Mel Gibson's Passion

Crosswalk ^ | 6/13/03 | Holly McClure

[ninenot]

Hebrew was only used occasionally--in the Temple, for certain legal proceedings, etc.

Aramaic was what was spoken by the people. Latin, of course, by the Roman soldiers.

[Tweeker]

I agree with you that Hebrew must be spoken in the movie.

If the movie is centered on the last 12 hours of Jesus' earthly ministry of which 6 of those hours were on the cross then Hebrew should be heard. During those hours the books of Matthew & Mark recall that Jesus cried out, My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me and both testaments give us the actual words spoken as:
"Eli, Eli. Lama sabachthani" If the article is correct with the movie dialogue not having Hebrew then what will the dialog be since the first three words are Hebrew?
Eli - My God Eli - My God Lama - why
Maybe: Deos Meos, Deos Meos Cur sabathani.
I think not.

[MHGinTN]

But then there's the aramaic for "It is finished"

[Tweeker]

I have no problem with Aramaic being spoken in the movie
I have no problem with Latin (whether it be veni-vidi-vici or weni-widi-wici) being spoken.
I just have a problem when the Hebrew language is ommitted and it shouldn't be.

I think that this shows a prejudice by the movie makers (or their publicists)against biblical accuracy in favor of a particular religious prejudice.

[Tweeker]

I have no problem with Aramaic being spoken in the movie
I have no problem with Latin (whether it be veni-vidi-vici or weni-widi-wici) being spoken.
I just have a problem when the Hebrew language is ommitted and it shouldn't be.

I think that this shows a prejudice by the movie makers (or their publicists)against biblical accuracy in favor of a particular religious prejudice.

[MHGinTN]

To quote Stitch, "What ever."

[MHGinTN]

Perhaps that should be "What everrrr"

[VOA]

Thanks for posting about the longest, most in-depth article I've seen
on this project.

It will be interesting to see if it meets the usual quality of Gibson's work...
or exceeds it.

I'm trying to get my mind ready for no subtitles...but of course, when the
DVD is released (which is where a LOT of the real money in "movies" is)
I'm sure the subtitles will be an option.

[FreedomSurge]

"I think that this shows a prejudice by the movie makers (or their publicists)against biblical accuracy in favor of a particular religious prejudice."

Where exactly in the story should Hebrew be spoken? It was not the common vernacular of the Jews of the day. What prejudice are you accusing Gibson of? Please be specific instead of hiding behind inuendo.

[DoughtyOne]

In the interest of accuracy, I would have to agree that whatever language was germane, it should be present in the proper places in the movie. I don't consider this to be a small insignificant point, but it does bother me somewhat the magnifying glass this whole subject is getting by people who don't know very much at all that is rock solid about the production.

This isn't aimed at you or anyone in particular btw, I just think we all need to sit back and allow the movie to rise or fall under it's own weight, and that includes me.

I happen to think it will be good. If there are parts we don't like, it can still be an edifying and enlightening experience, because we can discuss it afterwards. This work will spread the story and allow a reopening of subject matter that is more important than just about anything we discuss here.

No man will ever be able to create the perfect 'above reproach' depiction of this subject matter. There will always be a quarter from which it will be viewed as flawed. Therefore we have to allow him to produce this, then critique it for what it is or isn't. At least that's my take.

If I didn't like ten seconds of the movie, it would still cause me to re-evaluate my own beliefs. Isn't that the highest calling of any work?

[Northern Yankee]

According to an interview Mel Gibsom gave to Catholic Radio, a few months back, he assured the interviewer that Hebrew was going to be included in the movie!

[truthandlife]

This will be a dificult movie to get through on a personal level but I believe it will encourage many and many people will for the first time open the Gospels to find out who Jesus really is. A few pictures from the movie. :

[truthandlife]

Long read but well worth it. Enjoy!

[Northern Yankee]

Stunning picture.

Where are the 2 thieves?

Maybe in another shot?

Still... its a stunning thing to behold.

Does anyone know if there will be a storm rising upon the death of Jesus? (IN the movie... that is!)

[DoughtyOne]

Thanks for the photos. I'll check the site out too.

When contemplating the life of Jesus, one of the aspects most people fail to think of is how they would have received Him in His time. I know we see Him in His day from a distance. I know we accept Him today, but how would we have reacted to His physical presence? He's standing there. That is Him. There is the Hope of mankind, the road to salvation. What am I doing? How am I taking it all in? How am I reacting?

Would we catch a moment in His life where we might think of Him as puffed up because of His self-assurance? Would we find Him sacreligious because of His claims of status. Would we be turned off? Would we deny him? Would we fail to recognize in Him the Redeemer He was?

God's threshhold for accepting people into His flock is an interesting study. People who denied Christ none-the-less seem His chosen. Those who did recognize, sometimes seems destined to damnation.

When Star Wars, the Matrix and other movies suck all the attention out of the room, there is a story that remains to be told in it's full and amazing breadth. It is at story that would put them all to shame, for unlike them, it is real. It is truth. It is the story that we may only see a glimpse of in Gibson's movie.

To the extent that it explains what and why, this movie could be epic. I hope God was with him in his efforts, and that he was listening.

[truthandlife]

Where are the 2 thieves?

I am sure they will be there in the movie. This was just a shot of the set and remember it took 15 days of filming just on the cross.

[truthandlife]

Long read but well worth it. Enjoy!

[djf]

"To extend his own long cherished but scanty knowledge of the Syriac language, the writer commenced reading the Peshito Syriac New Testament in January, 1845, and at every step he found increasing delight. The artless simplicity, directness, and transparency of the style, --the propriety and beauty of the conceptions of Christ and his followers, as expressed in a Shemitish dialect very nearly identical with their vernacular tongue, the pleasing thought that the words were, probably, in great part, the very terms which the Savior and his Apostles actually uttered in their discourses and conversations, and especially the full comprehension which the Syriac translator seemed to have of the force and meaning of the inspired original, served to chain attention and hold the mind spell bound to the book"


Preface
The New Testament;
or,
THE BOOK OF THE HOLY GOSPEL
of our Lord and our God,
JESUS THE MESSIAH.
A literal translation from the Syriac Peshito version
By James Murdock, D.D.
Robert Carter and Brothers
1879


Badly needs rebinding, in my possession since 1980

[truthandlife]

Long read but well worth it. Enjoy!

[xJones]

This has all sounded like it will be a most powerful movie about the last hours of Jesus. I'll be there on opening day with my family.