First Passion viewers emerge stunned

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

[tomball]

Some given free tickets walk out before the end, reports Jonathan Petre

They emerged from the cinema whey-faced, red-eyed and numb: whatever their expectations had been, the first members of the public to see Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ were in various degrees of shock.

Some could not stand the two hours of scourging, blood and crucifixion, and eight of the 180-strong audience at yesterday's afternoon screening at the Odeon in Maidstone, Kent, walked out angrily long before the end.

One woman had to be comforted with cups of tea after she had been escorted out on the brink of tears.

Pearl Crown, 82, said: "It was awful, just awful. I should never have come. I have never seen anything so violent and awful in my life."

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.

She said her Methodist faith had not been rocked by the film but she could not bear to watch the torture meted out to Christ, brutally enhanced by the digital soundtrack and graphic visual images of a Hollywood production. Her husband warned: "If you are sensitive, do not come and see this film."

Another man who left in a hurry after the scourging scene was blunter. "I am offended that the Church has decided to give out free tickets to a film like this. It is almost blasphemous."

But that view was not shared by the majority who filed out at the end dazed and struggling for words, but clearly moved.

"I'm gobsmacked after seeing that film," said Jo Marvell, 27, a holistic therapist. "I feel a bit drippy and embarrassed. I just want to go home."

A non-churchgoer - she had been in a church last month for the first time since her christening because she was preparing to get married - her eyes glistened.

"I don't like brutality and I covered my eyes for most of the time," she said. "Part of me believes in God and part of me doesn't. I don't think I feel differently."

Her boyfriend, Jeremy Druce, 37, said: "I didn't expect to come out feeling as upset as I do. It is very brutal, very moving. It moved me spiritually a little but more in despair at mankind."

Valerie Hawkins, 62, said: "I felt it reminded me of what our faith cost and what we owe. Sometimes we forget the price and that someone had to pay it. I feel numb."

James Williams, 18, who described himself as a lapsed churchgoer, said: "With most films, you come out feeling you want to talk about them. Here you come out in shock."

Russ Hughes, the director of worship and prophecy at St Luke's, defended the church scheme to give out free tickets to the film.

"This is a great way to reintroduce people to Jesus. This is not about attracting people into church but, if one person commits themselves to Jesus as a result, it will be worth the £20,000."

[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?