Brief summary of the film
The Passion of the Christ is a 21st Century film which portrays the last twelve hours of Jesus Christ before he was crucified. The movie is in Aramaic and Latin and that definitely gives it a different feel. The movie seems to start in the middle of everything and we join in when Jesus is in the Garden of Gethsemane praying. Interesting enough and unlike other passion plays/movies, Satan appears to Jesus in the Garden and has a conversation with him. Jesus doesn’t really pay Satan too much attention and eventually Satan disappears.
In the beginning of the movie, we don’t see Judas betraying Jesus but we can assume it has already happened because Jesus is arrested and the movie takes a different turn. The Pharisee’s bring Jesus to Pilate so he can decide if he will be saved or condemned to death. The pharisee’s tell Pilate Jesus’ crime and but Pilate responds by handing the matter over to King Herod. Herod (who seems to be hung over or maybe recovering from a night of festivities) laughs at the matter, thinks Jesus is crazy, and has him sent back to Pilate.
Pilate gives the crowd a choice, Barabbas or Jesus – crowd picks Barabbas and Jesus is handed to the Roman solders to be whipped. This happens repeatedly with a strip of leather with spikes on it. He is whipped front and back and viewers watch as the blood oozes out of Jesus’ back and stomach. The solders inflict pain but are careful not to kill him (just yet). They bring him back to Pilate, who literally washes his hands and walks away. Jesus carries his cross and is eventually hung till his death. This movie has a lot of interesting symbols included in the midst of al the violence such as the snake that appeared in the garden while Jesus was praying. I’m not really sure what that was supposed to mean but If Satan had not appeared during that scene I would have thought the snake would have symbolized Satan’s presence in the garden with Jesus. When I see children in Jesus films, I usually think of what Jesus said in Matthew 19:14, Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." In this movie, children are portrayed as little devils and Satan can be seen caring a child while Jesus is being whipped children. The children are also seen tormenting Judas to his death and image can be disturbing. Maybe Mel Gibson wanted us to see that evil can also be found in what looks innocent and If Satan can use a serpent, then why not a child.
Style and era it was made
This film was released in the United States on Ash Wednesday, April 25, 2004. I find it interesting that this movie would premier on a night when millions of people are beginning their forty days of prayer and fasting. Lent gives us time to reflect on the life and suffering of Christ. Some take this time to repent, meditate, and ask what Jesus would do? This movie is not in English but it was filmed in Aramaic and Latin. I believe this was a way for the film to show its authenticity. This film was well received and while Gibson says he made this film for the unbeliever, I believe it has an evangelical feel to it.
Films intentions and emphasis
“My intention for this film was to create a lasting work of art and to stimulate serious thought and reflection among diverse audiences of all backgrounds,” says Gibson. Gibson wanted to stimulate serious thought and reflection and that he did. The movie is rated R for “sequences of graphic violence” and blood is the result of this violence and in my opinion the intention.
"The ancients believed that blood was the seat of the emotions.” Blood is a universal, cultural, biblical, and sacred symbol that has different meanings for a lot of people. From the time Jesus is arrested, this movie shows a lot of blood. I’m not sure what’s worse, the violence or the amount of blood that is spilled. In the bible, blood is sometimes used metaphorically to present sacrifice and suffering. I would say Gibson wanted to use blood to stir up emotions of guilt. I also believe Gibson wanted his audience to think of the blood Jesus shed for the atonement of sins and also have an awareness of having done wrong or committed a crime, accompanied by feelings of shame and regret. Mel Gibson also says “my ultimate hope is that this story’s message of tremendous courage and sacrifice might inspire tolerance, love and forgiveness. We’re definitely in need of those things in today’s world.” I agree with Gibson that we are always in need of tolerance, love, and forgiveness but I don’t think this movie stirred up those feelings nor would I walk away thinking tolerance, love, and forgiveness can only be found in the church or through the suffering of Jesus Christ.
Audience for this movie
Maybe Mel Gibson was incorrect when he said he made this movie for the unbeliever because this film does not offer enough information about the life and teaching of Jesus to get an unbeliever to raise questions about faith and Christianity. This film starts in the middle and for the rest of the movie, we see a man that is tortured and does not have a problem hiding his mental and physical pain.
The perfect audience for this film would be evangelicals, biblical scholars, and church study groups. These audiences will probably have background information about what is going on without raising too many questions about who Jesus really is and why he suffered the way he did. Due to the violence, I would also add this movie is not appropriate for young children or maybe even the elderly. Passion is a word that means the suffering of Christ. Mel Gibson titled this film The Passion of the Christ and that is exactly what we saw, the suffering of Jesus Christ.
The Passion of Christ
ReplyDeleteThis is only the second time that I have watched this film and I do not recommend it for the faint at heart. One movie reviewer even compared it to a horror movie. I may could see the resemblance if I were not a Christian. It is important to Christianity that we understand that the sequence of event of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection are the saving power of our faith. All of these are important to our belief, many even recite creeds on Sunday’s affirming there importance.
Gibson’s film focuses on Jesus’ last few hours of life with a few scenes thrown in of His life and resurrection. Why Gibson thought the Passion part was so important for many I am not sure, even though he tried to say that it was an evangelism tool, I would probably not show it to a non-Christian. The brutality of the movie for many was over emphasized. On many points I would agree Gibson went a little overboard and few if any would have survived such a beating and then continued torture as they processed to the cross.
Torture was brutal then and now. Sometimes I think we have ether become over sensitized or under sensitized to the actual persecution that did and does take place around the world. I believe many would like to think that no such thing ever existed but it would be a lie. I believe that it is important that we as Christians understand not only Jesus’ life and resurrection but His means of death. There is an extreme amount of symbolism in the sacrifice of Jesus as our scapegoat or sacrificial lamb. For me it completes the whole of the Bible and brings the satisfaction of the law, the reason why no more sacrifice is needed today.
A moving event in the movie is how pilot’s wife brings Mary the mother of Jesus a stack of towels to wipe up the blood on the floor. It brings up the idea that no part of the sacrifice is to be wasted or disposed of non-ceremoniously. As today we are taught to be careful on how we dispose of the sacraments used in worship. We very are careful in how and where the water of baptism and the elements of communion are eliminated.
Gibson’s Jesus as shown as a very human Jesus yet in the end is also God and gave up His life freely. I would have liked to see more of the resurrection scene at the end of the movie but still it was very moving. There is another cut of the film I am told that one could purchase that is not as graphic with some of the scenes cut-out.. Whether that one would be a better tool for evangelism, I cannot say. I can only say that I do own my own copy of the original but at this time have no urge to watch it again. I have used clips of this movie for sermons and teaching and know that I will do so again. The cinematography for me was very moving and I know that clip use can be done for all individuals to emphasis Biblical points.
In the end it is the importance of Jesus’ whole experience, life, death and resurrection, that is essential to our faith. To focus entirely on one or the other would leave us out of balance and may not provide us with the knowledge we need to continue on to perfection.