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.

[Aquinasfan]

I think he could have made Pilate's character flatter, or else he could have made Caiaphas' character a little rounder.

I agree. Pilate was entirely believable, but not entirely the character portrayed in the Bible. I think his character represents (among other things) modern man and his indifference to truth. Perhaps Mel wanted to make his character more accessible to modern pagans. Caiaphas' motivations could have been explored a bit more. Then again, there are monomaniacal people in this world.

[angelrod]

I saw the movie last night with my wife and brother-in-law. It very violent and bloody and there where times when I had to look away but there was a purpose to all of it. Mel Gibson has said in interviews he made it very violent because he wanted audiences to feel as if they were there. And I did feel like I was witnessing what actually happened to Jesus. The best scene was at the end when the devil went berserk when he realized that Jesus redeemed the world and had defeated the devil. When the movie was over, I could not move off my seat. It was a draining experience that I'm glad I went through. I pray this movie makes a ton of money.

[50sDad]

There is an amazing potential in this to become another Great Awakening. That is why Darkness' Minions are scrabbling like crazy to defame Mel and the project. I am a great believer in Cosmic Theater, that is, the eddies of Good and Evil swim unnoticed around us all the time. It's just that the gloves are starting to come off.

[Aquinasfan]

I nearly lost it when Jesus talks to his mother and tells her he makes things new. Maybe I did, I don't remember, but I'll never forget the image.

That and "Father forgive them because they don't know what they are doing" were absolutely transcendent moments. The flashback of Mary rushing to catch the child Jesus was also very powerful.

[Cboldt]

I believe the 'anti-Semitic' charges against this movie are purposefully designed ...

The reviews on these threads are amazing. Thank you for taking the time to compose your impression, and for being so open with your personal reaction. Evil is real, as you know and noted with the comment you wrote ... "purposely designed." All humans act as tools for Satan (in varying degrees, of course), and it is by the grace of God that we are able to see and resist evil.

[AppyPappy]

With all due respect, Herod/Pilate were probably like that. Romans worshipped wine and I imagine you'd have to get hammered to deal with that rabble down in Jerusalem.

[Texas2step]

Yes. If you read the context...

I did read the context. I still cannot believe you are serious, however. No way you'd approve, much less foxman and his stormtroopers.

But, but, but, I thought you believed he wasn't anti-Semtic already? What's a movie about the Holocaust going to do? I thought this was all about your desire to see him challenge his father, something I believe we have no right to demand.

Whatever.

[Aquinasfan]

Also, I think the portrayal of Satan's role was excellent, and captured the nature of evil rather well.

Yes. Satan wasn't so much evil as hollow, a perverse, twisted shell of a being.

[proud American in Canada]

What a wonderful review you wrote. I can't wait to see the movie--we plan to go this weekend.

[time4good]

"God doesn't send people to hell."

Actually, He does. He is Just AND Loving simultaneously. But even taking it a different way - I saw the mocking thief fully giving himself over to 'come-what-may' license of Satan (via the crow) to have at him NOW once he made his lasting decision of rejecting Christ's salvation.

That's the point I got from that visual.

[Aquinasfan]

I thought maybe he (satan) was doing the in your face that he was a loving father to his child and trying to portray Father God as letting His only Son be reviled and killed.

Excellent! That makes a lot of sense too.

[missyme]

The Movie was Amazing! my husband kept telling me Sh...
your crying to loud..My thoughts the entire time was on one Jew "Jesus" although "Mary's role was powerful in the movie as "Mother" and the Heartless "Jewish Man" who did not want to get involved in Carrying the cross for Jesus showed how much '"Love" he did have for him, it reminded me of what the world is like, not wanting to get involved yet on 9/11 we showed G-d what was truly in us..Just as that man showed Jesus.....

[AppyPappy]

Actually He doesn't. People rush to get in line to go to Hell. God wouldn't stand a bat's chance of stopping them when they are in that big a hurry.

[Aquinasfan]

We got home hours ago and we have been up talking about "faith", "love" etc, etc, etc. ever since. Our friend is struggling with all the above, especially since her dad walked out on her family a year ago. My daughter and I have been talking and crying with her all night.

God bless you.

[CaliGirlGodHelpMe]

"Christians that see faith...like a shabby overcoat that is comforting to own, but never take it out and LOOK at it and consider what it really is."

My vote for post of the week.

[Aquinasfan]

People feel stunned, numb, maybe even physically sick. But underlying it is the sense of "elation" or hopefulness.

That was my reaction exactly. On the drive home, at the deepest level, I felt strangely elated.

[petitfour]

I'm certainly not saying that the movie is anti-Semitic at all. I'm simply saying I can understand how a Jewish person would think so.

Hubby and I agree with you. I do not believe it was Mel's intention. We are all guilty, and that's pretty clear in the movie if you are not hypersensitive to anti-Semitism. I think it goes deeper than just the Jewish leadership sending Jesus to his death. What kind of leadership do churches today have? Are they preaching the Truth? Are they preaching the same thing Jesus prought? Or have they made their own temples and their own methods for a relationship with God?

[The Mayor]

I posted this last night at the finest thread....

I just got home from seeing The Passion. First thing is Wow! I am still stunned and will be for days.

The hardest thing to watch is the brutal whipping Christ received.
But, I have known about the Crucification of Christ since I was a child in Sunday school. But has a Pastor or Priest ever really described to any of us how bad He was beaten.

We have pretty much seen and heard the sanitized version. Christ was beaten, mocked, scorged, spit on, whipped and hit with rocks. It is difficult for us to picture in our minds the utter brutality of the truth of it. In Proverbs it says Christ was beaten beyond recognition.

He was nailed to a wooden cross thru the hands and feet. Can anyone honestly say they have seen a spike driven thru live flesh, I have seen some brutal things done with nails and nail guns in my 30 years as a carpenter. I have hit myself with a hammer, shot nails in my skin and it is not a pretty sight and it is extremely pain full.

If we all can sit and read about the Crusifiction and realize exactly what all those words mean, we could understand that Christ took on the Sins of the World, that thru him we would have everlasting life. I cried, I had to, I had to see how bad it may have been for him to realize the impact of what He did for us.

The film is Biblical, true to the testament with a little of poetic license.

My body hurt when the Cross was lifted up into place with Christ nailed to it. When the Cross hit the bottom of that hole it hit with a force that would have been unbearable for us.


All in all the true fact is,,

Christ has Risen, he is not dead, he is Risen and Sitteth at the Right Hand of God The Father.
It is only Through Him that we can go to GOD The Father Almighty.

I Am, the Alpha and the Omega, The Beginning and the End.

[missyme]

One thing about the movie that was so heartfled was the relationship between "Mary and "Jesus" you can relate to how precious G-d is in the, love, responsibility, and devotion when it comes to "Mother", my question to anyone is if they know is what happened to Mary after the resurrection of Jesus? where did she go? how long did she live? there is no mention of her it's like she disappeared into thin air? anybody know?

[ought-six]

It was an ancient Jewish rite to offer a live sacrifice to God, and it was usually a lamb (hence, Jesus has been called the Lamb of God). Jesus was put on earth to bring that sacrifice to immediacy, to let it be known in no uncertain terms what God intended, and what He felt for us. Hence, the words: God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. Jesus was the sacrifical lamb, offered up to God on our behalf.