Theme in the Big Lebowski - parody of the Bible
Russ B
them suggested that it was a parody of the Bible and that each of the
characters corresponded to a biblical figure. Example:
Big Lebowski - God the Father
Lebowski's assistant - Holy Ghost
The Dude - Jesus
Jesus - The Devil
Walter - Peter
Some of the cases are pretty good, I think... like Walter chewing off
the ear of one of the Nihilists the equivilent of Peter cutting off a
Roman ear.
Has anyone giving the movie this kind of analysis? What is the deeper
meaning of this movie?
Russ B
irk
"Russ B" <ha...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:c775a1cb.02032...@posting.google.com...
> I was talking with some friends about the Big Lebowski, and one of
> them suggested that it was a parody of the Bible and that each of the
> characters corresponded to a biblical figure. Example:
>
> Big Lebowski - God the Father
> Lebowski's assistant - Holy Ghost
> The Dude - Jesus
> Jesus - The Devil
> Walter - Peter
>
What a load!
And I say that Jackie Treehorn is a better candidate for
the Devil. And what about Donny? Which apostle was
constantly told to shut the fuck up? Bartholomew?
Chameleon
> the Devil. And what about Donny? Which apostle was
> constantly told to shut the fuck up? Bartholomew?
Fascinating. You just made some sense of the movie for me. I haven't done
any research on it so for all I know it's well known but I wasn't aware of
it.
CHARACTERS:
BIG LEBOWKSI=god (handicapped but still pulling all the strings... and in
the end a complete phony with no actual power just appearances; also note
that a woman is behind the scenes and really in charge-- his daughter; also
note how he makes such a big deal of being responsible and moral etc. etc.--
sounds like your average Sunday morning television sermon; represents
'belief' even though he is fake; his helper is a complete sychophant...
mindless believer... remember when Brad repeats the same line twice while he
is recounting 'god's' silly accomplishments?)
DUDE=man ('dude' is slang for 'man'-- dude is a 'Lebowski' too but lesser
(man made in image of god, etc. etc.); burned out, but once cared)
DONNIE= ?jesus? 'innocence'? (always asking questions; his death must be
significant... died for his friends? Was ignored by Walter and Dude... need
to watch movie again for other subtle references... what about his repeating
of 'I am the Walrus'? In the bible jesus got in trouble for claiming 'I am'
supposedly. Significance of neon stars after he died?; note that Dude's
situation clarified after Donnie died)
BUNNY=eve (remember her frolicking in the garden after she returned? Came
from a 'farm' (garden); brought 'sin' into god's world... by being sexual)
JACKIE=devil (pornographer, pretty obvious... takes advantage of the
situation to get back at god; bacchanalean beach scene makes sense)
WALTER=?peter? (the ear thing does analogize to Peter.. according to
myth/history (depending on your point of view), peter founded the catholic
church... did the church defeat nihilism? I don't think so, although they
are at odds. Walter used a boom box, a bowling ball and his teeth to defeat
them. Walter managed to completely screw up Donnie's last rites though... he
turned it into a 'travesty' )
JESUS=?anti-christ? (pederast, threatening, criminal, bragging,
over-the-top, his intro music is 'Hotel California' by the Eagles which is a
song about the 'beast' which is what christians call the anti-christ)
NIHILISTS=athiesm, non-belief (thorn in god's side; desire money; 'we
believe in nothing'; opposed to 'belief' )
PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR: ??
SADDAM HUSSIEN= ??
THE STRANGER= ?the real god? (exceedingly wise-- clearly has been watching
humans for some time; dislikes cussing; comes and goes mysteriously;
watching but not interfering; remarks on how it was 'too bad' that Donnie
'HAD TO DIE')
BOWLING=life (why not?)
There are alot of other possibilities as well. I'm going to re-watch the
movie right now.
*******
PLOT:
So, 'god' messes up... by allowing eve to exist-- and be his girlfriend. She
lounges in the garden. Later, eve goes in debt to the devil because of her
unbridled sexuality. "How can she go back to the farm when she's seen Karl
Hungus?" She disappears. Nonbeliever friends of eve try to get money from
god when they find out his predicament.
Meanwhile, the devil just wants his money, so he tries direct action against
god, but his henchmen screw up and attack 'man,' who unfortunately has the
same last name as god. Man tries to figure out what is going on by asking
god for help. God then decides to solve his own problems by tricking that
same man into duping the unbelievers while god keeps the money. Man goes off
on wild goose chase, resulting in much pain. Rug peed on. Car burned up.
Beaten up by the devil's henchmen. Beaten up by lawful authorities. Thrown
out of taxi. Beaten up by non-believers. Tricked into fathering a child.
Ends up, in his confusion, thinking the whole problem is due to what some
kid did.
Unseen forces are manipulating the whole situation... but they don't really
know what they're doing either. The devil never gets his money but goes on
as before(Treehorn)-- the non-believers get nothing but bruises and missing
organs... the only truly innocent person dies (Donnie)... the believers
never miss a step (Brad)-- god keeps the money seemingly although his
daughter is on to him-- and eve picks up right where she left off.
And when man finally realizes that god is behind the whole thing and a
fake... everything become clear and everyone (except Donnie) can return to
bowling.
But the real god has been watching all along, slightly bemused.
The end.
So, in this interpretation, the movie is critical of religion and all the
suffering it tends to create, all in the name of goodness. At the same time
it leaves open the question that there may be a real god or religion and
that all is not hopeless.
[Obviously the above contains lots of inconsistencies and conflicts...
please critique and add to my suggestions...]
[Another thread should be started discussing the soundtrack to the movie and
the relationship of the lyrics to the scenes. As in 'Looking Out My
Backdoor' playing after Dude leaves the proctologist! Or the 'Pilar'
reference made by Walter when he meets the maid.]
*********Chameleon**********
irk
"Chameleon" <thoma...@email.com> wrote in message
news:vs3o8.35$zr2....@news-west.eli.net...
Jesus and stars.
> BUNNY=eve (remember her frolicking in the garden after she returned? Came
> from a 'farm' (garden); brought 'sin' into god's world... by being sexual)
> JACKIE=devil (pornographer, pretty obvious... takes advantage of the
> situation to get back at god; bacchanalean beach scene makes sense)
I haven't read the word bacchanalian since Reigious Studies 202.
Jackie Treehorn corrupting phony G's trophy (consolation prize) wife.
> WALTER=?peter? (the ear thing does analogize to Peter.. according to
> myth/history (depending on your point of view), peter founded the catholic
> church... did the church defeat nihilism? I don't think so, although they
> are at odds. Walter used a boom box, a bowling ball and his teeth to
defeat
> them. Walter managed to completely screw up Donnie's last rites though...
he
> turned it into a 'travesty' )
Very astute.
Peter was always first with the sword or the fist.
That's what you get when you fuck a stranger in the ass.
> Unseen forces are manipulating the whole situation... but they don't
really
> know what they're doing either. The devil never gets his money but goes on
> as before(Treehorn)-- the non-believers get nothing but bruises and
missing
> organs... the only truly innocent person dies (Donnie)... the believers
> never miss a step (Brad)-- god keeps the money seemingly although his
> daughter is on to him-- and eve picks up right where she left off.
>
> And when man finally realizes that god is behind the whole thing and a
> fake... everything become clear and everyone (except Donnie) can return to
> bowling.
>
> But the real god has been watching all along, slightly bemused.
>
Also, God takes comfort in "knowing he's out there. The Dude."
BRAVO! Now Russ, this is how to critique TBL.
cargocult
the rest of us in news:vs3o8.35$zr2....@news-west.eli.net:
>> And I say that Jackie Treehorn is a better candidate for
>> the Devil. And what about Donny? Which apostle was constantly
>> told to shut the fuck up? Bartholomew?
>
> Fascinating. You just made some sense of the movie for me. I
> haven't done any research on it so for all I know it's well known
> but I wasn't aware of it.
>
> CHARACTERS:
> BIG LEBOWKSI=god (handicapped but still pulling all the
> strings... and in the end a complete phony with no actual power
> just appearances; also note that a woman is behind the scenes and
>
<<big snip>>
> proctologist! Or the 'Pilar' reference made by Walter when he
> meets the maid.]
>
> *********Chameleon**********
>
>
Holy shit!
And for years I thought The Big Lebowki = The Big Sleep and is a
parody of/tribute to all those West Coast Detective movies where
Bogart goes around playing head games with spoiled rich people and
nasty gangsters. Updated to include the general weirness that is
modern LA.
--
cc
irk
"cargocult" <c...@cargo.org> wrote in message
news:Xns91DDED5...@207.181.101.12...
So did I.
> --
> cc
>
>
>
Chameleon
> > parody of/tribute to all those West Coast Detective movies where
> > Bogart goes around playing head games with spoiled rich people and
> > nasty gangsters. Updated to include the general weirness that is
> > modern LA.
> >
> >
>
>
> So did I.
For all I know that's what it was supposed to be.
Still, the more you think about it the more the biblical stuff comes through
and it starts to make some sense. Leave it to the Coen brothers to pull this
kind of thing off.
Chameleon
Perhaps their chagrin reveals that they at least on some level realized what
the movie was really about:
(these are actual quotes)
"I wish I had read your review before I went to see this movie. I love to
bowl with my youth group and consider bowling to be a healthy pasttime. I
was so disapointed that this movie would take a clean Christian sport like
bowling and pervert with the drugs and sex and profanity. I would urge other
Christian bowlers to stay away from "The Big Lebowski".
Heather, age 21"
"...The amount of profanity and disgracing of the Lord in this film made me
sick to my stomach. After the nude scene I was forced to leave the theater.
I knew my Savior was dissappointed in me for watching such filth...
Michael, age 22"
Link:
http://www.christiananswers.net/spotlight/movies/pre2000/i-lebowski.html
irk
> I found this 'christian' web site where they 'reviewed' Big Lebowski.
> Perhaps their chagrin reveals that they at least on some level realized
what
> the movie was really about:
>
> (these are actual quotes)
>
> "I wish I had read your review before I went to see this movie. I love to
> bowl with my youth group and consider bowling to be a healthy pasttime. I
> was so disapointed that this movie would take a clean Christian sport like
> bowling and pervert with the drugs and sex and profanity. I would urge
other
> Christian bowlers to stay away from "The Big Lebowski".
> Heather, age 21"
>
Blowing is a "clean Christian sport"?
BWHAHAAHAHA!
Heather has never been to my local bowling
alley during league play, that's for sure.
He gave them eyes yet they cannot see.
(Nor can Superman, through lead. Are we going to
Addis Ababa Mr. Luthor?)
> "...The amount of profanity and disgracing of the Lord in this film made
me
> sick to my stomach. After the nude scene I was forced to leave the
theater.
> I knew my Savior was dissappointed in me for watching such filth...
> Michael, age 22"
>
After that David statue I was FORCED to leave Florence.
I just knew my Savior was watching while I was looking at David's
BARE privates just hanging out on display. Such filth.
> Link:
> http://www.christiananswers.net/spotlight/movies/pre2000/i-lebowski.html
>
>
>
>
>
Chameleon
> I just knew my Savior was watching while I was looking at David's
> BARE privates just hanging out on display. Such filth.
!! lol !!
Jeff Coleman
"Chameleon" <thoma...@email.com> wrote in message
news:R5to8.57$zr2....@news-west.eli.net...
> > After that David statue I was FORCED to leave Florence.
> > I just knew my Savior was watching while I was looking at David's
> > BARE privates just hanging out on display. Such filth.
John Ashcroft, is that you?
Jeff
--
www.progressions.org : Comics : "Urban adventure with a pop twist"
www.isaacpriestley.com : Music : Latest album "Days of Being Dumb"
Chameleon
the naughtly bits.
Andrew Stirling
Choice quote for me was "For those of you who loved the Coen brothers for
"Raising Arizona," forget it. Those days are over. As soon as "Fargo" made
it big, the Brothers decided to get nastier."
Jeff James, age 23
He hasn't seen Blood Simple then I take it.
--
Andrew
"I am in a world of shit, yes. But I am alive and I am not afraid."
"Chameleon" <thoma...@email.com> wrote in message
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