The Passion of the Christ

Directed by Mel Gibson
Screenplay by Mel Gibson and Benedict Fitzgerald

           I cringed. I winced. I got a lump and serious dryness in my throat. If I had some water to drink while watching The Passion of the Christ, the saturation might have allowed for tears. My friend, no more a follower of Christianity than I, was crying buckets. This is not a film for church groups and religious fanatics alone but a serious depiction of devotion and persecution to be greatly admired. The fact that it is hard to watch is the only reason I won’t recommend it to everyone.
             Mel Gibson’s controversial work is laudable for its uncompromisingly ambitious vision. The dialogue is spoken in Latin, Aramaic and Hebrew with English subtitles. There are excruciating sequences of horribly graphic violence. You can’t get much less commercial than this, yet the film will make a ton of money. Imagine a Bergman film topping the week’s box office.
             Showing the last 24 hours of Jesus’ life from just after the Last Supper until the Pieta, most of the picture between depicts the gruesome torture, beating and crucifixion with fine detail. In addition to seeing Jesus whipped with barbs that rip at his skin, we are treated to a hanging, a sliced ear and the pecking of eyeballs by a crow. The Passion is not only the goriest feature in years, but the demonic imagery included may also be creepier than any recent horror film.  If I were to say that I loved it might make me seem sadistic. 
             My familiarity with the subject matter being so slight, I had to follow somewhat blindly and get answers afterwards. This wasn’t a concern and maybe I was able to interpret other things more clearly without accepting its literalness. It has been criticized as being anti-Semitic which to me is like saying a Holocaust film is anti-German. These Jews may or may not have condemned Christ and these Germans may have killed millions of Jews, but obviously not all of either is to blame. There is one editing choice that could be read into, if thought to be intentional, cutting together a shot of one of the Roman torturers spitting towards the camera and a wide shot of the Pharisees. Even if intentional, in the treatment of kindly Jews like Simon, who is ordered to help carry the cross to Golgotha. It makes more sense that Gibson has made this film against the religious persecution and prejudice still happening around the world.
             I don’t believe that Christianity will gain from the film, despite the hopes of church groups celebrating its release. The teachings of Jesus are not the center of attention, though many devout Christians who have forgotten a few important ideals such as tolerance, forgiveness and pacifism may get a necessary reminder. The real winner is Bob Berney, head of Newmarket Films and previous champion of successes My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Memento, Y Mama Tu Tambien and Whale Rider. Picking up a movie that no other distributor would touch, he has hit a jackpot. Most of the advertising for The Passion is being provided by the media as well as local churches thanks to some terrific marketing strategy and luck. There is little doubt after today’s opening that the film’s grosses will be outstanding.