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Thank you for a very even-handed review from a non-believer. No offence taken here, and no condemnation either.

You do not believe, so to you it was a movie about a man being tortured and executed. End of story.

That said, yours is the review i have been waiting for. no ulterior motives, no underlying agenda, just your raw feelings.

Now, may I ask a couple questions :
Did the movie move you in any way?
Has it raised any questions in your mind about Jesus?
Has it given you any impetus to search for the meaning behind the story you just saw?

NO judgement, no pushing -- I want to know so I know how to approach other non-believers who have seen the movie. I am not a in-your-face evangelical, but I sincerely hope this movie moves some people to come to jesus and search for the reason why those of us who do believe see this movie as a work of love not violence.

Thanks for not flaming me. Posting my review made me nervous - I sincerely don't want to offend anyone - but it's the truth, for me at least.

To answer your questions:

Was the film moving? The first third of the movie was interesting because the violence wasn't overwhelming. I felt as though I was learning something.

The whipping scene was moving because it was so unjust and graphic. From then on, the film became grueling to sit through. If I didn't have to watch it for work-related reasons I would've left.

So the film began as both interesting, educational, and moving but as it went on, became monotonous, difficult, and numbing.

To answer your second and third questions: it was very interesting to see a portrayal of the crucifixion done in a contemporary style. I think a retelling of Jesus' life that included Jesus' teachings, done with Hollywood-style production values could make for a fascinating film.

As it stands now, "The Passion" doesn't leave a great impression. Simply put, I was repelled by the violence, and there wasn't much more to the film beyond the violence. To be fair, I'm sure that there will be non-believers who will want to learn more. Especially since the film raises far more questions than it answers.

Hope this helps.