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ekthorp's picture

Religion in Tron

 

            It is impossible to ignore the religious analogies in Tron, especially those that reference Christianity. The father that created a virtual world, and was fore after called the Creator strongly resembles the image of God as Father. The way this father cares deeply for the Isos, what he considers his creations, resembles the way Christians believe that God loves humans. CLU can easily be compared to Lucifer, seeing as both held a powerful, wholesome position that they fell from and became evil thereafter.

            Many movies or criticize Christianity, even while paralleling it. This can be seen in contemporary movies such as Waiting for Guffman, as well as older movies, such as The Life of Brian. However, in Tron, Christianity is portrayed in a very positive way. Characters that correspond to the trinity, Kevin and Sam Flynn, are always depicted heroically, while CLU, who corresponds to the evil, is a villain till the end of the movie. The Creator is always seen as beneficent, and the prodigal son that returns is always a hero. Christianity is a religion onto itself, outside of all the criticism and praise it receives from movies and books.

Most countries of the world identify as Christian nations. Tron is a commercial movie, so appealing to a large audience who would appreciate the way Christianity is portrayed in Tron. Additionally, adding a religious component to the movie makes it seem more complex. However, intelligent viewers see right through this strategy to make the movie seem more intense than it is , and mock it. Personally, I thoroughly enjoyed Tron, but I did not see how paralleling religion makes the movie any better. If the filmmakers had tried to be less serious, maybe I would ave enjoyed it more as a fun movie than simply laughing at the ridiculously obvious paralells they were trying to create. 

 

 

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