Movies are powerful political tools. It's a fallacy to think movies mirror society. It's always been the other way around. Movies create public opinion. They're more potent than people imagine.
That, and the fact that films press not only words but images into our head which can linger for a long time.
"The Passion of the Christ" concentrated on Christ's suffering rather than on His willingness to fulfill His Father's mission. Christ was the "Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." Gibson, an actor who's bared his heaving chest in dozens of torture scenes, would have us believe a better description is "the Lamb beaten, bloodied, roasted, toasted and split apart by slobbering Jews."
But this isn't really the image of Christ Scripture gives us. God's word presents the facts, horrific and damning as they were, but it does not make us dwell incessantly on Christ's agony and pain. Scripture instead focuses on giving us the hope of the Resurrection.
And that hope is preached to Jews and Gentiles alike.
Gibson didn't even show the Resurrection. "The Passion" ended with Christ on the cross. Gibson missed the best part. He ignored the money scene.
Also, "Christ-killer" is a Romanist pejorative, as Gibson's movie over-illustrated.
All that being said, I do admit 80% of Hollywood despises Christianity. They loathe it because they do not understand it. So, from that perspective, it was a miracle Gibson's movie was made and has received such world-wide attendance.
I like Gibson. He said in an interview once that he believed "everything" in life was controlled by God -- people, cars, events. Everything. I admired that candor. I think he's correct on that point.
"Braveheart" was great, and "Conspiracy Theory" was worth seeing twice. But for someone who seemed to understand the evil that men do and the lengths to which men go to control other men, he sure is a knucklehead.
"Didn't you guys ever watch the show?!?" -- Guy Fleegman, Crewman #6, "Galaxy Quest."
And finally, what's up with this...?
PERTH MAN TAUGHT MEL GIBSON HYPNOSIS
Two-way mirrors within mirrors.
AND...the Jews did not kill Christ. We ALL did, but as Jesus said, "No man takes my life from me, I give it up of myself.". Praise his holy name!
Gibson didn't even show the Resurrection. "The Passion" ended with Christ on the cross. Gibson missed the best part. He ignored the money scene.
Did you walk out early? The version I saw at the theatre ended, not with the cross, but with the resurrection.
It may not be popular to say but I found that movie compelling and moving on a lot of different levels. I agree with the criticism where it deviated from Scripture, but it took courage to make. His career would have been over had it failed at the box office.
I feel bad for him and his family. I'm sorry to see him self destruct. Maybe the Holy Spirit is drawing him to the Lord in all this turmoil.
INTERESTING.
I suspect, unless he happened to be wallowing in guilt for some reason,
He’d be quite surprised to find out he’s NOT Roman Catholic.
Besides . . . where’s all this hubris about ONCE RC, ALWAYS RC????
Oh, right, except when not.
So, what’s the scoop on “Inception”?
Trailer looks good.