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Frequently Asked Questions about the Arts & Faith Top100
Click here to return to the Top100
Last update:
October 9, 2004
- From which decades does the Top100 list drawn its
films?
- Does the Top100 include any silent pictures?
- Is a "spritually significant film" always
going to be a drama?
- How did the voting system work?
- Did you deliberately balance art-house films with
popular films?
- Regarding the spiritual depth of the films: How
far did you go evaluating a film as having worthwhile spirituality
if it didn't include Christian messages per se?
- I see you have films about or loosely refering
to Jesus, including controversial ones - Life of Brian
and The Last Temptation of Christ. Was this difficult for
the board to include these last two films?
- Where are reviews of the films to be found?
- Is there a run-down from good to better (1-100),
or are the films given any kind of order?
- What is meant by "spirituality" in the
list? Was Christian spirituality the sole criteria for selection?
- A balance of popular films and art house? - is
this really true? -
- I noticed there are no horror movies on this list.
Was there something about horrors that didn't qualify?
- Why isn't [pick a film] on this list? Why aren't
there more films from [pick a genre]?
- Is this list representing films that are more
"ethereal" in nature?
- Are these films appropriate for all audiences?
- Where can I read more about the Top100?
- Can I put this list on my website?
Q&A
- From which decades does the Top100 list drawn
its films?
For a chronological breakdown of the Top100, please visit this
area of the Arts & Faith website.
- Does the Top100 include any silent pictures?
Yes. Both Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans
(Murnau, 1927) and La Passion De Jeanne
D'arc ("The Passion of Joan of Arc", 1928, Dreyer)
are silent films.
- Is a "spritually significant film"
always going to be a drama?
Certainly many of the films on the list have a straight dramatic
tone to them, but comedy, adventure, science fiction, and other
genres are well represented.
- How did the voting / selection system work?
The selection of the Top100 happened in four phases, summarized
as follows: First, all users of Arts & Faith had a period
of time in which to nominate films. There were no restrictions
placed on the number or type of films that could be nominated.
Next, the heaviest users of the website, including professional
journalists and movie reviewers, were allowed to cast a limited
number of votes for nominated films. The films that were agreed-upon
unanimously or nearly unanimously were selected for first round
for the Top100. Similarly, those that failed to get any real response
from this group were eliminated. Next, the entire registered user
list of Arts & Faith was allowed to vote for remaining films,
based on the number of those films that they had seen themselves.
That voting took places after lengthy and often heated debate.
Finally, the list was rounded out with jury selections, consisting
of a selections by panels of experts in world cinema, "biblical"
films, and general cinema. The archived debate over the 2004 list
is available here
on the Arts & Faith website.
- Did you deliberately balance art-house films
with popular films?
There wasn't really any deliberate balancing to the list. However,
several of the films on the list are special juried selections,
and many of the board's users (and especially its heavy users)
are very familiar with world cinema and lesser-known movies.
- Regarding the spiritual depth of the films:
How far did you go in evaluating a film as having worthwhile spirituality
if it didn't include explicitly Christian messages?
As a general rule, users of Arts & Faith implicitly or explicitly
profess Christian faith. The only standard for debate was that
these films must somehow be "spiritually significant,"
although that phrase was deliberately left undefined. As a result,
the list reflects some films that are nearly word-for-word adaptations
from Scripture, whereas other films rest more on the common ground
we all share as created beings.
- I see you have films about or loosely refering
to Jesus, including controversial ones - Life of Brian
and The Last Temptation of Christ. Was this difficult for
the board to include these last two films?
It was certainly difficult for some users of the board, but not
so much because these films are spiritually controversial but
becuase they were seen as lesser films. Not so much with Life
of Brian, but The Last
Temptation of Christ was viewed by several as just being
a bad film. Others saw it as a flawed but original treatment of
the humanity of Jesus, and therefore "significant".
Still others saw that film as a regretable film, but nevertheless
important. The inclusion of these films on the list represents
the great diversity of opinions among Arts & Faith users,
and one of the reasons the discussions on the website are varied
and lively.
- Where are reviews of the films to be found?
By visiting the Top100 webpage at artsandfaith.com/top100/,
visitors can select to learn more about individual films. Wherever
possible, summaries or capsule reviews are included along with
links to more substantial resources. For some films, there is
merely a link to their IMDB entires, however, more materials will
be added over time. Additionally, the Arts & Faith website
has a powerful search feature that enables users accurately to
search through tens of thousands of posts for information on specific
directors, actors, or movies.
- Is there a run-down from good to better (1-100),
or are the films given any kind of order?
The films are not ranked in any significant order, but we will
most likely produce additional lists in the future, such as a
list of the top children's films or a "cream of the crop"
Top10 films list. The list does indicate whether the films were
selected during the first, second, or juried rounds of voting.
- What is meant by "spirituality"
in the list? Was Christian spirituality the sole criteria for
selection?
Please see the answer to question #6, above.
- You talk about "a balance of popular
films and art house." Is this really true?
Please see the answer to question #5, above.
- I noticed there are no horror movies on
this list. Was there something about horror films that didn't
qualify?
It depends on what you mean by "horror." Some would
consider The Sixth Sense
a horror film. Abel Ferrara's The
Addiction is a vampire movie, and Night
of the Hunter is considered a horror film. There are elements
of the horror genre in other films, ranging from The
Elephant Man to the trilogy The
Lord of the Rings, although the latter is more usually
considered either an adventure or scifi/fantasy series. During
the selection process there was debate about other films, such
as 28 Days Later and Frankenstein, and horror films
may make a larger appearance in the next revision of the list.
Readers are welcomed to get involved and start
advocating for next year's changes.
- Why isn't [pick a film] on this list? Why
aren't there more films from [pick a genre]?
The Top100 list will be revised annually. While there are certainly
many excellent films that did not make the list, it is a terrific
start and contains first-rate films. As the makeup of the website
user-list changes and participants consider broader issues, the
list will change and adapt over time.
- Is this list representing films that are
more "ethereal" in nature?
Yes and no. Certainly films that are occupied with "ethereal"
considerations are more likely to focus on the supernatural or
on the character's internal lives. By that measure, the list may
contain such films. However, that should not be taken to mean
that there films on the list that are "flaky", overly
introspective, "new-agey" or otherwise not solidly focused
on things that matter. For example, the "ethereal" film
What Dreams May Come did not make the list.
- Are these films appropriate for all audiences?
Definitely not. Some include elements of life that will be difficult
for some audiences, and some are emotionally very charged. In
particular, Bad Leiutenant, Breaking
the Waves, and The Last
Temptation of Christ will present challenges for some
and should be 'handled with care,' although they will be deeply
rewarding for others.
- Where can I read more about the Top100?
In addition to the discussion and analysis on the Arts & Faith
website, there is an overview by Ron Reed available at Christianity
Today Movies.
- May I put this list on my webiste?
You are welcome to list up to twenty of the films on the list
as long as you include the phrase "Copyright 2004 Arts &
Faith. Used by permission" and include a clear
link to the URL http://artsandfaith.com/top100/ along with
the films you mention. There are also graphics available here
to enhance any presentation of the Top100, or to highlight films
that are included in the Top100. If you want to list more than
20 films on your webpage, please contact us at top100@artsandfaith.com.
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