I have not seen the movie yet. I do plan on buying the DVD to watch.
I do know that it is a very moving film. Many of the non-Christians thought the movie would cause anti-Semitics reactions. As far as know none of that has happened.
I have finally seen this movie, my wife and I purchased it on DVD in hopes that it would have an English track on it so we wouldn't have to read the movie (her choice, I didn't really care).
My wife is a lifelong Catholic and have done a lot of research on various religions and was brought up Christian, but after doing the research, I decided Buddhism better represented my feelings and outlook on life... Ok, enough of the backstory...
Having seen many other versions of the passion play, I thought Gibson did a good job of getting the emotions that he wanted accross from the screen to the viewer. All the main characters were there and Gibson had a good flow going from scene to scene.
I didn't like the devil character and thought it added very little outside the one scene where she(?) interacts with Jesus.
I liked the interactions between Pilate and and Jesus and felt Pilate character was slightly too sympathetic. I can't imagine that somone that had risen through the ranks of the Roman empire to the level of Governor would allow himself to be as impassioned about local religious affairs as he was portrayed. I did like that Gibson stuck to the story of Pilate trying as hard as he could to spare Jesus his life.
The scourging was disturbing, but nowhere near as gruesome as you be led to believe from the descriptions I had read. Yeah, I fliched now and again, but I think it added to the emotion of the film. The only thing I didn't like about it was the latex body suit that could be seen from that scene forward.
The rest of the film was excellent. Veronica and Simon were well introduced and the crucifixion was what could have happened.
I also did not see the controversey of anti-semitism in the film that is not in abundance in every other version of the passion play. The high priests of the temples knew Jesus was a threat to their power and had him dealt with. That is the truth of the situation. I don't see how that portrays Jews in any particular bad light. It merely reflects on the times.
Well, anyways, my 2 cents. Thanks for sharing.
I'm definitely going to buy a copy of it this week.
The Church group in Camp had a pirate copy of The Passion, and showed it to the congregation on Good Friday earlier this year. My wife saw it and said she was glad it was only on a small screen. She added she didn't think she could have handled it on a big screen. It was that overwhelming for her.
I pre-ordered The Passion on Amazon, and it's been delivered to our home in Arizona. I don't know if I will want to watch it when I go home on leave in a few months. I deliberately did not see The Passion when it was shown in Camp earlier this year - life is rotten enough for me at work now - I didn't have the gumption to see the fruition of all of our sins in all of their ugliness on screen. While on vacation later this year? I don't know yet.
discussion/passion
well when i first heard about the passion i was a little skepticle about it, for the sole reason being i wasnt sure if mel had made this film for a boost in income, start a directing carreer, or if he himslef had a passion for christ and was a child of god. I wasnt sure how much research went into the movie or how accurate it was ganna be, however i did keep an open mind and watched the film. To my suprise i found the film to be accurate(to my liking)and very moving, in a sense that jesus did die for us and the sin of man.
Through out the move is showed very detailed and graphic punishments subjected to him, in relation to the pain he suffered for bearing the burden of sin. However, when i think of jesus, the horrific punishments he had to withstand are not the first things that pop into mind, but rather all the things he did to help us with our inevitability(sin)and ways to live a God fearing and jesus "like" life. My thoughts of the pain he suffered, in relation to the movie are not alike, though i do not disagree with his(mel gibson)intentions of the film, rather i find them very convincing and persuasive.
Some people in todays society have trouble accepting the meaning of "faith" believing in something you canot see, and as you read this to yourself you might be thinking the same thing, that it is hard to trust in something you cant see, but thats the concept jesus wanted us to grasp. He wanted us to know that no matter what trials and tribulations we go through, no matter who looks down on "us" as believers and followers of himself and his father, that he would be there to help us in times of need, carry our burdens when we no longer have the strength to carry them, and to show us the meaning of eternal love and life.
I myself went through the same thought process in my "babyfood" days of being a christian, but i had wondered off the path i walking with jesus, because my life wasnt going the way i wanted it too and quickly gave up. After seeing the film i was in tears, i was so mad at myslef for abondoning my father when times got hard, especially seeing how people persecuted him in ways i couldnt imagine.
The movie was a revelation to me in the sense that jesus himself told us it wasnt gonna be easy, we would be persecuted, and life isnt gonna go the way you want it too, but when your burdens are too heavy to carry, place them on him, and he will carry them for you.
In conclusion, i think the film had both positive and negitive atributes, and am very nuetral in my feelings of the movie, I think that its a movie everyone can watch and apply it to your life in the way you need it most. That being said i would urge all of you that havnt seen it to watch it......you wont be disapointed.....rob
I liked the graphic violence. But there were things in there that were not bibilical. Such as: The crow pecking at Jesus, the Devil being portrayed as a women, Jesus being beaten in the Village Square before the resurection, Alexander's Wife having compassion for Jesus, and having her Maids bring towels to his Mother, and Jesus saying that the sword is the most dangerious weapon, when Jesus has the power to know all especially more dangerious weapons besides the sword.
Artistic metaphor is what I'm thinking on a lot of the Devil stuff.
I absolutely loved The Passion. I was particularly impressed with the casting. The woman they chose to portray the devil had just the right amount of beauty and ugliness about her. I had heard that they were not portraying Satan as female literally. It was the woman's physical appearance more than anything that they were focusing on.
I cried through the whole movie. I do the same thing everytime I go to Passion Plays.
It still amazes me how someone could come face to face with the Savior and not know who He is. I know it's explained in the Bible, but it still is a mystery to me.
