The Passion of the Christ
Yes, I finally saw the most controversial film of 2004. The Passion of the Christ. And, I'll tell you one thing, that Mel Gibson knows what he's doing.
First, if you don't already know, the story is a telling of the last 24 hours in the life of Jesus Christ. There is very little lead-in, and you're plunged right into the capture, 'trial' and death of Christ. Its a bloody tale, and Gibson holds nothing back. The torture scenes are graphic, bloody, and very realistic. Even I flinched a few times during it, and I'm the most desensitized person on the planet.
The entire movie has no English spoken at all. Its all in Aramaic and Italian, but the subtitles really don't take away from the action. In fact, it makes the whole experience that much more authentic without the english.
The performances are pretty much what you would expect from a movie like this. Jim Caveisel plays Jesus, and pretty much screams and moans through most of it, but you have to realize he's being tortured. There are some flashbacks to the Last Supper and other moments before his capture, and he is what I expected from Jesus. Very serene and peaceful, but filled with a knowledge that normal men shouldn't have.
As for the controversy surrounding this movie, I can see why certain Jewish groups would be worried about Anti-Semetic backlash. In every other portrayal of the last days of Jesus I've seen, its the Romans who are branded the devils, not the Jews. But here, they are shown as, not evil, but frightened of the change that Jesus represents. To them, their actions are justified, and they keep pushing the Roman authorities to kill Christ, because they can't do it themselves. Its only after seeing the kind of mob the Jews would become that the governor gives in. To me, they seemed like unwitting participants in the whole affair. However, the foot soldiers seemed to enjoy flogging and crucifying Jesus a little too much. Maybe they just enjoyed their jobs, and it wasn't personal. I don't know.
All in all, however, I liked this film. Perhaps 'enjoyed' or being 'entertained' would be too flip of terms. I was enlightened and interested by the film, and I thought it was brilliantly done. Usually, shamefully enough, I am delighted by casual gore, but this was too specific to take any sick pleasure out of it. This was gore with a purpose, and I respect that. It was unflinching, and above all else, that is why I liked this film. It gets a 9, and that's not because I'm afraid of getting smote. Its because it deserves that.
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