Review: Passion of the Christ

[One Eyed Trouser Trout]

Disturbing movie, draining.

The film opens in the Garden where Jesus is sensing that things are going foul. The images of Satan in the Garden and throughout were bothersome, all of the morphing, expressions of glee.

Profound fear sensed in the Jewish High Priest, Pilate. The Jews didn't come across as evil, more that they were afraid of the teachings and believing that the Messiah could not be in their midst in the form of a commoner.

The Romans were nasty -- they took joy in the beatings they administered -- it appeared as though they were drunk on wine or something.

Up until today, I wouldn't have said that 'ambivalence' was a sin. I was struck how ambivalent people were during Jesus' trek up Calvary.

Lots of messages and it follows my understanding of the Gospel rather well. The flashbacks of Jesus professing love amidst His torture was riveting.

Touching, emotional. Perhaps not the type of film where you fully appreciate it fully after 1 viewing. This could be a repeat viewing....my senses were flooded from the opening scene until the credits rolled.

 

[jras]

I don't believe in magic
I don't believe in I-ching
I don't believe in Bible
I don't believe in tarot
I don't believe in Hitler
I don't believe in Jesus
I don't believe in Kennedy
I don't believe in Buddha
I don't believe in Mantra
I don't believe in Gita
I don't believe in Yoga
I don't believe in kings
I don't believe in Elvis
I don't believe in Zimmerman
I don't believe in Beatles
I just believe in me

 

[curious]

It's good to believe in something

I believe I'll go fix myself a drink.

That said (and trying not to spoil the film for anyone who's likely to view it),

be prepared to see a GREAT deal of blood shed.

Seriously, I can't understand how Gibson & Co. avoided getting slapped with an NC-17 or even an X. Absolutely numbing.

 

[vermeer]

I find it fascinating that every religious movement based on Judaism gets, exponentially bigger.

I.e.
Jews: 20 million
Christianity: 1 billion followers
Islam: $1.2++ billion

My bet:
Mormon's will be the biggest organized religion in 100 years.

David Koresh could have been a contender. Maybe he's the next Jesus.

 

[Wwanderer]

Originally posted by jras
I don't believe in magic
I don't believe in I-ching
I don't believe in Bible
I don't believe in tarot
I don't believe in Hitler
I don't believe in Jesus
I don't believe in Kennedy
I don't believe in Buddha
I don't believe in Mantra
I don't believe in Gita
I don't believe in Yoga
I don't believe in kings
I don't believe in Elvis
I don't believe in Zimmerman
I don't believe in Beatles
I just believe in me

Fascinating, exactly the opposite of my beliefs.

-Ww

 

[redleg609]

heard on the news

some guy in Plano, Texas bought out a cineplex to the tune of $42,000 dollars to have the movie shown every half hour for half a day. Invited alot of folks he knew but needed an other 6,000 or so butts to fill all the seats. Sent ***** to six friends asking if they knew anybody and got 21,000 responses.

 

[One Eyed Trouser Trout]

There was a moviegoer near here today who collapsed and died with a heart attack while watching Passion.

 

[lawyer101]

I've heard nothing but good things about this movie. Its as good as it is depressing. I guess we'll have to see if Mel Gibson wins any awards for this movie.

 

[vaddarker]

Originally posted by One Eyed Trouser Trout
Disturbing movie, draining.

i agree OETT.
read ACE's vision of the passion
was deeply unnerved by the details.
the movie was fairly faithful to the book; disturbing, numbing.
imo, difficult to be ambivalent while watching the movie
promised myself i was not going to cry. 'it's Mr. caviezel, thats all'
tears kept flowing. mother/son scenes were especially moving. (WHAT it must have been to be her!)
v

some say: the romans WERE mad that they had to kept awake into the wee hours, had taken sometihng akin to modern day cocaine to keep awake and worked with a drug-head.
nothing in the movie to kindle my anger at the "Jews" - (the movie shows members of the Sanhedrin voicing their protests during the proceedings). imo, not anti-semitic overall.

 

[Casper]

I haven't read this thread for fear someone may have posted the ending to this movie.

I'm seeing it Saturday.

 

[Spaz Medicine]

Originally posted by lawyer101
I've heard nothing but good things about this movie. Its as good as it is depressing. I guess we'll have to see if Mel Gibson wins any awards for this movie.

I am Jewish, so I really cannot comment on this movie because I have not and will not see it (not that I have a problem with it being made, I just have no interest), but I have heard some bad things about this movie. Besides the violence (I have heard it called the most violent movie ever made), I have heard people complain about the portrayal as Ponchas Pilate (I know I probably killed that spelling) as a "nice guy" (or something to that effect, which is a misrepresentation of the truth). I really do not know much about this stuff, so perhaps someone more knowledgeful could enlighten me/us as to what that is all about.

 

[oddfellow4870]

Members of the cultural left are opposed to this film because of the fear of its effectiveness as a tool of revival.

All of a sudden, the standards for accuracy, political correctness, non-violence and anything else they can dream up will be ratcheted up to absurd levels. Art is not the point. It's the effectiveness of the film in mobilizing Christian emotions that is feared.

Jras,

Who cares what you beleive in. It's just a movie right? I don't believe in Gandalf either. But I thought LOTR was terrrific.

Too many Eagles I suppose, but it was great!

 

[jras]

Originally posted by oddfellow4870

Jras,
Who cares what you beleive in. It's just a movie right? I don't believe in Gandalf either. But I thought LOTR was terrrific.

odddude -
LOTR was terrific, but its "book" hasn't spawned any Crusades, racist missionaries, anti-scientific babble, proclamations of infallability, threats to personal choices, hate-mongering or self-righteousness.
(I assumed most folks would recognize the lyrics from Lennon)

Ww-
heh
(do you believe in the Tooth Fairy too?)

 

[Waterclone]

Originally posted by vermeer
I find it fascinating that every religious movement based on Judaism gets, exponentially bigger.

I.e.
Jews: 20 million
Christianity: 1 billion followers
Islam: $1.2++ billion

Christianity wasn't based on Judiasm. Christ was Jewish, but they pretty much dropped the old book in favor of the new one.

Islam isn't based on Judiasm. They just both originated with the same family.

 

[Hawley Griffin]

Horrible movie.

The violence didnt bother me.
The "anti-semitism" didnt bother me.

The direction and glaring lack of message bothered me.
I am not religous whatsoever, BUT, if youre going to show the sacrifice of Jesus in a movie you really should delve into what he made that sacrifice for. It was hardly touched upon.
I suppose Mel assumes everyone is familiar with what Jesus stands for and what he did in his life, (at least the way the new testament tells it) but if youre going to watch 45 minutes of torture and violence and death, then you really should have an empathetic reason for feeling the pain of Christ other than just the torture itself.
If you make a movie about a story that everyone is familiar about you still dont leave out what drives and motivates a character. That would be like having a movie about Hamlet and only showing the end scene where everyone gets killed by poison or dagger. Sure, we all know why Hamlet went mad and acted in this manner, but without the set-up there is much less of an impact to the audience watching.
This movie could have been very good or great. Perhaps Im harsh in saying its horrible, but thats only because of my expectations and my subsequent disappointment. Mel dropped the ball.

 

[vermeer]

Mohammed based his beliefs on a mix of Judaism, Christianity and sprinkles of local mythology.

 

[h. von bingen]

Originally posted by oddfellow4870
Members of the cultural left are opposed to this film because of the fear of its effectiveness as a tool of revival.

what's the cultural left? as a member of the catholic left, i think the fears are that it emphasizes a focus that even the church, in vatican 2, has moved away from. i mean jesus's life is as redemptive as his death. i'd like to note again, that mel gibson, is not merely a conservative member of the catholic church but of a splinter group that doesn't recognize vatican 2 -- i'll see if i can find more info about them. this movie is as much a puff piece for them as as a meditation upon the passion.

(sorry about the sentence ending in a prep.)

 

[h. von bingen]

Originally posted by Waterclone
Christianity wasn't based on Judiasm. Christ was Jewish, but they pretty much dropped the old book in favor of the new one.

that's not true. modern catholics (and catholic scholars) embrace the hebrew bible* as scripture. and, although my knowledge of early christianity is sparse, i think the early christians were viewed as a sect of judiasm (maybe like gibson's catholics are a sect of catholicism). jesus was trying to invigorate judiasm -- part of the idea was that jews of the 1st century while following the letter of the law had lost something of the spirit (moneylenders temple etc.).

*christians of every stripe, win friend and influence people. do not say old testament and new testament, rightfully called = hebrew bible and christian bible. old/new indicates the supercessation which is waterclone refers to.

 

[Hawley Griffin]

The main reason that Christianity dropped the hebrew traditions like passover and keeping kosher was Roman influence (ie. the new members) in not wanting to keep such doctrines and traditions.

 

[h. von bingen]

but luckily it seems romans (being after all ITALIANS) did keep the jewish traditions they liked (like eating too much and having conversations at maximum decibel levels with your relatives).