The Passion of the Christ

Starring: Jim Caviezel, Maia Morgenstern, Monica Belluci, Christo Jivkov, Francesco De Vito
Directed by: Mel Gibson
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
2004

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: Follows Jesus (Jim Caviezel) during the last hours of his life.

Review:

Tim: It's really hard to know what to think about this film. It's clearly one of the most controversial movies ever made. On one hand, Gibson created a very realistic, gritty movie that makes you reflect on the sacrifices that Jesus made for all of humankind. On the other hand, it was made by a bigot and clearly has some anti-semitic undertones to it. Can a movie that probably accuses the Jewish people of killing Jesus still be a positive, even holy experience? I'm not really sure what to think.

The first time I watched this movie, I was blown away. I had obviously heard the story of Jesus' crucifixion many times before, but I never really stopped to think of what that might have been like for him, as a man. Gibson shows us in graphic, gruesome detail. I was so shocked to think of what Jesus put himself through. When we hear that he died for our sins, it doesn't really dawn on us what he went through. This movie shows the absolute agony, pain and suffering, and utter humiliation Jesus suffered so that the world might be saved (if you believe that). It makes you rethink the whole concept of Jesus' love for the world. I had never thought about the extent of that love, or of the sacrifice he made. In that way, Gibson has given the world something beautiful and powerful. This is a movie that helps bring us closer to God (if you want to allow it to).

However, there's definitely a darker undertone to the movie. Mel Gibson has clearly had some very public meltdowns recently. It's pretty apparent that he is an angry, bigoted human being, and a lot of that resentment and anger seems to be directed (unfairly) at the Jewish people. In that light, this movie certainly seems like a thinly veiled attack and occasionally reeks of anti-semitism. That is hard for me to swallow. However, it's also impossible to prove any of this.

The other big criticism I had with this movie became more apparent the second time I watched it. The Passion of the Christ is basically two hours of watching Jesus suffer almost constantly. This is one of the most violent, barbaric movies I've ever seen. While this depiction of Jesus' suffering can help us reflect on positive things, it doesn't make it any easier to watch. Whatever you believe about this individual, he did deliver some great teachings that we could all learn from. Rather than devoting much time or attention to this aspect, Gibson seems fully focused on depicting the absolute agony he suffered at the end of his life. I get the reason for showing this in so much gory detail, but it doesn't exactly sit right with me, either.

Jim Caviezel is incredible in the film. He is just amazing as Jesus, and I can't imagine how difficult it was to play this part and bring it to life on the big screen. I feel for Caviezel, because he gives perhaps the greatest performance of his career, but he'll never receive the right level of critical praise, simply because of the nature of the film and the controversy surrounding it. He's terrific in this film.

Despite a few glaring issues, The Passion of the Christ is still an impressive achievement. Gibson took a long, violent movie that basically just shows one individual suffering for two hours, with no English (it's all subtitles), and made it one of the biggest box office sensations of all time. Regardless of what you think of the movie, it's stunning to think of the impact this movie had. While it could be used for evil purposes, I believe the basic intention of the movie was supposed to be uplifting and positive. I certainly took some good things away from the film. For that, I thank Gibson. However, I still believe the ugly side of this film drags it down too much.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Apocalypto, The Last Temptation of Christ