Introduction:
Forgive this post for a sounding a tad repetitive, but if you’ve never heard of a Nightmare on Elm Street or of Freddy Krueger, you’ve probably spent your life as a desolate hermit.
Heck, when I was young my most favourite horror franchise was the Elm Street saga. Heck, I was on Team Freddy.
Then again, I was also semi-addicted to pornography back then. So, no accounting for good taste.
However, since then the Christian community will be glad to know that I have repented from porn and Freddy and am now porn-free and on Team Jason. (Yeah, I figured that since I had to pick a side, I’d switch from the team of the child-murder/pedophile and go for the special needs boy that got picked on at Summer Camp.)
Hey, I didn’t say my conversion story would be monumental.
Anyways, back to the movie.
For those that don’t know the plot of the 1984 film, A Nightmare on Elm Street follows the trials of Nancy and her friends as they try to escape the clutches of a killer who can only murder them in their dreams.
The parents’ actions:
The film eventually tells us that the killer stalking Nancy and her friends is the spirit of a dead child-murderer, Fred Krueger. Years ago, Nancy’s mother and a few of the other Elm Street parents tracked Krueger down and murdered him for his crimes, as the court system could never try him.
Nancy’s mother, in front of the hearth where she hid Freddy’s glove.
Desperate, the parents put an end to Krueger, thinking they’d never see him again. However, much like Pamela’s vengeance in my last post, their vengeance scheme eventually comes back to bite them as Krueger’s ghost comes to haunt and kill their children. Not to mention the fact that Nancy’s parents had to cover up their vengeance with lies in order to hide the truth from their children, even though their children were in danger from Freddy! (Somebody should have told the parents that “the truth would set them free” and prevent their kids from being killed. Possibly.)
The film also testifies to fallout from taking revenge, as Nancy’s mother is shown to be an alcoholic who uses alcohol to cope with what she, her ex-husband and the other parents’ did.
This reminds me of this New York Times’ article which talks about how revenge keeps us tied to the past and to the person against whom we took revenge. This is symbolized in the movie by Nancy’s mother keeping Freddy’s glove (which he used to murder children) in the basement of her own house!
Scary! And more reasons as to why revenge is never the right answer.
Freddy’s revenge:
Freddy’s revenge against the parents is testament to this fact: evil can be temporarily defeated, but it always tries to find a way to come back; much like the departed Krueger. In fact, later in the series, it isn’t surprising to find out that the whole reason for Freddy’s return is due to a pact he made with some “dream demons”.
However, Freddy’s revenge while less justifiable than that of the parents, triumphs at the end of the film, as Freddy not only succeeds in trapping all of the children, but killing Nancy’s mother as well.
(At least, until a later sequel where it’s revealed that Nancy is okay. Only for her to die in that same sequel. Unfortunately.)
What do we take away from this?
Well, a cynic might say that this movie is proof that there is no God and no justice in this lifetime.
However, a Bible scholar might say that the whole point here is that if the parents’ hadn’t taken matters into their own hands, Krueger might never have returned from the grave. He may have escaped earthly justice, but it would have prevented him from being as big a threat as he had become.
Biblical perspective:
Let’s take a closer look at that same verse from my post on Friday the 13th.
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
(Romans 12:17-21).
Did you catch it?
Try to read it again.
This scripture tells us something very important which is that “Vengeance is the Lord’s” and for good reason. God’s justice is perfect. Ours isn’t. If it’s one thing I learned the very first time I watched A Nightmare on Elm Street it’s that the parents’ taking matters into their own hands is what caused the whole mess in the first place.
What the parents needed to know (and this applies to us, too) is that there is also a promise in this verse. A promise which we need to be all be scared of: “Leave room for God’s wrath.” That verse is both a source of comfort to me and an extremely scary verse for me to deal with.
Considering all the wrongs I’ve done in my lifetime, the notion that God promises to repay it, frightens me.
It should frighten you, too.
Let’s take a moment to reflect on that and pray:
Lord, help me to remember Your Justice is swift.
Lord, help me to be patient when wrong is done to me.
Lord, forgive me for all I have done.
Lord, I fear You, have mercy on me.
Amen.
Computer, cue some music that can inspire us to become better people!
[Please note the movie photos in this post as well as the proper spelling for Krueger’s name come from IMDb.]
Goth Film Critic for Christ 