THE MISFITS (1961)

Directed by: John Huston
Written by: Arthur Miller
Studio: United Artists
Starring: Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, Montgomery Clift
Rated: PG

About the film:
An aging cowboy meets and falls in love with an ex-stripper and recent divorcee. When she hears of his plans to round up a herd of wild horses in order to sell them to a dog food company, she starts working against him.

Movie Quote:
“The man who’s too afraid to die is too afraid to live.”
Gay (Clark Gable) in The Misfits (1961)

Bible Quote:
“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline.”
2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV)

Commentary:
The line quoted from The Misfits is filled with ironic sadness… and truth. Having a fear of death keeps people from fully enjoying death’s only alternative – life.

Being bound by fear is like being shackled to an 800 pound gorilla. It will totally control one’s life, actions, and decisions. It can’t be out-muscled, reasoned with, or ignored. And yet many people live their lives with this oversized monkey on their backs.

What we must understand is that believing is the key to life. Fear is a form of believing. Fear is believing in reverse. If we harbor fear in our hearts for an extended period of time, the likelihood of our experiencing that which we fear is all but guaranteed.

Of all the things to fear, death is the least logical. First, it is an inevitable event. Death will come to us all, unless Jesus Christ comes before our time has arrived. Second, death no longer has dominion over us. Our Lord and Savior released us from its hold.

Jesus Christ came to earth to set us free. When we learn and believe the truth of what he accomplished for us, death loses its power over us. The shackles are removed and fear is eradicated. The monkey is gone, leaving us free to explore all of life’s possibilities.

Questions to consider while watching the film:
1. What can we do in the midst of fear to change our believing?
2. What is the meaning of the title? What is a misfit and is it a label that can be assigned to us? Why?

Michael Elliott
www.screensermon.blogspot.com