The Passion of Christ

So much has been discussed with regard to this film that it’s hard to find anything new to bring to the debate. Oooo! I thought of something – the film itself. What with the protests, the accusations and the family of the film-maker, most people have forgotten to give their opinion on the film as a film. So here goes…

First up. I approached this with some trepidation. I’d heard about the violence. Relentless, graphic, over bearing. As the opening scene played out, I relaxed. A beautiful scene, handled well, with interesting cinematography and telling a part of ‘the greatest story ever told’ that I wasn’t familiar with. From here, it was clear that the script would take a non-linear approach, and not only was this brave, but it was also a great creative choice. It broke up the scenes of torture that you’ve heard so much about, allowing you breathing space, and a bit of time to learn something about the man that was the victim of so much anger and hatred.

The use of Aramaic and Latin was initially seen as box office poison, but in a town where nobody knows anything, this has proven wrong. What it did mean though is the dialogue is pared right down, relying on visuals more than monologues. On the whole it works well, particularly as some of the visuals are brilliant, and in places breath-taking (witness the much talked about ‘Tear of God’ which sounds corny, but left me with a lump in my throat at the poignancy and brilliance of it).

The cast are uniformly good, with Jim Cavaziel taking the big role with aplomb, and not resorting to histrionics, but more a calm inner approach that is probably how Jesus was in real life (depending on your beliefs of course). The only other ‘name’ that might be recognized is Monica Belluci, and as with the Matrix sequels her part is largely left to only a few lines, but I bet The Passion of the Christ is the one she’s proud of. The one piece of casting that shook me in my shoes though was that of Satan. First glimpse, and I thought that he (or rather she, as it was played by an actress) looked like Luke Goss from Blade 2, but within a heartbeat that thought left me, and I was terrified. Forget the naysayers that moan about the maggot scrabbling around Satan’s nostrils, this is probably the spookiest and scariest depiction of the Devil. Subtle but scary, no big grandiose speeches, just a presence that spelt evil. Still not convinced? Wait for the bit where the Devil turns innocent children into tormenting demons.

So does Mel the director become a bit heavy handed at times? TJ thought so along with others, but I don’t. It’s a big subject, and deserves the kind of treatment it got. The reason we see him fall over three times, is because he did fall over three times (according to the Gospel of course). The reason why we have to witness the lengthy flagellation is because he had to undergo it (again, according to the Gospel). To have changed these would have defeated the whole point of the film, which was to film the Gospel as it was written. I know you can shoot me down now and say that I’ve already reported that the script takes a non-linear approach and flashes back and forwards, but this is a cinematic device and doesn’t take liberties with the actual plot points. The Passion of the Christ is an important film and one that should be seen whether you believe in Christianity or not.

So, to the hoo-ha that surrounded the film’s release. Jews complained about the film. Christians complained about the Jews. Roman Catholics kept quiet. Did any of them have a point?
Well, not really. To suggest that the Jews were presented unfairly and as the out and out villains is ludicrous. Yes, they were the ones that wanted Jesus arrested, and then demanded crucifixion. But again, that’s what is written in the Gospel. Are we now not to believe this text after centuries on the basis that it’s now become a movie? If you really want to look at it, the Romans are the ones that actually carry out the torture and finally the death of Jesus. They are the ones that ‘went too far’, and we even see the Jews walking away from this moment, not as satisfied villains, but rather as onlookers that couldn’t watch anymore.

For me The Passion isn’t so much about religions and who was right, and who was wrong. It’s about power and what happens when it’s abused. Read a little bit deeper into this, and you can see parallels with today’s world. Those that have the power march into wherever they want and do whatever they want. Of course their actions are explained somehow, but at the end of the day it’s an abuse of power. Just as Bush/Blair ignored the majority, the Jewish council in The Passion (and the Gospel) persuade a few too rise against Jesus and demand his arrest. They abuse their power as council leaders. Then the Romans abuse their power by taking the punishment too far, entering into drunken sadism.

Whether these things happened or not is by the by, the message that we should take from The Passion of the Christ is that we should never abuse any power given to us. It’s a gift, but one that should be used to help people (and the majority) not fulfill personal ambitions.

- Nurse Ratched is angry, but not about the film...
- TJ is cross...
- Fletch praises it.