The Passion of the Christ: The Review
I have to say it’s difficult to finally sit down and process this film knowing first that so many people saw it so much sooner than I did and knowing secondly that I’ve already seen so many reviews on it.
After so much hype, I have to say it wasn’t what I expected, but I still think the film is going to be regarded as an important one.
Mary
I was especially touched by Gibson’s use of Mary as a central figure in the story. While many reviewers saw this as proof of Gibson’s Catholicism (which is certainly there), I really saw her as a means to drive some of the tension of the story.
Never before in viewing a Christ story did I anticipate with so much anxiety the beating of Jesus. Mary’s presence and final remark, “It has begun. So be it, Lord,” really made me feel like I, too, was huddled with her and John and Mary Magdalene. Following her down the corridors outside the courtyard where Jesus was beaten; following her down the Via Dolorosa; fighting through the crowd with her to find a closer spot to her son; none of this seemed Gibson’s attempt to deify or glorify Mary as much as it was an attempt to help us experience the tension of the story as it continued to unfold. We were onlookers with her.
Onlookers until Jesus is removed from the cross.
When Jesus is let down, we are still with Mary, John and Mary Magdalene and then in a silence that lasted an eternity, Mary’s gaze falls upon the viewer — this viewer who has been with her through the horror of it all — and with only the sound of her cloak blowing in the wind, the viewer is fully implicated in Jesus’ death.
I honestly don’t know of a more powerful moment I’ve experienced on film.
Mary’s presence was an irreplaceable part of that experience.
Violence
I must say a lot of the comments on the violence of the film were, in my estimation, overblown. Roger Ebert called it the “most violent film I’ve ever seen.”
I wouldn’t go that far. I’ve honestly seen more disturbing violence in other movies. I will say, however, that I’ve never seen this kind of violence (which was gory by any estimation) affect me on the emotional level that this one did. I don’t know, either, that my faith and understanding of this story was the sole reason for this. There was really just so much emotion packed into the scene.
I did think Jesus’ torturers were a bit too gleeful to believe at times. I just don’t know that Jesus’ punishers would have giggled wickedly through the whole thing. It seems more inhumane than I would imagine a Roman soldier. Hearing the guard count out the lashes, however, overpowered whatever weakness I found in that. I truly found myself wanting to scream, “Stop it, please,” and was drawn into the pathos of it despite any caricatures of the Roman soldiers.
I think the sheer length of the beating was one of the more emotionally exhausting things I’ve endured. I really thought it was going to be too much to take. Gibson’s decision to intersperse tender and sometimes funny flashbacks into Christ’s passion really helped to prevent this viewer from getting completely overwrought. It was wonderful to get glimpses of a tender, caring, sometimes stern Jesus contrasted with this suffering Christ. It reminded the viewer that this was a just and kind man, especially since our introduction to Him is so abrupt.
Conclusions
This isn’t the place for a novel, so I’ll wrap this up.
I didn’t even get to talk about Caleb Daschaniel’s cinematography, which was just beautiful; or the presence of Satan and the horrible demon-children that chased Judas, which was an interesting element that made me pity Judas more than I thought I should (he did decide to betray Jesus, after all); or the long and exhausting procession to Golgotha.
Gibson has really proven he is an accomplished artist with this film. He has taken a story that has been told thousands of times — and many times on film — and made it more unique than any director before him. I really believe it deserves a place among the best films of this generation. I just hope it gets more of the recognition it deserves.
Okay…your turn to sound off in the forums…includes a poll. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the film.
This entry was posted on Thursday, March 25th, 2004 at 8:22 pm and is filed under Rants and Raves. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
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