The Passion of The Christ is more than just a movie. It is a statement of belief. It is a belief that many people concur with. One cannot simply review this movie as any other. Due to the subject nature I think that reviewers should reveal their religious position. Everyone has a position even if it is none at all. Any review or commentary should be seen in the light of the reviewer’s position.
I am a Christian, a believer that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the son of man, the Son of God, and my personal Savior. I believe He paid for my sins on the cross.
If you have not seen the movie, I recommend you go see it. There may be some spoilers in this commentary so see the movie before you read this.
I had three concerns about this movie. The first was that it would not be any good and that it might even be harmful. A trusted friend saw it before me and gave it his approval, so I was certain that it would not be bad.
My second concern was that I would not be able to watch it. It is violent, incredibly so, but I didn’t turn away. The violence was not gratuitous. It was fitting with the time, the man, and the mission. I do not know if the actual events were as horrible as this. I could imagine that maybe it was worse. The movie intentionally portrays the events in stunning and brutal detail. I for one am glad that Mr. Gibson did not ‘tone it down’ any more. We need to be shocked in this regard. We need a small taste of Christ�s sacrifice. I have seen violence in other films that was shocking, gratuitous, and outright disgusting. Critics who let such violence in other movies pass and condemn this one are, I believe, wrong and their criticism reveals more about themselves than the movie.
My third concern was that the movie would reveal a shortcoming in me. That somehow I did not or could not understand why Jesus went to the cross and what it means. I do not put more stock in a movie than I do the Holy Scripture, but seeing a visual representation of what I believed in my mind, and in my heart was daunting. The movie did not change my faith at all. It did however reinforce my faith. I found it to be powerful and loaded with Biblical truth.
This movie is horrific and beautiful, painful and inspiring. It is artistic with great acting and outstanding cinematography. The film does have its shortcomings, but the presentation is masterful. The story of the crucifixion is delivered clear and straightforward. I think the vast majority of believers are going to experience the �Passion� on personal level. If you trust Christ going in, you�ll only trust him more coming out.
The ‘scourging’ scene was the first part of the film that moved me deeply. Up to that point I had been able to hold off emotionally. I had no doubt prior to seeing the �Passion� that Jesus was fully a man, but seeing it on screen was amazing. When Jesus was tied down and beaten with the whips and flails by the Roman soldiers I caught myself muttering (audibly I do not know), ‘he was a man, he was a man, he was a man’ and I began to weep.
The ‘matter of fact’ approach of Christ during the trials and tortures contrasts with the tender and loving teacher in the flashback scenes. One could argue there should have been more ‘passion’ in the present scenes. On the other hand, the almost casual approach to His looming torture and death reveals His knowledge and purpose. Even when it’s not present, you can hear it: ‘I am who I am.’
The ‘Passion’ deals with satan. He is there in the beginning, intermittently throughout and then one final scene near the end. There he is, tempting, lying, deceiving, mocking, and imitating. The evil of satan was a bit too obvious, but the scenes of him mocking and imitating were creepy and well done. You can see him ‘feeling’ and ‘loving’ his power up until his final scene shot at the moment of Christ’s death. He is not happy shown within his spirit realm there at Golgotha.
The two major criticisms of this movie, that is anti-Semitic and that it is too violent, are simply wrong. It is neither. The violence IS terrible make no mistake about it, but the violence fits the story and it has a legitimate purpose. Pre-teens should not see this movie and teens should be mature and prepared for it. The anti-Semitism is simply not there. It is nowhere in sight. For someone to see anti-Semitism in this film they would have to do two things. They have to want to see it where it is not and they have to ignore the places where it explicitly denied.
The ‘Passion’ is ultimately about love. Given that many people will not understand this, it can be expected that the movie will be criticized for any number of faults. The ‘Passion’ gives believers a good opportunity to explain ‘value.’Â One of the ways we understand the value of an object is by the ‘price’ that someone is willing to pay for that object. That is a measure of value. The ‘Passion’ reminds us of the value that God has placed on us. He was willing to suffer and die for us.
