Whatcha Watchin'? The Magdalene Sisters and Beyond Borders

by Lah-May

The Magdalene Sisters

What’s a religious country to do with cases of rape, childbirth out of wedlock, and just downright attractiveness? Force the “offensive” women into laboring for the church, torment them physically and emotionally, tell them their very nature is evil and they must submit to a life of involuntary servitude for the salvation of their souls. A very dark chapter indeed for the Catholic Church. From the late 19th century up until 1996 when the last institution in Ireland was closed, it was a very lucrative situation for the church to have women of “ill-repute” work 364 days a year—with no pay—laundering for schools, prisons, and the church itself, having only Christmas day off.

The Magdalene Sisters is based on historical fact using fictional characters. Writer/director Petter Mullan was inspired to bring the story of the Magdalene asylums to the screen after viewing the documentary, Sex in a Cold Climate. Despite protests from many faithful to the Catholic Church, he felt the world needed to know how upwards of 30,000 women suffered and were damaged by a program that started out as a rehabilitation program for prostitutes but ended up as sadistic penitentiaries for unwanted and unloved women.

Interestingly, two days before watching the film, I read an inspiring essay on Dorothy Day, co-founder of The Catholic Worker, peace activist, and champion for the rights of the poor. How could a group of nuns, sprinkled with an occasional abusive priest, behave so differently than a woman born into the Protestant faith but who converted to the Catholic faith? Choices. Every human being has freewill choice to make higher decisions for God. Had those women and men who oversaw the Magdalene Asylums had real and personal relationships with God, such an environment would have been repugnant. And rather than perpetuate such injustices and cruelties, they would have instead sought to rectify the situation.

Beyond Borders

Reviewed by Lah-May

You probably won’t see big Hollywood money promoting this film. Why? Because Beyond Borders may just inspire many in the public to contribute their financial resources to helping others rather than spending their funds on trite films. (Funny, most critics didn’t like the film—guess they prefer nudity and special effects over human issues.)

Beyond Borders effectively dramatizes the work of relief workers, the lives of those they are trying to aid, and the often brutal interference from those who operate from self-serving motives. Images such as a starving African child facing a vulture and a Khmer Rouge commandant tossing a grenade like a toy to a child are practically guaranteed to bring an awareness of what it’s like for others who are the ultimate victims of a morally de-evolved and spiritually bankrupt world.

Of course, there is the Hollywood love-story woven within—the main character, Sara (Angelina Jolie), is moved by the work of a radical relief doctor, Nick (Clive Owen), and while attempting to contribute to his cause, ends up falling in love with him. The love depicted between them is, however, a higher level relationship than the relationship between Sara and her husband (Linus Roache), and the relationship does not seriously detract from the main message of the film.

Angelina Jolie is to be commended for taking this role and for her activist work. She was appointed Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and has spent time with refugees all over the world. It’s too bad she compromises in other areas of her life, such as choosing lesser roles (e.g. the Lara Croft films), which contribute nothing to the ascension processes of the individual or the planet as a whole.

If art imitates life, then individuals in all walks of life have important roles to play to bring about global change. Movie-goers can either be enthusiastic spectators of the modern day, lower-conscious cinematic gladiator shows or can move into a spiritual maturity by being selective in what they intake into their minds. Those involved in what gets put on the big screen, the videos, and the DVDs—from the screenwriters to the producers to the studio executives—bear the most responsibility of all though. The “art” they create can either be of service to others by reflecting truth and higher values, or be of service only to themselves when profit is the only objective.