I purposely put off seeing this film when it was initially released, and have just seen it for the first time on DVD in my home, with my children sitting close by. The furor raised by the critics and commentators concerning the ultra-realistic punishments and abuse heaped on Jesus in this movie kept me away, I'm sorry to say. When I finally did sit down and watch it, it wasn't the scourging or the crucifixion that stayed with me, but the masterful manner in which Mel Gibson had unfolded this most familiar of stories. There was no wasted motion or dialogue, even though the film is just over 2 hours long. I don't think that one has to be a theologian to understand that "The Passion" indicts all of us (humanity) equally; personally, I think that the charges of anti-semitism are empty and misplaced. The Bible clearly states that Jesus voluntarily gave himself to be The Sacrifice, and that includes everyone, from Caiaphas to Pilate to me and you. Real people were certainly involved in seeing to Jesus' physical suffering and death, but I shudder to think what I would have done if I had lived in Jerusalem in those days.
This film is absolutely a must-see for anyone who thought that any predecessor film didn't fully depict Christ's agony. It also does something that I have never seen in a film about Jesus: it shows Him at home with His mother, working as a carpenter, and sharing a humorous moment with her. With that brief scene, Gibson shows us the humanity of Jesus: He did laugh and smile, and He got hungry. Usually, storytellers create a cool, scripture-quoting Jesus, who dies as if He were taking a nap. But not here. When Gibson's Jesus dies, you will feel relief. "The Passion" has taken this story and asked us to look at what happened when unbelievable cruelty was swallowed up by an even more incredible love.
Much better than I imagined it could be. 9/10
This film is absolutely a must-see for anyone who thought that any predecessor film didn't fully depict Christ's agony. It also does something that I have never seen in a film about Jesus: it shows Him at home with His mother, working as a carpenter, and sharing a humorous moment with her. With that brief scene, Gibson shows us the humanity of Jesus: He did laugh and smile, and He got hungry. Usually, storytellers create a cool, scripture-quoting Jesus, who dies as if He were taking a nap. But not here. When Gibson's Jesus dies, you will feel relief. "The Passion" has taken this story and asked us to look at what happened when unbelievable cruelty was swallowed up by an even more incredible love.
Much better than I imagined it could be. 9/10