I agree --the depiction of satan was genius. And it did seem as if Jesus were the only one who saw "him/her."
For me, the portrayl of satan was more psychologically disturbing than even the flogging and the crucifixion, espeicially where the demon-children are tormenting Judas. Here we have absolute evil vs. absolute good --the ultimate showdown.
Satan's mocking of the madonna & child imagery was really powerful! But the crow pecking at the theif's eye was a bit over-the-top. However, I understand that birds and animals feeding on the bodies of the crucified was common, unless someone was there to shoo them away...
Overall, Mel does a fantastic job showing just how evil the entire crucifixion process was, which is something we need to see. The violence in this movie was the furthest thing in the world from the typical Hollywood gratuitous violence that one would find in a "Kill Bill" or "Dawn of the Dead" film. In 'The Passion,' the violence is the means of our redemption, and is probably one of the few, and perhaps only time where violence in a film has been redeeming.
When the critics complain of the violence of this film, it's not really the violence they're criticizing. Rather, they're complaining about the idea that violence can actually be redemptive. How dare we believe that something "good" can actually come from something "evil!" After nearly 2,000 years, the cross is still viewed as "foolishness" and "a stumbling-block."
I agree, Ronzo. What do you make of Satan's howl/scream at the end? I rather thought it had to do with the fact that Satan was aware that he/she/it actually "lost that round," that absolute good had defeated absolute evil.