batman

Batman Begins

If you haven't seen this movie, it's actually a pretty good movie. There are some slightly 'scary' moments but nothing much. The movie has been rated in the UK as a 12A.

Revenge - As a motive, revenge is not a Godly one. The Bible makes it clear that we are to forgive those who hurt us, do evil and who are our enemies. How do you respond to that? It's hard, but there's no doubt that only by forgiving can we be released from our past. Revenge only creates more bitterness, resentment and hurt.

The clip that you want is Chapter 7. The times are: 23:18 with an aerial shot over 'Gotham' - to 27:14 when Bruce throws his pistol into the river.

Bruce has grown older and has returned home to be at the hearing for the man who shot his father, when Bruce was just a boy. The man is up for release and Bruce goes with his old child (girl) friend, Rachel. Unknown to her, he takes a gun to the hearing and waits outside to shoot the man who killed his father. However, as the man leaves court, he is shot dead by someone else. Bruce then journeys with Rachel and he reveals he took a gun. She slaps him and he gets out of the car.

Conquering Fear - the Bible tells us that we should not fear. Read Psalm 123, or play Tim Hughes' song, 'Whole World In His Hands'. However, we often fear something - other people, spiders, small spaces, going out etc. But God wants to liberate us. Sometimes this will come over time, sometimes God releases us. Other times, we must face our fears.

In the movie, we learn that when he was young, Bruce fell down a well and was scared to death by bats. However, in the movie, we find Bruce back at Wayne Manor. He has returned fresh from his escape, from the League of Shadows. He gets the plane back to the UK. Then we find him back at his father's mansion house, still dutifully looked after by butler / friend 'Alfred' (Michael Caine). He sees a bat in one of the rooms. Alfred tells him the bat is often there. So Bruce goes back down the well to the cave under the house where the bats live. When he disturbs the bats, they all fly around him. But he stands there, in the middle of the bats, conquering his fear.

The timings are Chapter 13 (not at the start), but at 42:48 when we find Bruce sat on the floor of a room at his mansion house - to 45:00 when it cuts from the 'bat cave' to the words 'no more favours..' from one of the baddies!