I find it odd that this film has been described as being anti-Catholic when the church that Lila belongs to is clearly of the Protestant branch of Christianity. Unless I missed something, Catholicism doesn't come into play at all in this film -- just a generic Christianity.
shareWhen Lemora told Lila that they were going to do a "ceremony" in the church, I think Lila asked if it would be a Baptist church if I remember correctly. I interpreted this film as anti-Christian. I gathered that it was trying to say that religion is a way to prevent you from being your true self and that there is nothing wrong with indulging in your sinful desires because to stop yourself is restricting you from being who you truly are. I don't necessarily agree with that message, but it's what I felt the film meant. My interpretation of the film's meaning might be wrong though. What do you think?
Death lives in the Vault of Horror!
Catholicism is no where to be found; the church assembly is Baptist. The film's not really anti-Christian but rather reflects the challenge everyone faces in life between good and evil. Although the minister no doubt finds Lila lovely, he doesn't seduce her and publicly praises her purity and devoutness.
While she's singing in front of the congregation she has the dark daydream that thrusts her against evil forces which want to kill her and convert her to the undead, aka the dark side. All of this is symbolic of her flesh or sinful nature that tempts her from her pure, devout state. The town that Lemora inhabits is Ashtaroth, a reference to the Canaanite goddess, which represents lawless Canaan before the Israelites possessed their "Promised Land." The minister in the fantasy tries to rescue her from Ashtaroth.
Yet she succumbs to the darkness and kills the minister, obviously symbolic of falling prey to carnality and rejecting Christianity. However, the end show that this hasn't actually happened, although it's a possibility as she matures. Of course this is a possibility with any budding believer.
From the start, that church looked like a run-of-the-mill protestant Sunday-go-to-meeting-house, and not even remotely like a RC church.
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;...at a certain point, seduction is over and force is actually being requested.
-Don Draper