Watching the Oscars – with religion

+ John Williams is the GOAT of film composers US Edition - Today's top story: Scorsese's gods of the streets: From 'Killers of the Flower Moon' to 'Silence,' faith is rarely far off in his films [View in browser]( US Edition | 9 March 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Think of the Oscars and you’ll probably picture the razzle-dazzle elements, including those movie stars strutting along the red carpet. But religion is no stranger at the Academy Awards, either. Plenty of past nominees and winners, from “The Exorcist” to “Women Talking,” have had faith-related themes. Martin Scorsese, who is up for 10 awards this year, has directed several films that wrestle with religion, including “Silence” and “The Last Temptation of Christ.” Faith is not as front and center in his latest movie, “Killers of the Flower Moon” – but still very much there, [according to Anthony Smith](, a religious studies professor at the University of Dayton. Many of Scorsese’s films, like “Killers,” focus on characters who are far from angelic. Corruption, crime and violence are some of his trademark themes. But even then, Scorsese’s movies “are steeped in Catholic sensibilities,” Smith writes. They don’t “defend the religion or burnish its image … but embrace painful questions that often accompany belief.” This week we also liked articles about the origins of the [notion that witches fly on brooms]( and [Florida’s dysfunctional home insurance market](, as well as these highlights of our [recent Academy Awards coverage](. [ [Get a global perspective on the news, with the best of The Conversation’s journalism from around the world, twice weekly.]( ] Molly Jackson Religion and Ethics Editor Even in films where religion isn’t front and center, Martin Scorsese’s attention to ritual and devotion comes through. Apple TV+ [Scorsese’s gods of the streets: From ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ to ‘Silence,’ faith is rarely far off in his films]( Anthony Smith, University of Dayton Though only a few of Scorsese’s films focus on religious stories, deeper questions about faith, doubt and living in a violent world tend to haunt his movies. Within weeks, for the first time in the U.S. consumers will be able to find a birth control pill on retail shelves. Bill Oxford/iStock via Getty Images [Opill, the first over-the-counter birth control pill, will be on shelves soon − here are some key things to know]( Sarah Lynch, Binghamton University, State University of New York Once available, Opill will be the most effective form of nonprescription birth control on the market. But you should still speak with your health care provider about any questions. One of the earliest depictions of flying witches is in a 15th-century text entitled “Le champion des dames,” or “The Defender of Ladies.” Martin Le Franc/W. Schild. Die Maleficia der Hexenleut' via Wikimedia Commons [Can witches fly? A historian unpacks the medieval invention − and skepticism − of the witch on a broomstick]( Michael D. Bailey, Iowa State University The iconic image of a witch on a broomstick has apocryphal origins. But whether they could actually fly didn’t stop Christian society from persecuting them. - [From ‘Jaws’ to ‘Schindler’s List,’ John Williams has infused movie scores with adventure and emotion]( Arthur Gottschalk, Rice University Composer and conductor John Williams has shown for more than 60 years how music can take movies to new heights. - [The failures of ‘Oppenheimer’ and the ascent of the foreign film - 6 essential reads for the Oscars]( Nick Lehr, The Conversation Before you tune into Hollywood's biggest night of the year, check out our coverage of the stars of this year's show. - [Community-based entrepreneurs are leading the way in solving the local news crisis]( Dan Kennedy, Northeastern University As digital news pioneers observed, ‘local doesn’t scale.’ Any solution to the local news crisis is going to involve reporters and editors who are creative and smart about what works for their readers. - [How Florida’s home insurance market became so dysfunctional, so fast]( - [Plight of migrant laborers killed, held hostage in Middle East exposes Israel’s reliance on overseas workforce]( - [Rare access to hammerhead shark embryos reveals secrets of its unique head development]( - [I watched Hungary’s democracy dissolve into authoritarianism as a member of parliament − and I see troubling parallels in Trumpism and its appeal to workers]( - [UAW’s Southern strategy: Union revs up drive to get workers employed by foreign automakers to join its ranks]( - [The estimated 2.5 million people displaced by tornadoes, wildfires and other disasters in 2023 tell a story of recovery in America and who is vulnerable]( - [Emotion-tracking AI on the job: Workers fear being watched – and misunderstood]( - [The Black history knowledge gap is widening – and GOP politicians are making it worse]( - [A Barbie dollhouse and a field trip led me to become an architect − now I lead a program that teaches architecture to mostly young women in South Central Los Angeles]( The Conversation Quiz 🧠- [The Conversation U.S. weekly news quiz]( Fritz Holznagel, The Conversation Here’s the first question of [this week’s edition:]( Joe Biden and Donald Trump nearly swept the Super Tuesday voting, but Trump failed to carry one state and Biden failed to carry one territory. Which state and territory were they? - A. Georgia and Guam - B. Vermont and American Samoa - C. California and the District of Columbia - D. Maine and Puerto Rico [Test your knowledge]( - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our weekly and biweekly emails: • [Weekly Highlights]( • [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Politics Weekly]( • [Global Perspectives]( • [Global Economy & Business]( Follow us on social media: • [Threads]( • [Bluesky]( • [Mastodon]( • [Post.news]( • [LinkedIn]( • [Instagram]( • [Facebook]( • Or [get a daily text from us]( - - About The Conversation We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to [helping academic experts share ideas with the public](. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. 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