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The Passion of The Christ:
Commentaries and Supporting Information
There is no shortage of reviews, responses, commentaries, and observations surrounding Mel Gibson’s popular and much publicized film, Passion of The Christ. Here is a sampling of those assessments, mostly from a Christian perspective.
- A News Anchor's Perspective on "The Passion of the Christ"
- "Passion" Star Prepares All His Life for Role of a Lifetime
- Mel Gibson: “Passion Will Bring People Closer Together”
- A Review: “The Passion of The Christ”
- Gibson Adding Pro-Jewish Ending to “Passion”?
- Hollywood Jesus: A Spiritual Spin on Box Office Hits
- Kids Will See R-rated 'Passion'
- 'The Passion': What's Not in the Bible?
- A Review by J.R. Whitby, Director of Gospelcom.net
A News Anchor's Perspective on "The Passion of the Christ"
Jody Dean, Dallas/Ft. Worth anchor for CBS News
I want you to know that I started in broadcasting when I was 13-years-old. I have been in the business of writing, performing, production and broadcasting for a long time. I have been a part of movies, radio, television, stage and other productions - so I know how things are done. I know about soundtracks and special effects and make-up and screenplays. I think I have seen just about every kind of movie or TV show ever made - from extremely inspirational to extremely gory. I read a lot - and have covered stories and scenes that still make me wince. I also have a vivid imagination, and have the ability to picture things as they must have happened - or to anticipate things as they will be portrayed. I have also seen an enormous amount of footage from Gibson's film, so I thought I knew what was coming.
But there is nothing in my existence - nothing I could have read, seen, heard, thought or known - that could have prepared me for what I saw on screen last night.
This is not a movie that anyone will "like". I don't think it's a movie anyone will "love". It certainly doesn't "entertain". There isn't even the sense that one has just watched a movie. What it is is an experience - on a level of primary emotion that is scarcely comprehensible. Every shred of human preconception or predisposition is utterly stripped away. No one will eat popcorn during this film. Some may not eat for days after they've seen it. Quite honestly, I wanted to vomit. It hits that hard.
I can see why some people are worried about how the film portrays the Jews. They should be worried. No, it's not anti-Semitic. What it is, is entirely shattering. There are no "winners". No one comes off looking "good" - except Jesus. Even His own mother hesitates. As depicted, the Jewish leaders of Jesus' day merely do what any of us would have done - and still do. They protected their perceived "place" - their sense of safety and security, and the satisfaction of their own "rightness". But everyone falters. Caiphus judges. Peter denies. Judas betrays. Simon the Cyrene balks. Mark runs away. Pilate equivocates. The crowd mocks. The soldiers laugh. Longinus still stabs with his pilus. The centurion still carries out his orders. And as Jesus fixes them all with a glance, they still turn away. The Jews, the Romans, Jesus' friends - they all fall. Everyone, except the Principal Figure. Heaven sheds a single, mighty tear - and as blood and water spew from His side, the complacency of all creation is eternally shattered.
The film grabs you in the first five seconds, and never lets go. The brutality, humiliation, and gore are almost inconceivable - and still probably does not go far enough. The scourging alone seems to never end, and you cringe at the sound and splatter of every blow - no matter how steely your nerves. Even those who have known combat or prison will have trouble, no matter their experience - because this Man was not conscripted. He went willingly, laying down His entirety for all. It is one thing for a soldier to die for his countrymen. It's something else entirely to think of even a common man dying for those who hate and wish to kill him. But this is no common man. This is the King of the Universe. The idea that anyone could or would have gone through such punishment is unthinkable - but this Man was completely innocent, completely holy - and paying the price for others. He screams as He is laid upon the cross, "Father, they don't know. They don't know..."
What Gibson has done is to use all of his considerable skill to portray the most dramatic moment of the most dramatic events since the dawn of time. There is no escape. It's a punch to the gut that puts you on the canvas, and you don't get up. You are simply confronted by the horror of what was done - what had to be done - and why. Throughout the entire film, I found myself apologizing.
What you've heard about how audiences have reacted is true. There was no sound after the film's conclusion. No noise at all. No one got up. No one moved. The only sound one could hear was sobbing. In all my years of public life, I have never heard anything like that.
I told many of you that Gibson had reportedly re-shot the ending to include more "hope" through the Resurrection? That's not true. The Resurrection scene is perhaps the shortest in the entire movie - and yet it packs a punch that can't be quantified. It is perfect. There is no way to negotiate the meaning out of it. It simply asks, "Now, what will you do?"
I'll leave the details to you, in the hope that you will see the film - but one thing above all stands out, and I have to tell you about it. It comes from the end of Jesus' temptations in the wilderness - where the Bible says Satan left him "until a more opportune time." I imagine Satan never quit tempting Christ, but this film captures beyond words the most opportune time. At every step of the way, Satan is there at Jesus' side - imploring Him to quit, reasoning with Him to give up, and seducing Him to surrender. For the first time, one gets a heart-stopping idea of the sense of madness that must have enveloped Jesus - a sense of the evil that was at His very elbow. The physical punishment is relentless – but it's the sense of psychological torture that is most overwhelming. He should have quit. He should have opened His mouth. He should have called 10,000 angels. No one would have blamed Him. What we deserve is obvious. But He couldn't do that. He wouldn't do that. He didn't do that. He doesn't do that. It was not and is not His character. He was obedient, all the way to the cross - and you feel the real meaning of that phrase in a place the human heart usually doesn't dare to go. You understand that we are called to that same level of obedience. With Jesus' humanity so irresistibly on display, you understand that we have no excuse. There is no place to hide.
The truth is this: Is it just a "movie"? In a way, yes. But it goes far beyond that, in a fashion I've never felt - in any forum. We may think we "know". We know nothing. We've gone 2,000 years - used to the idea of a pleasant story, and a sanitized Christ. We expect the ending, because we've heard it so many times. God forgive us. This film tears that all away. It is as close as any of us will ever get to knowing, until we fully know. Paul understood. "Be urgent, in and out of season."
Luke wrote that Jesus reveals Himself in the breaking of the bread. Exactly. The Passion Of The Christ shows that Bread being broken.
Go see this movie.
"Passion" Star Prepares All His Life for Role of a Lifetime
Of his portrayal of Jesus in"The Passion of the Christ," actor Jim Caviezel said, "I want people to go away with a sense of who Jesus really was. But I don't want people to see me. I just want them to see Jesus." Read the rest of this article.
Mel Gibson: “Passion Will Bring People Closer Together”
Great artist? Gifted educator? Intense? Are we talking about "Mad Max," the young "Maverick," the guy who quipped his way through all those "Lethal Weapon" movies? But at a recent "The Passion of the Christ" media session, those were testimonies lavished on Gibson by his cast and crew. Read the rest of this article.
A Review: “The Passion of The Christ”
Although many will recoil from its graphic nature, the horror that director Mel Gibson shows is necessary for a true understanding of the cost that was paid when God sent his Son to die. But that horror need not be in vain. Even as the crucifixion was replaced by the resurrection, so shall our horror be replaced by hope. Read the rest of this article.
Gibson Adding Pro-Jewish Ending to “Passion”?
Mike Evans, Jerusalem Prayer Team
I was recently invited to a special screening of "The Passion of the Christ" in Dallas to make recommendations regarding the film. My agent-attorney, my pastor, and 30 other leaders were also invited. At the end of the screening, Mr. Gibson humbly asked if we felt the film could incite anti-Semitism and, if so, what could be done to avoid it.
I explained to Mr. Gibson that the Crucifixion story had been used by anti-Semites to feed and fuel Jew-hatred throughout history, and that anti-Semitism has risen throughout the world to levels not seen since the days of Hitler. I further stated that the film, in its present form, could incite violence against Jews in the former USSR, Muslim countries and Europe, and could even result in Jews being killed.
Mr. Gibson listened intently, hung his head, and was deeply moved. "What can I do," he asked? I responded, "When the last scene ends and goes to black, scroll these words across the screen: "During the Roman occupation, 250,000 Jews were crucified by the Romans, but only One rose from the dead."
"By doing this," I said, "instead of feeding Jew-hatred, you will be fighting it. You will be communicating the suffering of all Jews under Roman occupation. By simply inserting this statement, those who desire to use the film to incite hatred toward Jews will be deterred.
"Those who might use the movie to incite Jew-hatred would know that they would be doing just the opposite - challenging the evil myths (that Jews are cursed for crucifying Christ and are Christ-killers) taught throughout history, and still today. In addition, 'The Passion of the Christ' would be the first Jesus film produced to fight anti-Semitism by telling the true story of Jewish suffering during the time of Christ."
Mel Gibson became very excited, and said, "Perfect! I will do it. Yes, I will do it. I needed something for that spot anyway. This is it. I will do it. Thank you."
At the showing in Dallas, no one was given a legal form to sign, so I am not bound to a confidentiality agreement. Why am I speaking out now? Because the film was screened when I was in Orlando on Jan. 21 and 22. I realized that leaders in the Jewish community were still extremely worried about increased anti-Semitism because of the film.
I became convinced it was time to let the Jewish community know that Mr. Gibson is very concerned, and is making a historic contribution to combat anti-Semitism. Never before has any effort been made in any Jesus film to correct the myths and misinformation propagated by Jew-hatred.
Hollywood Jesus: A Spiritual Spin on Box Office Hits
This site reviews blockbuster hit movies and popular music from a spiritual point of view. It looks for the deeper more profound meaning behind popular culture. A Mel Gibson quote from this website: "I want to show the humanity of Christ as well as the divine aspect. It's a rendering that for me is very realistic and as close as possible to what I perceive the truth to be."
Kids Will See R-rated 'Passion'
Parents, reviewers debate whether kids should be exposed to high level of violence in the Gibson film. (From USA Today)
As the debate rages over whether Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" is anti-Semitic, parents, church leaders and theater owners are wrangling over another issue: Should children see the brutal film?
Go to the Beliefnet website to read tips for parents and participate in parent discussion forums.
'The Passion': What's Not in the Bible?
Because scripture is silent on certain details, Mel Gibson drew from extrabiblical sources to craft his 'Passion.' (By the Beliefnet Staff)
"I wanted to be true to the Gospels," Gibson has said of his goals in creating "The Passion of the Christ." In an introduction to a book about his movie, he wrote, "Holy Scripture and accepted visions of the Passion were the only possible texts I could draw from to fashion a dramatic film."
But because scripture is silent on certain details of the Passion, several scenes in the movie aren't found in the Bible. Many of Gibson's additions are quite plausible embellishments of brief biblical mentions. Some came from other religious sources. And a few scenes, apparently, are inventions--often artistically daring ones. Read the rest of this article.
A Review by J.R. Whitby, Director of Gospelcom.net
I had the opportunity of seeing The Passion of the Christ at a private screening for Christian leaders in Detroit on October 23. It was the most gut-wrenching, emotional and life-changing two hours of my life.
As an executive in a media production company I have seen hundreds of films. This film is an artistic triumph for Mel Gibson. The symbolism, photography and lighting, casting, acting performances, editing and weaving of the story with flashbacks not only make you understand Christ's passion, it also helps you understand its meaning.
There are several scenes that stand out in my mind now several weeks later.
In the opening of the film in the Garden of Gethsemane, a Satan figure appears to Jesus and as Satan confronts Jesus a serpent slithers out from near Satan's feet and crawls right over Jesus' arm as he is face down in agony praying. Jesus prays nevertheless your will be done Father and then stands up. Suddenly he stomps on the serpent with his heel. I have always read the verse about Christ crushing the serpent as meaning after the resurrection, but here it is seen after Christ has submitted his will to the Father.
As Christ is carrying the cross through the streets of Jerusalem on the way to Golgotha, his mother, Mary Magdalene and John hurry down side streets and alleys to try to get ahead of the crowd and get close to Jesus. When she gets to where he will soon cross by she can't bear to look until he falls and she flashes back to a time when Jesus fell as a child and she ran to him to see if he was hurt. When Christ falls under the weight of the cross, she runs to him and says. "I'm here." And Christ responds with a statement that at first seems out of place, "See mother, I really do make all things new."
After Christ's dies and says, "It is accomplished." the camera shot changes to a shot directly above Calvary looking down at the small figures walking around the cross. It is as if God is watching it all happen or Christ's spirit is suddenly looking down from above. The meaning can be debated, but the shot gave me a chill right up my spine.
The end of the film and the way Mel depicts the resurrection also were brilliant. It leaves you wanting to know more about this man. There is obviously more to the story. This film can be used to begin great discussion with your friends who do not know our Lord.
Please do whatever you can to get people into the theaters to see this film - especially the opening weekend and the 2 or 3 weeks after the show opens. If the film does not do well, Hollywood will just say that it is because it is a religious film. Pray also that people see the film for the statement that it makes that all of mankind is responsible for Christ's death - not the Romans - not the Jews.
I have been a Christian for more than 50 years. I have accepted Christ's sacrifice for my sin. I have seen other movies on the life of Christ, but The Passion of the Christ made me understand - no, it made me experience - what my sin cost Christ. It was by His stripes that I was healed. He took my sins upon that cross. My life can never be the same.