered and his son kid- acterization. Movies, for bet- napped to Mexico, he devises ter or worse, are primary an elaborate and dangerous texts in American culture and plan to rescue his son and have tremendous influence avenge the murder.” This kind in establishing definitions, of vigilante story is ubiquitous prejudices, and personal val- in the crime/thriller category, ues. For those unfamiliar

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with the term, the identifier Jesuit the king and is now dedicated to The unifying thread in all these can be set into context only through correcting the injustice he has films is dedication to whatever jus- what they have seen and heard. So caused, even though his odds of suc- tice these men seek to the point of how do our movies answer the cess are almost zero. His only hope self-sacrifice. In the best, that dedica- question, “What is a Jesuit?” comes from the community of Jesuits tion persists in spite of serious soul Many films featuring Jesuits are who provide a network of safe hous- searching and conflict. The evidence historical dramas; however, the film es and from his primary community, of success is found in the relation- that ranks first in keyword searches reunited and reunified ships Jesuits create, and the greatest is one of the most infamous horror in purpose. tragedy is the destruction of those movies ever pro- Of course there is a difference relationships. Because it runs so duced, The Exorcist between historical counter to many of the narratives of (1973). Although fiction pieces popular culture, there is always a bit Jason Miller’s Father like Iron Mask of mystery surrounding such deep Karras and Max von and those that commitment to faith, justice, and Sydow’s Father are based on community. Perhaps it is the desire Merrin are never historical fact. to understand that mystery that con- identified specifi- Several movies tinually draws filmmakers to reexam- cally as Jesuits, feature the ine the history and character type. Karras works at Western frontier Martin Scorsese has announced Georgetown. experiences of that his next project is Silence. Based Special-effect Jesuits, and a few on the novel by Shusaku Endo, it fol- creep out factors filmmakers from lows two 17th-century Jesuits as they and projectile South America witness the persecution of Christians vomiting of pea have focused their in Japan under the Tokugawa shogu- soup aside, the lenses on them. nate. It will be fascinating to see audience is left Most familiar are how this master filmmaker answers with the Black Robe (1991) and complicates the question, “What impression of two and The Mission is a Jesuit?” ■ men of faith fighting to overcome (1986). Both are their own internal conflicts while based on historical accounts of Jesuits engaging in a sacrificial battle with in the field. Black Robe is set among the ultimate evil for the good of the the Algonquin nation and The Mission innocent child involved. The film’s in the jungles of South America, and iconic image of the man in black sto- both are complicated by questions of ically marching towards his fate has colonial influence on and interaction been etched into the visual language with native cultures. In Black Robe, of film and shows up in some form Father LaForge (Lothaire Bluteau) whenever a Jesuit is involved. must learn to truly see and speak In The properly to the native peoples he (1998), Jeremy Irons portrays the seeks to convert before they will trust retired Musketeer , who has him and the new God he wants them become not only a priest but a to follow. The Mission’s Father Gabriel Jesuit, and not just a Jesuit but the (Jeremy Irons) learns similar lessons general of the order. This ridiculous and yet finds himself in the middle of Laurie Ann Britt-Smith is an premise fades into the background a war he cannot win. Neither his faith associate professor of English at the as the action sequences kick in, but nor the military plotting of would-be University of Detroit Mercy and the there are some interesting parallels priest Rodrigo Mendoza (Robert director of the university’s writing between the dual identities of DeNiro) is enough to stop the rush of program. She is a member of and Jesuit. Aramis has violence that destroys their work and Conversations seminar. made a terrible mistake in service to costs them their lives.

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