Blog Post 2: Indigo Ensign

One difference between the novel The Inferno and the film rendition of The Inferno that I found interesting was the influence or lack of influence of God. In the novel version God has an omniscient and infinite power. Every person who has committed even just one sin is sent to Hell and punished for all eternity, despite the good they may have done in life. There are no exceptions or loopholes to escape punishment. Virgil explains the Ante-inferno to Dante in Canto III. He states, “This miserable way is taken by the sorry souls of those who lived without disgrace and without praise. They now commingle with the coward angels who were not rebels nor faithful to their God, but stood apart” (Canto III 34-39). Although these people did not sin, they are still in pain for eternity because of the huge power of God. God’s power is vast and Dante is both in awe of and fears it. Dante does not question God’s judgment or his placement of people in hell, although he does feel pity for some of the sinners. People that Dante knew or respected in his life are the ones he feels pity for but he understands that Hell is a place of no exceptions.

           The movie version of Dante’s inferno has a very different view on God. There is not a God in the movie that has ultimate influence and power. At one point in the movie Dante asks “Who decides?” but that doesn’t seem to be a question that truly has an answer. Like in the novel, there aren’t loopholes to escape punishment, however, some people are being punished on a “technicality.” For example, although Hitler was responsible for the murder of millions he is being punished in Hell for consulting with astrologers. People being punished on technicalities makes Hell seem much less foolproof than it is in the novel when God is in charge of everything. When Dante and Virgil reach the City of Dis in the novel they must call on heaven for help getting in. In the movie, Virgil simply offers money and gets them through the gates with no problem. In the movie the influence of money seems to take the place of God.

            I think that the movie is trying to make a point about a change in priorities. During Dante’s time period religion had a huge influence in most people’s everyday lives. The church was very powerful. But currently in America’s culture religion has taken a backseat. While many people still hold strong religious beliefs there is no doubt that the influence of religion has declined. God was the creator of Hell in the book however in the movie it was unclear who created Hell and who decided who ended up there. In the movie money seemed to be the only thing that controlled Hell and allowed Dante and Virgil to pass through it. The creators of the movie seem to be making the point that money controls the lives of many Americans, and they take their guidance from money rather than God or religion.