The Passion of the Christ Review

There are films that are once in a life time. Films that can never be remade because of their exceptional quality. Among the titans that claim this are Cecil B. DeMille's The Ten Commandments and Gone With The Wind. Another that belongs in the golden collection of exceptional films is Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ. When it originally was released, critics claimed it would be the end of Gibson's career. Raging reviewers quickly opined and said that The Passion was anti-semtic and a gore fest. Frankly, I do not believe we saw the same movie.

The Passion is more than another film about Jesus Christ. It is a living, breathing art piece wrapped in allegory. It captures the essence of who Christ is and what it means to be a Christian. The Passion is an authentic portrayal of 30 A.D. From the langauges being spoken in the film: Aramaic, Hebrew, and Latin to the costumery, this film is on a level of its own. Each scene is unveiled in a dramatic light, with Gethesname in a blue and white, to convey a supernatural darkness, and a golden candlelight lense for the Trial of Jesus before the Sanhendrian. Every detail has been carefully researched, from the regalia of the religious leaders to how one is struck according to Jewish custom in the time of Christ.

Very few films that are spoken in a foreign languages have such grace. Within fifteen minutes of watching you no longer notice you are reading subtitles; the languages suddenly take you and they seem more natural than English. There is nothing lacking in the presentation, every scene is as if from a Rembrandt, Michelangelo, and DiCianni. Your senses overload as you try to track the dialogue, the motion, the music, the action, the allegory, and the symbolism. Then you get to the moments that are meant to move a believer. During the Flagellation scene, the viewer is introduced to the true version of what Jesus would have been subjected to. Not a few cuts and scrapes like in more conservative films, no full on flesh being torn out and blood spraying. It may make you go weak, but it is suppose to, this is what happen to The Son of God.

Mel was meticulous. He spent twelve years in the Holy Land and studying scrolls to get everything from customs to the crucifixion accurate. Each scene is carefully constructed to show us both the physical and supernatural that is taking place. While Christ is beaten for our transgressions, Satan appears with a child in arm, a mockery of the Virgin Birth and a possible allusion to the advent of the anti-Christ. Many have praised the role of the Devil alone in the film; with feminine looks but a masculine voice, the sex of the Evil One is ambiguous, which is accurate because Satan is not human but an angel and they do not have a gender.

For Christians who have claimed The Passion to be a Catholic work and thus not pertinent to Protestants and other followers of different denominations; let me say forshame. The Passion of the Christ is a gem that all Christians, regardless of the Church they attend should embrace and consider a crowning achievement. The accusations about Mary are unfounded, she plays the role of Mother here, she does not sport a halo or act holy, she looks numb from trauma and emotionally drained. In one moving scene she sees Christ fall on his way to Calvary and runs to pick him up when she remembers him falling as a child. This Mary does not steal the glory or focus of the film, instead she provides a lens to look through, an opportunity for us to get in touch with what it would have felt like to see your son be mutilated and then subjected to the most excruciating death.

The Disciples are not featured for much of the film, but their roles are not to be ignored. Upon further viewing, you catch the subtle personalities of each, Peter the resolute and zealous in faith who falls because of fear. John the faithful and the tender who weeps as he watches his Master be scourged. Judas too commands our attention, but in the proper way. He is cursed, he is the Son of Perdition and his choice to betray the Son of Man means that he shall be tormented forever in hell. Judas here is a warning to all who do not earnestly believe and to those believers who dance with the idea of forsaking Christ.

Pilate is depicted in compassionate light. This if anything could be where criticism is due. While I frankly like the Pilate of the Passion, the fact that he is portrayed as civil and concerned about Jesus while most the Pharisees are fuming helps me understand how this could be interpreted as Roman Catholic propaganda on the verge of Anti-Semticism. However, aside from Pilate's disposition, the scenes that unfold are Scriptural. Even Jews today will tell you that the Pharisees and Sadducess were the worst keepers of the Law and that many of them were not even Jews, but carefully positioned  half-Arab Jews who had little concern for the faith and more about obeying Roman rule and keeping their riches.

I do not believe the intent of Gibson was to defame the Jewish People. It is clear by how Mary and Jesus' Disciples are dressed, by the Pharisees who will not put Jesus on trial because it is a violation of the Torah (Law) and Symeon who helps Jesus carry the cross that there are Jews in the film who are depicted as compassionate. The scenes with Symeon are most striking as he helps The Savior carry his burden. At one point Symeon defends Jesus and says he will not carry the cross if the Roman abuse continues; a Roman centurion responds to Symeon by saying, "alright, lets go.. Jew." Then we see Symeon and Jesus pick up the cross together and their arms are locked together, which if anything denotes a respect for the Jewish People and how this Jew helped the Son of David fulfill Isaiah 53 (See Full Tanakh and Old Testament Prophet). Jesus himself prays in Gethsemane to his Father and calls him Adonai, which is Hebrew for Lord, and he confirms that he is Son of David when asked which is evidence that Gibson was trying to make clear that Christ was of Jewish blood. There is even a scene during Passover, when Mary Mother of God and Mary Magadlene are together quoting the verses "Why is this night different than any other night?" and the answer "Because this night we are delivered/free." Mel also included a entire scene where Jesus looking at Caiaphas and Jewish religious leaders says, "I lay down my life for my sheep. No one can take my life, I lay it down and I can raise it up again." Which is obviously an attempt to make clear that Jesus is not slain by Jew or Roman, but at the will of the Father to save all men from the power of sin. Unfortunately, Gibson after striving to make The Passion receptive to the Jewish People ended up doing behavior that condemned him. The devil made the rumors true; Gibson lost his career because he did not guard himself in Christ and love people as quoted by Jesus in the film commands. So I urge you, do not reject this film because the director did and said terrible things. He was wrong to have said what he said and did what he did, but this film does not contain any of those seriously anti-Semitic sentiments.

The Passion is motion picture that every person should see. It is not a gruesome gore fest. It is a graphic love story of God giving up His life for all mankind. It is the Gospel in a raw and undiluted red. If it offends, then those who are offended take offense with the Gospel Message. But rather than take offense, open your heart.. and let The Holy Spirit show you just how much God loves you. Weither you are a Jew, Arab, Gentile, Pagan or other; weither you are brown, black, or white, The God of the Universe loves you and sent his one and only Son, Jesus Christ to die for your sins, and if you repent and believe in Him you shall have everlasting life.