Religion has been seen as a part of black life, and in an attempt to present a realistic picture of society in films, directors tend to use this feature to appeal to the audience. Many cinema noir films use religious practices to exert control over the masses. Religious audiences find the plot of the films quite compelling due to the element of God present throughout, which is exactly what the filmmakers are aiming for. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay. This tactic is visible to audiences in the film Selma, where the creators use the power of God to depict issues related to race. , belief and fraternity. The Almighty God was given essential importance in bringing black people forgiveness and pacifism by replacing violent behavior and treatment. Also, in the film Within Our Gates, the religious element is present during the scene where the character Ned gives a sermon in the Church declaring that black people would be the first and last while white people would fall into hell. , even after getting all the education and wealth. He also states that black people have pure hearts and, therefore, would go straight to heaven unlike white people. This was used by the creators to advance the main plot as it was actually a tactic used by Ned to get back someone's stolen money. Another film called 12 Years a Slave uses Christianity as both imagery and a theme. In this film it was shown that the best way to gain their own freedom would be to pray to God. However, this was just a popular belief and that is why the author, despite the religious element, shows that they still did not receive mercy and their prayers did not facilitate their freedom in any way. In the film Daughters of Dust however, religion was depicted in the case of the character's granddaughter Nana, named Viola Peazant, who converted to Christianity and is actually trying to teach her children about religion and its practices. However, Christianity has also proven to be a chance for black people to escape the prejudices and injustices they face in society. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Religion has been presented as a tool of social control in the sense that advice has been given to the audience through the characters that theft is unacceptable by law and by religion and must be demolished if the person managed to “go to paradise”. In Selma, unacceptable behaviors regarding violence as a religion affirm the necessity of possessing the capacity for forgiveness among black people in order to maintain social balance. In the film 12 Years, a political organizer of slaves was portrayed in the manner in which the main protagonist became a victim of slavery despite belonging to a wealthy family due to his color. This was shown by the creators of how political differences were based on color at the time and that no matter how dark or brown the person was, they would be considered inferior..