Jesus Camp Essay

Jesus Camp is a documentary that aims to inform you about how evangelicals raise their children and what their beliefs are. The film follows Levi and Rachel’s journey to Jesus Camp and later to Colorado Springs and Washington D.C. The filmmakers ask the audience ‘When does education become indoctrination?’ and their film lets viewers answer for themselves. Jesus Camp’s creators convey their answer to the question indirectly through multiple components of cinematography including camera angles, lighting, symbolism through imagery, and music. The filmmakers answer their question indirectly through these cinematic tools, but allow room for the audience to form their own opinion as well.
The camera work in Jesus Camp gives a sense of authenticity
The music played by Jesus Camp and other religious gatherings is predominantly Christian and written for god while the music added in editing by the filmmakers is mostly meant to convey emotions. While children are being talked to by Becky Fisher or Lou Engle the music added by the filmmakers is peaceful and when the speaker is ramping up to make their point the music grows more intense. For instance, in the cup breaking scene the music starts at a slow pace and as the speaker begins to get more intense the beat gets faster. At the end of the scene the beat is fast and chaotic, mirroring the chaotic crowd mentality of the kids screams and breaking of cups. As the praying and yelling dies down, the music’s pace follows and becomes slower again. The music is always abstract and simple, and its pitch can convey a sense of tranquility or unease. In many scenes, like the scene where they interview Becky Fisher while she is driving, the music has two parts. On the surface the music is uplifting and peaceful, but the filmmakers also added a deep bass underneath that conveys a sense of unease and and suggests something of an almost insidious nature. This is one of the ways the filmmakers tell us their opinion of what is happening at Jesus Camp. They believe that the people at the camp are indoctrinating the children, not educating