Mason Williams

When Sleeping Beauty came out in 1959, less than 4% of Americans were “non-religious.” Now it is over 25% & something of this level of beauty seems impossible to be made today. When you realize these two things are related, it changes everything.

The real moral of Sinners was something even the filmmakers might have missed. What’s happening in this scene is portrayed as being good until it is ruined by the white vampires. But it shouldn’t be seen this way. The preacher’s kid was blessed with a gift from God with to open people up to the “spiritual.” But instead of dedicating to its highest purpose— the worship of God—he fell for a deception and became a prodigal son. The “juke” was built upon a foundation of sin at every level, so the young man leaves the church to simply become a musical priest for different gods. So instead of making music that connects people to God, he has now opened the door to demons. The vampires don’t bring the demonic. It’s already there. The preacher’s kid survives the ordeal, rejects the vampires offer, but also rejects his father and the church to go back out and make a name for himself in the end. It’s implied that this is the right moral decision because he didn’t “sell his soul” but that still misses it. We should have every reason to believe that this young man will continue to bring hell wherever he goes by opening up the wrong spiritual doors with his gift. But spiritual “neutrality” isn’t an option. As Bob Dylan once sang, “it may be the devil or it may be the Lord, but you’re gonna have to serve somebody.”