The controversy and rumors that have surrounded the new movie “The Passion of the Christ” are ridiculous. Was James Caviezel struck by lightning while portraying Jesus being crucified? Did Mel Gibson’s father claim that the holocaust never happened? Will this movie spark a revival in Christianity? And finally, is this movie possibly sending out an anti-Semitic message?
You can spend hours searching the Internet for the answers to these questions, but the two hours you spend watching Mel Gibson’s film will be a time not soon forgotten. The powerful retelling of the last 12 hours of Jesus’ life is not your typical Hollywood movie. The dialogue in Latin and Aramaic (with English subtitles) gives it an authentic feel. With incredible acting and a timeless story, “The Passion of the Christ” is an interesting movie for people of all religious backgrounds.
The movie begins with Jesus praying to God for strength to overcome temptation, so that he may sacrifice himself to save mankind from sin. After Judas leads Jewish soldiers to him, Jesus is brought to stand trial for claiming to be the Son of God. He is quickly convicted because he never denies the charges.
The Jewish leaders bring him to the Roman governor of the area, asking him to crucify Jesus. He refuses, but suggests they take him to a local king named Herod. When they do, the king is delighted, hoping that Jesus can perform some kind of magic or miracles. When Jesus will not even speak to the king, Herod pronounces him crazy and refuses to crucify him.
So the Jewish Rabbis take Jesus back to the governor. By the time they return, a crowd has gathered in hopes of seeing a crucifixion. The governor gives the Jewish leaders a choice: he will either release a convicted murderer, or Jesus. When they call to have the murderer released, Jesus is brutally flogged and sentenced to be crucified. At this point, Jesus can hardly walk and needs help from a man in the crowd to carry the cross to his crucifixion.
The film ends with a mystical scene of the resurrection of Christ.
With all the controversy surrounding the movie, the acting has been overlooked. James Caviezel, who is known for his lead role in “The Count of Monte Cristo,” plays the challenging role of Jesus perfectly. He shows Jesus as an imperfect character, frightened by the Devil’s temptation. Later, Caviezel shows the strength and determination of his character during the painful flogging scenes.
There has been a lot of discussion in the media that this production has an anti-Semitic theme. I did not leave the movie with any negative feelings towards the Jewish community. I left feeling that Jesus had undergone more pain than anything imaginable, and that the Romans were a very barbaric people.
Gibson does not show the Jews to be evil. People who find this movie anti-Semitic would most likely see the New Testament in the same light. However, I do understand the concerns of the Jewish community that some may use this movie as an excuse to blame or persecute them.
For me, the only disturbing part of the movie is the flogging of Jesus. He is beaten with leather whips that have razors strapped into the tips. At one point, Jesus’ flesh is ripped off his body by the razors — this is truly the most graphic scene I have watched in a movie theater.
Will this movie give you some new insight into the scriptures? Most likely not. It is not a biographical account of Jesus’ life. You only hear a few of the man’s teachings through short flashbacks.
We all know how the story will end, but this is a movie that will be talked about and viewed for years to come.
Michael McAlister can be contacted at [email protected]