The media lied about the movie being "a violent gore fest.
The media lied about the movie making no point about the meaning of his suffering.
The media lied about the Christ's suffering being disconnected from his life.
Lies, lies, lies, lies, lies
Wow. We all wish we'd said that.
I saw it last night. The show before ours and the show I saw was sold out. For me, it was definitely an experience... not just an ordinary movie. I knew of course that Christ suffered and died on the cross for our sins, but seeing it in graphic images is very different than just reading the words. It was heart-wrenching, knowing that He willingly went through all that, for all of us. It made me cry... a lot of people in the theatre were crying. There was one point when people were losing it, crying out loud, I think it was when they were actually nailing Him to the cross... it was definitely moving.
I agree with what Criminal said... the brutality and horribleness of the Roman executioners, how they mocked and spit on Him, and the mob who called for His death, it all shows the ugliness of mankind. But even when Jesus was on the cross, and they were still mocking Him, He was forgiving... it makes me think we are unworthy... He went through hell for us, and so many people don't realize it or believe it.
other thoughts
Just as I suspected, the hype about anti-semitism was bs. It showed what actually happened, and the fact is, not all the Jews were the bad guys. Jesus Himself, and the disciples, and many of his followers were Jews.
If Mel Gibson's goal was to show Christ's suffering, out of Love, to make us appreciate our salvation even more, then Mel not only achieved that goal but hit it out of the park. I was inspired by this film, not to sound sappy, but it affected my love and faith, and it makes me want to be better, seeing what Jesus went through.
Mel Gibson deserves big thanks for making this, and I hope this film does REALLY well... I will probably see it again, hopefully with some unbelieving friends of mine.
In contrast, Gibson does not glamorize violence. And there are no bedroom romps, no cool banter, no plug for political correctness. No wonder Hollywood bigwigs and their lackeys are having hissy fits.