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It is the greatest story ever told, but it is not
received as such. “The Passion of the Christ” has become the most
controversial movie ever in the recent months preceding its release, with
many critics claiming the film to be inherently anti-Semitic. But the story
of Jesus of Nazareth is not a new one, and the effect of ‘passion-plays’ on
the Jewish culture have had far reaching effects for over two thousand
years.
What Mel Gibson brings to this story is a grisly reality
that has been brushed over and sanitized in every other film to date. The
movie opens in the fog covered Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus (Jim Caviezel) bears the weight of the world’s sin alone. Shortly an army is
brought to the garden to arrest Jesus by Judas, a former disciple who has
turned his master in for thirty pieces of gold. Jesus is taken before the
Sanhedrin, a council of elders, to be tried on accusations of blasphemy,
namely that he is the self-proclaimed Son of the Living God. The Pharisees
seek to put the blasphemer to death, but must do so through the local Roman
authority, Pontius Pilate (Hristo Naumov Shopov).
Though Pilate finds Jesus innocent of all wrong doing, he
succumbs to the will of the gathering mob screaming for a punishment of
death…crucifixion. Jesus is tortured and severely beaten before meeting his
ultimate fate on a hill outside the walls of Jerusalem, and it is in that
moment when he lays down his life as a sacrifice to the world … to save them
all from sin.
The most controversial piece of this movie is undoubtedly
the graphic violence and its degree, and that is the question I have been
asked the most. “Is the film graphic?” Yes. “Does the violence appear in
excess?” Most certainly. But I believe the most important question is,
“Does this movie get its message across?” Absolutely. Lastly I am asked,
“Is the movie accurate.” All I can say is the events are correct, but
artistically this is one vision of the events that occur in the four gospel
accounts found in the Bible.
A word about the violence. This film is definitely not
like “Braveheart”. he
violence most people have seen in historical films or even slasher movies
does not compare to beating of Jesus Christ, the flaying of his flesh, or
the sounds of nails being pounded into his hands. These are powerful images
and they make for a brutal movie, one that pained me to watch. Expect to
see flesh split before your eyes and blood to gush from wounds. But let’s
leave the violence behind.
People speak of this film as two hours of Christ’s
suffering. Not even close to the truth. There is plenty of time when Jesus
is not being beaten or put to death. There are scenes in the garden or when
he is marched from Pilate to Kind Herod where he is whipped and beaten along
the way, but no where near the magnitude of his flagellation and actual
crucifixion. These instances will not shock anyone terribly.
However, every single review of this film omits the
extensive flashback scenes to the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus as a child and
young man, and the Last Supper. These scenes that speak of forgiveness,
love for another, and mother/son relationships give the context for Christ’s
suffering, (something many critics have said is lacking). This is where
“The Passion” leaves its mark upon you. Watching a man get tortured is one
thing, watching a savior being put to death is another, but watching the
effect of these events on the lives of Jesus’ mother (Maia Morgenstern),
Mary Magdalene (Monica Bellucci), and others is where the tears will flow.
The criticisms I have are very limited. Certainly the
violence was extreme for my tastes, but one scene in particular could have
benefited from editing. During a flashback, Jesus remembers a day when he
was working on a wooden table. Initially I loved the scene, because it
showed how much this character took joy in live and in creating things with
his hands. His mother Mary enters and remarks that the table is quite
tall. Jesus replies that he will build tall chairs for the tall table.
Mary tries to test out the table, but gives up after feeling awkward saying,
“That will never go over.” The implied joke is that tables were short and
people sat on the ground until Christ came along and now we sit in chairs at
“tall tables.” This scene took me entirely out of the movie and left me
feeling a little too “Hollywood.”
Nonetheless, several things excite me most about this
movie. First is the beauty of the film. Gibson has truly made a beautiful
motion picture, even when it depicts violence. This isn’t to say that
violence is pretty, but it was tastefully shot. You see (and hear) enough
to get the idea, but you do not see every lashing full framed. From the
first shot, you can tell it is going to be a beautiful picture to watch. The second is the score, which I feel is perfect in its accompaniment to the
visuals and emotion of the story. John Debney did a wonderful job.
I also love Gibson’s depiction of evil and the embodiment
of Satan (Rosalinda Celentano). The concept of Satan being an onlooker,
quietly stalking the events as they happen is chilling; Celentano delivers
one of the best performances in the film, bar none. The fact that Satan is
cast as a female should not be interpreted one way or another. In the film Celentano’s Satan is clearly genderless and is somewhat attractive
in a strange way. Gibson reasons, “That is what evil is. It doesn’t wear a
sign around its neck saying its evil.”
Most importantly, I loved how I felt during and after
seeing this movie. As a believer, watching Jesus Christ get tormented and
put to death made me regret every sin and error I have ever made. Moreover,
it made me want to repent, change my life, and strive even more to love one
another as He does. I came away with peace in my heart and yet with my emotions
reeling. In my opinion this film is not inherently anti-Semitic, but if it
did breed any hatred for people, it would be the sadistic Roman guards that
delighted in the torture of Jesus Christ.
I recommend this film to anyone who proclaims themselves
to be a Christian because according to my faith, if He could suffer these
things for us, we can watch his suffering for the duration of a mere movie.
Even if the images you seen in this film keep you awake at night and stay
with you, they should be an influence for good in your life. Perhaps we all
should be haunted by these images; the world might be a better place.
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