By Matthew Dillon
The religion-based documentary Hillsong: Let Hope Rise did not successfully impress or educate its audience. (Courtesy of Flickr)
There is a problem with “Christian movies,” the on the rise genre of films made and marketed as being Christian. I will freely admit that this term is a bit deceptive, as even the most ardent Dawkins follower has to admit that Christianity has such a big role in Western civilization that it inevitably finds its way into the stories we tell. But every year, four or five films limp their way into theaters, aggressively declaring themselves to be “Christian.”
Typically made by Midwestern Evangelists, these films are known for their tactless preaching, low production values and clichéd writing. Hillsong: Let Hope Rise, a documentary about an Australian Christian band that is hosted by the megachurch of the same name, is the newest addition to this growing roster of disappointing Christian movies.
A good documentary not onlygets the audience emotionally invested in not just the subject, but also gets people involved in it. Hillsong does neither, as it is so fixated on espousing Christian ideology that it forgets to properly examine the history and attitudes of who and what it claims to be about. I am fascinated by the cultural phenomena of megachurches and was looking forward to get a glimpse into the inner workings of these massive entities.
However, Hillsong only briefly touches upon the history of the Hillsong Megachurch and never really breaks the surface. The same goes for the band. While we get infuriatingly close at a couple of points, namely a home movie of one of the band members just fooling around with his friends and another discussing his child’s health problems, the audience never gets to truly know the documentary’s supposed focus.
The film’s structure is incredibly repetitive, alternating between sing-along concert sequences, the band discussing their amateurish lyricism and, rarely, something actually about the Hillsong band and associated megachurch. Most of these events try to connect with the band preparing for their next album release, but in actuality, they are just commercial breaks for the film’s poor explanation of the power of Christ. The film’s uninspired preaching dominates so much of the running time it renders the few things it gets right null and void.
The faith and the impact it has on people is an incredibly interesting topic that has influenced many great works of art. And while Hillsong drowns its audience in discussions about the benefits of Christian belief, none of it leaves a mark. Hillsong fails to capture the transformative power of faith. I personally have to blame the way it chooses to communicate Christianity to its audience. For the most part, the audience is inundated in monotonous, vague and brief stories of faith, the sort that even peripherally Christian viewers have heard before.
Hillsong does not inform or educate its audience. Instead, it rambles about topics the viewers are expected to already know. Ultimately, Hillsong is a perfect example of a documentary that leaves audience members disinterested due to its poor execution.
You clearly miss the point of the documentary. It’s following the current success of the church and through interviews indicates such. The faith stories everyone is “expected” to know isn’t as known as YOU expect. It’s meant for the viewer that perhaps doesn’t know. The focus on the history of the church is lost because had they focused on that the criticism would be its lack of liturgy or reference to God.