Posted on 03/26/2004 6:03:55 PM PST by 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."
John 6
66. From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
67. "You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve.
68. Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
What did 2 more leave?
So true. I've seen it twice so far and it was a very different experience the second time. I was much more able to appreciate the acting and the score the second time. It was also neat to recognize (to some degree) at which points they switched between languages. I even caught myself in a huge mistake based on the first viewing in that initially I did not know who the person was who appeared before Jesus just before he said "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do". That was a genuine surprise. Anyway, if you do see it again, I highly recommend doing whatever you must to see it with people who have not seen it before. The "yeah man, I've been there" feeling is very cool.
The suffering and shame required to pay the price for my sin. Deliverance fron the slavery of sin and death that was paid by Christ the Messiah was horrendous. Many strong men did not survive the scourging which was designed to bring the condemned near death from trauma and blood loss. The 40 stroke limit was to prevent premature death. The only omission in the film from a historical scourging and crucification was the contemned had no covering and was naked to increase the suffering and shame.
Never has preaching had the impact of this visual presentation. By His stripes we are healed.
Huh?
I took one with me to the theater; used almost half of it by the time the movie was done. VEY powerful!
Luke 17:12-1912. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance
13. and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!"
14. When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed.
15. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice.
16. He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him--and he was a Samaritan.
17. Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?
18. Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?"
19. Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well."
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