Posted on 01/21/2004 7:19:41 AM PST by prairiebreeze
Recently I received the opportunity to attend an invitation-only preview of Mel Gibson’s “Passion of The Christ”. The event was yesterday and I will share some of the experience here to those who might be interested and who’ve asked me. Invitations were sent out to churches and I attended with another lady from our church.
There were about 5,000 in attendance in a large contemporary church auditorium. Three large screens were on the main floor as well as three smaller screens in each balcony section. In short, not a bad seat in the house. Security was in place and admittance allowed only after the registration process which required submitting the original invitation, a confirmation number and photo ID.
The movie is currently in post-production and the version we saw is not the final version. Certain special effects and the final ending are still not edited in and we were told the music is still being tweaked. That said I believe we probably saw 98% of what will come out on Feb. 25. The movie is true to the Gospel version of the story but also utilizes artistic interpretations and methods to make points. Effectively too.
Mel Gibson was present for about the last 30 – 40 minutes of the event and I will provide as much information as I can about that interview. It’s important for everybody reading this to know that I am not a transcriptionist and I don’t know short-hand. I took my own notes and admittedly they are not complete representations or fully direct quotes from Mel. What I offer as his responses are a combination of my handwritten notes and my ears.
After gracious remarks from a church leader and a religious author the movie began. I’ve thought a lot about what to try to write about the movie. It’s important to me to not “give away” the movie through a lot of scene description. Besides the movie trailer can be viewed on-line and several reviews have been written. So I will just say a few lines about my impressions and what the movie has initially stirred in me. These are in no particular order of importance.
The movie focuses on the last 12 hours of Christ’s life but also uses flashbacks effectively. It’s a relief to periodically be reminded of Jesus how he was during his life and ministry in contrast to those last hours.
I’m generally not a viewer of foreign films and usually find sub-titles rather distracting. Somehow, I found them less distracting in this film and Mel offers a good explanation as to why they are effective in the Q & A that I will include at the end of this post. The Latin and Aramaic were appropriate.
Yes, the movie is quite violent and graphic. My friend had to look away at various times during the film. While it is difficult to watch, I came away feeling that the level of violence provides a rather direct correlation to the level of Jesus’ sacrifice. More about this from Mel, but I felt the film shows a very believable portrayal of the brutality of humans, corruption of some in authority, what it’s like to be in the middle of a frenzied crowd and several human issue struggles.
There were one or two brief touches of humor. Good to have us remember that Jesus laughed and joked like us.
I have a new personal understanding of Jesus’ words about tearing the temple down and re-building it in 3 days.
This is a movie that I will see again. And maybe again after that. I believe this film will do a tremendous amount of good for the Church. I believe many non-church people will find the meaning of Jesus after watching the Passion. I believe that those who follow Christ will also gain new insights and understandings. And all people will have many, many questions as well. This movie, if nothing else, will stir discussion.
I want to re- read the Gospels; to re-familiarize myself with the differences and similarities of their story.
During the movie I found myself musing at what my role might have been had I been present in the crowd. This was one of the most powerful (and disturbing) effects that I felt during the film. I loved that, but it’s also very sobering to ponder especially when I consider my life and relationships now.
I will never think about or partake in the Sacrament of Communion in the same way again. For me, this is one of the biggest blessings from the film.
Neither of us who attended saw any attempt to portray anti-Semitism. Yes, it’s easy to be angry at the Sanhedrin, at the Romans, at Pilate. But this is a historical film and this is what happened at that time. Loving, sympathetic Jews and Romans are also frequently portrayed. Like anything else, if somebody has already decided to be anti-Semitic they may use the movie to try to justify their position. That says nothing about the movie and EVERYTHING about the viewer.
The man who’s coerced into picking up the Cross and helping Jesus carry it represents every one of us. He depicts the reluctance and hesitation that we’ve all shown at some point in life when we’ve been asked to participate or help in various projects or activities. May we all learn the lesson that this man learned.
Folks, as I sit a write this today the movie images come to mind and are touching my heart and bringing a tear to my eye. See the movie, decide for yourselves. I think it’s wonderful. Even if you hate it I believe you’ll be hard-pressed to say it’s a disappointment. Thanks for reading.
Here are the Q&A’s from Mel’s interview.
Mel gave a brief autobiography. He was born in NY and moved to Australia as a boy. He is the 6th child in a family of 10 children and has 5 sisters and 5 brothers.
He was raised Catholic. During the ages from about 17-35 Mel took a “hiatus” from religion although always believed in God during this time. He said that “what isn’t maintained (he was speaking about spirituality) eventually goes into chaos”. He said that pain brought him back to the church. That feelings of being spiritually bankrupt, feelings of emptiness, pain, regret, despair became too much and he got tired of the pain and wanted to try something else.
Q: What did you do to turn back to God? A: Mel said that he mostly prayed. Then got more involved and active in church. He’s been heavily focused on Passion for at least 3 years and that also had an impact.
Q: When was the 1st time you got a sense from God to do this film about Christ? A: Mel responded that he read the Gospels and wanted to know more. He wanted to know information about other aspects of the Passion and he read accounts of people’s visions, medical doctor reports etc. to get information which then helped him develop the desire to do the film. Mel said he’s been faithful to the Gospels but has also been able to inject his own artistic impact into the film.
Q: When you committed to the film, who were the early supporters? A: Gibson answered that people were scratching their heads when he told them the idea for the film. They wanted to know why the Latin and Aramaic was necessary. Mel felt that the languages added a mysterious reality and provided for more frightening confrontation. He likened it to trying to make a movie about scary murderous Vikings but then having the scary murderous Vikings charge off the ship for their attack and start speaking English. Said it made them not very scary any more. (huge laughter at this) However if they charged off the ship speaking some old Germanic tongue it was much more believable and they would be scarier.
Q: What is your favorite moment in the film? A: Mel said he didn’t know that he had one.
Q: What is your second favorite moment in the film? A: Gibson began talking about how well the film portrays evil. That evil can take on the form of something almost beautiful but when the mask slips a little, it can be seen that it’s all the masquerade that evil does to try to lure and trick us. But if our antennae are up we can detect it.
Q: Why all the violence? A: Mel began answering by saying that the movie has been rated “R” and that kids under 13 are maybe too young. Some children might be fine seeing the film though. Mel’s intention was the push it over the edge and force us outside our comfort level. This was to make us realize very up front and personal the sacrifice that was made for us. As far as the scenes that show lots of blood, Mel said that blood was required and represented the old covenant. He said that Jesus chose to fulfill that prophecy by going all the way, and not just by a drop of blood from the prick of a finger.
Q: How much of your own money have you put into the film? A: About 20 to 30 million dollars---and a lot of time.
Q: Did you put that much money in because nobody else would? A: “Absolutely!” (huge laughter)
Q: If the movie doesn’t do well, is he worried it will cost his career? A: Mel said, “I’ve had a career, I’m bored with it”. He had started to ask himself “What have I been doing?” for the past couple of years. Gibson said that acting doesn’t have the importance it once did although there are things he might consider if opportunities arose. He felt he had created a sort of secular utopia for himself, an “empty worship of self”…and he didn’t care for that anymore.
Q: Are you nervous about the release of the movie? A: He responded that yes, it was like putting your kid out there. He said the film will be subjected to lots of things, possibly savaged by critics. He hopes it makes people look inward and take something from it.
Q: What’s your ultimate dream and prayer of what will happen to those watching your film in theaters? A: Mel believes that cinema and theater is like “public dreaming”. A series of sounds, images, darkness and light that can impact the viewer in many ways. Art can transcend many things. Mel hopes that the film will inspire people and make them aware of who they are and what came before them. He said that all of civilization, Christian and non-Christian was changed after Christ died. And nothing has been the same in civilization since.
Q: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me”….Is this an intolerant position? A: Mel responded that his belief is that people from the Old Testament were saved by those words. That people who don’t know anything about Christ can be saved by the merits of Christ. Mel says that revisionists try to say that the Gospels made up the story of the Passion to push an agenda. Mel said that he doesn’t think they’d go to all the trouble of doing that and then die for it.
Q: Did research on the film stimulate spiritual development. A: Of course.
Q: How supportive has your wife and family been? A: Mel considers himself to be a very lucky fellow and his family has been great about it.
Q: How will you go back to “Lethal Weapon 6” after doing this? A: That’s not on the calendar. (laughs) But Mel feels there are other good stories to be told, other good Bible stories although Christ’s Passion is the Big Story. Mel says it’s unfortunate that Christian films are many times rather lame. The intention is good but they simply don’t fulfill what’s trying to be reached. He says he doesn’t know what the curse is? He didn’t try to make a religious film. He tried to make something that was real for Mel Gibson.
It is as it was!!
Nice trick.
Mel found a way to be saved that Jesus (A) never mentioned, (B) contradicted in those very words, and apparently (C) didn't even know about — assuming yours to be an accurate summary of Gibson's remarks.
Hope he sticks closer to the record in telling the Story.
When you say it inspired you to want to read the Gospels, though, that's a really great effect. Hope it's widespread.
Dan
I would hope not - unless Mel finds a replacement for Danny 'I Love Godless Communist Cuba' Glover.
He's right about this. There are many on this site that ignorantly deny the impact of Christ's life and death.
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