I was a 3rd grade Catholic elementary school student in 1964. Every so often, we'd be treated to a movie in the gymnasium. It was usually something like Dumbo, Snow White, etc. Sometimes, they'd put on a religious education show, but we didn't really mind, it was a movie. It was always a happy experience, and always at the end of the day. We just loved the movies, and so were all excited as usual as we filed down to watch another fun show. Thisw one turned out to be a blunder of epic proportions.

I'll try to describe my memory of the experience from my perspective of a young child, having this horrendous monstrosity sprung on the entire school of approximately 300 unsuspecting children on movie day. By the title, it was obvious to us that this was just more religious education, and we all immediately thought: "...bo-ring!". Starts out very obvious who the clown is, with the typical sacrifice, carrying someone's burdens, etc. A parable. BUT, the whole ambiance - pantomime, creepy clown, creepy circus, creepy characters, did I mention creepy? When it turned to pure evil and horrible abuse... I remember asking out loud why they were showing this to kids. LOTS of kids, - especially the young ones up in the front rows - were crying, some yelling NO, NO, NO! But they nun at the projector just kept it going. I think maybe she was left on her own as it played, and she didn't dare shut it off. The movie ended and we all stood to file out, and then the sound of kid's emotions got VERY loud. Kids were REALLY shook up. I was sitting beside a buddy, who whispered "That SUCKED.", and I agreed with him. It was just so, so bad. Looking back, I think the movies were shown for entertainment while the faculty had meetings or something. Obviously this was not previewed, or whoever did preview it was just an idiot. The nun operating the projector was clearly mortified at the film and its effect on us. She wouldn't even look at us as we left. The usual discussion back in the classroom after the movie was an emotionally charged complaint session. Their phones must have just exploded. The school sent us home the next day with a written explanation and apology to each kid's parents in a sealed envelope.

The drama genre is a broad category that features stories portraying human experiences, emotions, conflicts, and relationships in a realistic and emotionally impactful way. Dramas delve into the complexities of human life, often exploring themes of love, loss, morality, societal issues, personal growth, with the aim to evoke an emotional response from the audience by presenting relatable and thought-provoking stories.

Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)

The short form refers to creative works characterized by their brevity and concise storytelling. Unlike full-length feature films, short films have a running time of less than 45 minutes, while TV shorts have a running time of less than 22 minutes.

Benedict Cumberbatch in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023)

The allegorical story of a Christlike clown who amasses a legion of followers as he wanders through a circus taking up the burdens of the people he meets, until he finally encounters a cruel puppet master.

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Poster for "Parable", which depicts the world as a circus and Christ as a clown.

Parable

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