Posted on 02/27/2004 12:39:08 PM PST by Mr. Silverback
Every once in a while, a movie comes along that has everybody talking even before it opens. Of course, it's not surprising when it's the latest LORD OF THE RINGS movie or a new installment of STAR WARS and tickets sell by the thousands beforehand. People know these stories and characters, and they can't wait to see them on screen. But who would have expected a movie about Jesus Christ to cause the same kind of excitement? Yet that's exactly what happened with Mel Gibson's THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST, which opened on Wednesday, the first day of Lent.
The media has concentrated on whether or not the film is anti-Semitic -- that's an issue I've discussed before and you can read my answer on our website. Emphatically, the answer is no. But much of the media would grasp at anything to discourage people from seeing this film. And the reason is obvious. Audiences, including some of the BreakPoint staff, report being almost overwhelmed. The director, cast, and crew saw this as a story that deserved their very best, and they created nothing less than a great work of art.
The result has been that Christians and non-Christians alike feel drawn to the film. Internet film critic Harry Knowles, who showed the film to a group of "mainly agnostic" movie lovers, told the WASHINGTON POST that it "blew the audience away." Knowles continued, "We're not a Bible-thumping community. I'm as liberal as can be. And I think I understand the message [of suffering and forgiveness] better than they do" -- referring to the conservatives.
Well, I'm not sure of that. But Knowles's comments raise an important point. Here at BreakPoint, we're always saying, Christians need to engage the popular culture to bring a Christian voice to arenas where it desperately needs to be heard. This film is a chance for people to see that, contrary to popular belief, Christian art doesn't have to be dull or amateurish. In the past, Christians have created some of the most vibrant and inspiring art ever made, and this film follows in that tradition. It is an excellent production, bringing new meaning to the Christian belief that Jesus took our place on the cross. And in the film you realize what a horrible place it was; what a great salvation we have; and what a huge debt of love we owe.
To help you prepare, we've written a short study guide to THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST. If you plan to see the movie, please visit our website (www.breakpoint.org) before you go, to learn what to expect and to pick up some talking points and discussion questions for you and your friends. Also some warnings: The film is so realistic it may be more than some people can handle, especially young children. Of course, this isn't gratuitous or provocative violence; it's simply what happened.
The best art brings out our deepest emotions and forces us to confront ourselves and the world around us. This film owes a great deal to Mel Gibson's own meditations on the last hours of Christ's life. His work can aid us in confronting the truth about God, ourselves, and the world. And this is happening to moviegoers of all beliefs and backgrounds.
Opportunities like this don't come around very often. If you haven't been yet, take a friend to the film or talk to your neighbors who have seen it. Make sure they understand the message of the movie, and then explain what to do once that message is understood.
BTW, according to Bill O'Reilly, the only Wednesday openings bigger than this are Fellowship of the Ring and The Phantom Menace. God gets two out of three, pretty darn slick!
If anyone wants on or off my BreakPoint Ping List, please notify me here or by freepmail.
(Circle the wagons?)
:-)
Clarify, please.
Sorry.
I don't know what is being said either.
I will not see/support Gibson's (Gnostic/Mystic/Out of Context) movie is where I stand.
My comment was that even Colson is now on the 'band wagon' of supporters. (ie. 'Circle the wagons')
I'm waiting to see when Gibson's next 'Gnostic/Mystic' movie will be done.
(another work of art)
(Romans 10:17)
(Out of Context Fog.....)
Gnostic-wood Mystic-wood 'Holly' wood.
:-(
Who cares?
Bible Believers?
:-)
Other than an effective character of the devil lurking in the crowds (showing it was a spiritual battle) this redition of Christ's passion is totally biblically accurate.
How people preport to judge what they refuse to see, I'll never know.
You yourself have, 'said it'.
(You do have a great screen name!)
(Romans 10:17)
Were he alive today, do you think Paul would more likely jump at the chance to see it, or instead stand on the sidelines like you, and ridicule it?
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