First Passion viewers emerge stunned

The Telegraph News UK ^ | 03/27/2004 | Jonathan Petre

[Eala]

Thank you very much! I missed that one somehow...

[Cicero]

I wonder why the Telegraph is taking this position? And the BBC, by contrast, published a very fair review.

[Temple Owl]

Mrs Crown and her husband, Frank, 88, were among those who received free tickets to the screening from a group of local churches led by St Luke's in Maidstone, which spent £20,000 buying all the seats for the first three days.

Those poor people could have had a heart attack. Of course they could have had a heart attack watching Mary Poppins.

[I still care]

It's because the mod moved it to chat - I don't get it, but he did.

[Capriole]

"Saving Private Ryan" is not even in the same ballpark when it comes to blood and suffering, even in its worst scenes. Much easier to sit through that.

[Kirkwood]

I wonder what some of these people were thinking they would see? I'm not saying I blame them for being disturbed by the film, but after all the talk of the nature of the film, you would think people would realize it was going to be bloody, grisly, realistic, and show the barbarity of Christ's torturers and executioners.

[JusPasenThru]

Gee, I thought the part with the soldier lying on the beach calling for his mother while his guts spilled out of his belly onto the sand was kinda gross. Didn't you think so?

[Solson]

The Passion was the most individual experience movie I've ever seen. Each person leaving will have a different response, different emotions and different follow through. I left not wanting to discuss the movie with anyone...not even my wife. IT is a very personal movie. It took me a full 24-36 hours to digest the movie and be willing to discuss.

[Libloather]

It is very brutal, very moving.

Anything like the Brits may have 'imposed' on any other civilization?

[Twinkie]

I left the theatre rejoicing that Christ stayed the
course, He looked neither to the right nor the left,
He stayed the course. He didn't have to, He chose to.
They had boxes of tissues at the exit, but it was
shouting ground to me by that time - not crying time.

[JasonC]

What about when you feel drippy? (lol)

[GeronL]

Those farthest from Jesus in their hearts will be most likely to walk out and shout curses for the media.

[GeronL]

8 out of 180 walk out and they get a story about them... bo story about the 172 others?

[McGavin999]

It's time people were confronted with the truth. They have always known that Christ died on the cross for their sins, but they never wanted to know exactly what that meant.

We needed that reminder. Scourged, crown of thorns, crusifixion, what did they think that meant?

[potlatch]

I went to see it 3 days ago. You do come out feeling 'quiet'. When someone asks you 'how you liked it' you pause, then say "it was very moving". There is no other way to describe it.

I was not shocked at anything I saw because we have been hearing everything about it for weeks. Today it opens in London.

[hummingbird]

We needed that reminder. Scourged, crown of thorns, crusifixion, what did they think that meant?

Absolutely! (still don't know if I've been "gobsmacked," though)

[Don W]

Gobsmacked? Wow! I hate it whenever I get gobsmacked!

4 posted on 03/26/2004 6:07:39 PM PST by Terry Mross

Gobsmacked=stunned, amazed, shocked.

Gob: mouth , as in "shut your festering GOB".

Smacked: self-explanatory

[sittnick]

"brutally enhanced by the digital soundtrack and graphic visual images of a Hollywood production. "

It wasn't a Hollywood production.

Icon is not a Hollywood studio. Gibson has been blackballed by Hollywood. Nearly all the actors and actresses are from Italy, with some notable roles coming from Romania and Bulgaria. No Hollywood money, not even a Hollywood distributor. The whole thing was filmed in Matera, Italy and Rome.

[hummingbird]

Thanks, Don W...well, from your definition, it appears I have been right properly "gobsmacked" (once on FreeRepublic even!).

[vpintheak]

I am sure a lot more people felt positive about this movie than what is reported here. Funny how mostly bad comments make it in, isn't it?