FR MOVIE REVUE: THE PASSION OF CHRIST (post your comments here)

2/24/04 | FR MOVIE REVIEWERS

[Liz]

All the world is waiting for the powerful message in Mel Gibson's ground-breaking film, The Passion of Christ.

Post here your own personal reactions after seeing the film set to open tomorrow, Ash Wednesday. Passion has previewed in some areas.

Also post reviews and pertinent comments from your state and area's newspapers and publications.

[Liz]

A good review. The film touches something deep in our souls....words don't come easily from that place and, in fact, are not necessary.

[Liz]

As mentioned in a previous post, Mel employed several plot devices to reinforce the many mutations of evil.

....The classic ugliness of the satanic image after Judas betrays Jesus. ....The soft, enticing voice of the androgynous being tempting Christ in the Garden we then see with a maggot emerging from its nostril. ....The scene with evil moving effortlessly among the crowd. ....And the scene with the “baby" caressing its "mother" was truly unnerving.

I think the black crow was also symbolic of evil.... demonstrating what happens if we submit to its lure.

Mel has said he was inspired by one of the greatest books on this subject: The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis.

[TxBec]

Just asked a friend about it too.. here is what she IM'd me..


Satan was taunting him....trying to tell him that he could, through "his child" (not literally of course) destroy the work of Jesus by having him killed... it was pilate, did you catch that?

[.30Carbine]

Good Morning, Liz.

Part of me wanted to tell you what my thoughts were about The Passion of the Christ last night when we got home from the theater. But there was too much to digest. I didn't even want to share my initial comments with my husband...any words I could use are inept and they come from too deep a place...they are still coming to the surface.

The theater was completely filled. I saw many people I know from many different churches. Some churches had bought and were buying blocks of 20 to 30 tickets for members. The crowd waiting to enter the theater 45 min. before the 6:15pm showing was incredibly varied in every way.

Please keep in mind that the words I am about to use to describe this movie and my reaction to it seem to me not quite right. I've even checked my thesaurus to try to find stronger, more true, more accurate words but they just don't exist.

It is the first time I've sat to the end of a movie's credits. I'm glad I did: there is a choral "amen, amen," at the very end which my soul needed to hear. Contrary to many others' experiences, 95% of the moviegoers in Montpelier, Vermont got up as soon as the credits began to role, put on their jackets, and left. They were not silent, but they were subdued. I couldn't move; it seemed like a profanity to do so. I couldn't speak; even telling my seatmates to go on without me seemed profane. I didn't want to speak, to move, or to ever leave. I didn't want to disturb the balance of emotion - which might be called true love or deep passion or sublime ecstasy - the film had given rise to in me.

The Passion of the Christ is the most beautiful film I have ever seen. It may be the greatest work of art I have ever had the privilege to experience, and it is certainly the highest form of art devoted to my Savior in history. Thank you, Mr. Gibson.

I understand now what it means to be a Catholic. I think I am one.

As a born-again believer I have struggled with the Catholic doctrines of Mary. I don't have to struggle any more. She was and remains the mother of my Lord, Jesus Christ. Mary suffered more than any woman in all of history, all with the strength (utter frailty) of faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

There is not one scene or line of text that I can disparage in this film. It could not be more perfect.

Asides:
I loved every scene with Claudia.

I believe the crow at the crosses scene is merely another depiction in this film of the way in which the torment of unbelievers and blasphemers begins before physical death. It is pictured in Judas' torments as well. There really isn't any other way these torments could have been depicted without scenes in hell itself.

I took the demonic 'baby' in Satan's arms in the road to Calvary scene as an image of the Beast/antichrist (who is still to come in history), Satan's utterly false imitation of the Son.

Comparing the 'violence' of this movie to that of war films is another in a long line of disturbing lies that are designed to prevent people from viewing the beauty of Christ's passion. I did not have to close my eyes or turn away once, yet I have done so with Saving Private Ryan, and was so disgusted by Gladiator that I refused to watch the last three-quarters of that movie. There is no comparison between typical Hollywood violence and the redeeming blood Christ shed for sinners. It is a false comparison.

I believe the 'anti-Semitic' charges against this movie are purposefully designed to prevent God's Holy, Chosen People, the Jews, from seeing it. This depiction of the passion of the Christ will save souls. A Jew who would not dream of reading the New Covenant/Testament, if not held captive by the false charges against it, will see this movie and understand that the Messiah has come and his name is Yeshua.

A hard-hearted person will find no glory here, will not see the majesty, will continue in his sin and darkness.

I sobbed and moaned; I cried out the English word 'Come!' without meaning to during the scene in which Jesus tells his disciples that the Holy Spirit will come to help them...but the word in my mind was "Maranatha!"

The languages are perfect and so is the gentle choice of subtitles.

I am changed forever and still finding out in what ways that is so.

[TxBec]

As a born-again believer I have struggled with the Catholic doctrines of Mary. I don't have to struggle any more. She was and remains the mother of my Lord, Jesus Christ. Mary suffered more than any woman in all of history, all with the strength (utter frailty) of faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

I'm so glad you said this. She's always been my Blessed Mother.

[Liz]

Stunning insights....a marvelous review. Gave me chills to read your vivid observations. Allusion to the ugly baby as the anti-christ resonates.

[Captain Culpepper]

Thanks for the thread.

First, I am writing this this morning instead of last night because I was emotionally exhausted and plain 'ole tired last night. Which goes to the review.

I left the theatre drained. I practically didn't exhale until I left was in the hallway after the movie. I had read about this movie for almost a year and watched the interviews and saw the hype. I was prepared to be disappointed.

This movie exceeded my expectations. It was better- and different- than I expected.

There are tons of specific reasons for the brilliance and powerful emotion of this film, but I'll try to be succinct (I wasn't too successful at this as I spoke about it driving home with my wife afterwards, but I'll try-- BTW- my wife.. she started crying about 1/2 way to 3/4 of the way thru... she couldn't talk about it in words at first, but at home she told me it started with the scene of Mary wanted to help Jesus when he was carrying the cross and her flashback to when He was a child)....

*** The story beatifully intervoved the Passion with flashbacks of Gospel first party preaching by Jesus.. These Gospels EXPLAIN why the Passion was necessary (for those reviewers- especially the one in the NYDAILY NEWS who didn't get it-- it was that God's LOVE for ALL MANKIND is so overwhelming that he became Man and died for ALL of our sins)

*** The story brilliantly shows the inhumanity in ALL of us.. by all of the different characters in the movie.
The Roman Guards-- brutal, sadistic, evil

Pilate-- a weak man, who thinks he sees the Truth, but saves his own skin from Caesar by allowing/permitting/seeing to Jesus' death (btw, IMO the role of Pilate is Gospel accurate and people who have a problem with Pilate seeming "benign" have a problem with the Gospels, not Mel Gibson.... He "washed" his hands of the deed, and put it up for a vote, because he hoped for a sparing of his life... but in the end, permitted the horror to occur.. Not exactly a noble figure in my view.

Caiphus-- likey the most controversial of the characters. I presented as an almost evil man... people might say that it characterizes Jews in some way and is the heart of the anti-Semitic charges. I see it as him being a man who is selfish of his OWN POWER and will not let it go.
Again, part of EVERYONE'S human nature, that must be fought as we move through life...

Mary- incredible portrayal. Very few lines in the movie, but her presence was palpable throughout. Deserves an Oscar (not that it matters in the scheme of things though, obviously)..

There are so many others, but to me.. the bottom line is that these characters represent (with exception of Mary).. the human flaws in all of us.. there is a battle of good vs. in evil in each of us, and throughout history....due to Original Sin.. and Jesus came to save us. History repeats itself and the human characteristics that oversaw Jesus' curcifixion plays out throughout history... to the evils of the Holocaust and Pol Pot in Cambodia, to the everyday vices and avarices that each human soul battles with...


To me the message was simple. Based on Gospel.

Believe in him, try to practice his very very difficult teachings, and you, me, and we all will be better off.

[keats5]

Thanks for all you replys. The counterfeit Madonna and Child portrayal sounds about right to me. I have read the Screwtape Letters, and that seems to fit with Lewis' portrayal of Satan (although I think Lewis would have shown a beautiful baby).

I wonder if the crow pecking out the bad thief's eye meant that although Christ provided a way to be forgiven, those who continue to mock God, and refuse His forgiveness, will still suffer Hell. Just as the dove was a sign of the Heaven that awaited Christ, the crow was a sign of the Hell that awaited the mocking thief.

[PigRigger]

"Though it may sound odd, I wondered if at some time all of us haven't had a little of Peter and even Judas in us at some time or another...."

Odd? My friend what you have just described is the human condition.

How many times do we sit and watch when innocencence is persecuted; how many times do we put our own self interest above the interests of others?

It's called vanity, selfishness and greed; it is our sinful nature. The very bondage Christ released us from by his death and resurrection.

Odd, no. You understand perfectly the reality of our condition.

[leadpenny]

FYI
The God Squad is coming up on Imus in the Morning.

MSNBC and WFAN

[Proud_texan]

"Some of the scenes look like they came right out of a Renaissance painting."

That struck me, too. I thought you could probably take just about any frame, put it on canvas and it could hang in a museum.

Otherwise the movie left me completely wrung out and full, all at the same time. The Wednesday 3:30 PM showing, in liberal Austin, Tx, was sold out. The reaction afterwards was typical of what I've read elsewhere, no one moved after the movie was over, most everyone just sat there and afterwards just kind of stood around in the lobby not saying anything.

I think remarkable pretty much sums it up for me.

[Liz]

Appreciate your thoughts on this ground-breaking artistic and intellectually satisfying film.

As for the religious angle.....

The History Channel has been rerunning an hour show on Who Killed Jesus that contains some interesting material.

Some people say that Mel's film portrayed Pilate as too sympathetic for what his actual role was in Christ's death.....you say he was weak.

The HC show emphasized that Jesus infuriated Caiphas by throwing the moneychangers out of the temple. This was Caiphas' reasoning for bringing Jesus before the chief priests of the temple and the fact that Jesus was preaching things that Caiphas considered a challenge to his own power.

The chief priests had no power to get rid of Jesus. They needed Pilate --and Roman law that prevailed---to do that for them.

But Pilate, as a Roman leader, had no say over Jewish transgressions and had in fact said he thought Jesus was innocent. Also, Pilate was sensitive to his wife begging him to save Jesus.

So Caiphas cleverly changed the charge the chief priests made against Jesus, and instead made Jesus' crime look to be as sedition against Rome: Caiphas told Pilate that Jesus said he was king of the Jews---an affront against Rome---which helped Caiphas turn Pilate again Jesus.

That rather explains Mel's portrayal of Pilate.

[TxBec]

I went to the 11:30 showing (the first in our theater) ... it was sold out.

[Aquinasfan]

Just as the dove was a sign of the Heaven that awaited Christ, the crow was a sign of the Hell that awaited the mocking thief.

I agree, but it made God seem vengeful. God doesn't send people to hell. People choose to go to hell as a result of their own decisions.

[Liz]

Nice summing up. I will always think of Mary with Maia Morganstern's handsome, strong features rather than the pretty, fair-looking woman we're used to seeing.

[connectthedots]

Thought it was an excellent movie. Most of the dialog was straight from the Bible with really no substantive artistic license. Surprised at how little dialog was in thew movie.
The scouraging was really graphic, especially one of the lashes. You won't have to guess which one once you see it. I did think they did over do the scourging. Can't imagine anyone surviving it do to what would have been a massive loss of blood. Really dragged out Christ carrying the cross.

The visual impact of the entire movie is astounding and I doubt many people will sleep well after seeing this movie, but I suppose that is the intent.

For Christians who are familiar with the Bible, there is really no reason to see it a second time; so I doubt that the movie will benefit from people seeing it multiple times.

When I left the theater I thought that the ending could be used to set the stage for a sequel "The Resurrection of Christ" or some other similar title.

This will undoubtedly be a big box office hit, and even though I am a Christian; I think it would be fair to say that the acting is not so special that I would expect it to receive any major Oscars and maybe only a few nominations.

It is the story that makes this movie so special; a true story of the last hours of the life of Christ.

[Liz]

Thanks.

[Aquinasfan]

I am changed forever and still finding out in what ways that is so.

Thanks for your beautiful review.

[.30Carbine]

I will see it again at the theater and I will buy the DVD.

[Aquinasfan]

Did you hear that one Roman say "let's make music" before they started beating Jesus?

I don't know Latin, but I wouldn't be surprised. Apparently, the line, "his blood be on us and on our children" is spoken in the movie, but not subtitled either.