READING RELIGION IN THE MOVIES THE CONTESTATION BETWEEN RELIGIOUS IDENTITY AND BUSINESS INDUSTRY

The relationship of religion and movies actually has existed since this Industry began. As Andre Bazin (2002), writes, 'The cinema has always been interested in God'. Religion is something personal, in John Tillich terms, it is an area of culture that involves basic beliefs about the ultimate nature of reality, our purpose in the world, and we find a meaning in it. That is why; posing a religion or religious idea in the movies is always interesting for the producers or the film industry. However, film is indeed a cultural business; whatever presented on the screen is actually a construction of reality by people behind the screen. Focus on certain Hollywood and Indonesian movies, the research finds that the religious ideas in the movies have consistently appeared since the beginning of this industry, but it is part of co modification of product by using people’s intimacy in religious life, thus they feel represented. Keywords : religious movie, cultural business, representation