The account of baptism today comes from the film O Brother Where Art Thou? (2000) written and directed by Joel & Ethan Coen. In the middle of the film the characters come across a river baptism.
THE RIVER
White robes stream down the hill, out of the woods, and down the riverbank.
The voices swell in a great chorus:
VOICES
We went down to the river one day,
Studying about that good old way,
And who shall wear that robe and
crown, Oh Lord, show us the way...
We are booming down to reveal a minister in the foreground.
He stands belly-deep in the river, easing a white-robed man
back-down into the water. Behind him a line of robed singers
lengthens steadily as people stream out of the woods.
Pete, Delmar and Everett emerge from the woods and gaze down
at the river. White-robed people continue to drift past them.
EVERETT
I guess hard times flush the chumps.
Everybody's lookin' for answers, and
there's always-
Delmar wades out into the stream, cutting in line.
EVERETT
Where the hell's he goin'?
Delmar has reached the minister and holds his nose as the
minister incantates over him and lowers him into the water.
PETE
Well, I'll be a sonofabitch. Delmar's
been saved!
EVERETT
Pete, don't be ignorant-
Delmar is slogging back through the water.
DELMAR
Well that's it boys, I been redeemed!
The preacher warshed away all my
sins and transgressions. It's the
straight-and-narrow from here on out
and heaven everlasting's my reward!
EVERETT
Delmar what the hell are you talking
about? - We got bigger fish to fry-
DELMAR
Preacher said my sins are warshed
away, including that Piggly Wiggly I
knocked over in Yazoo!
EVERETT
I thought you said you were innocent
a those charges.
DELMAR
Well I was lyin' - and I'm proud to
say that that sin's been warshed
away too! Neither God nor man's got
nothin' on me now! Come on in, boys,
the water's fine!
You can watch the scene here.
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