AT THE MOVIES WITH KASEY BUTCHER
Every so often a movie comes out and the whole world stops to take a look. It takes an extraordinary film that touches a nerve and gets a little too close to our flaws, our past, or our beliefs. The Passion of the Christ is one of those films.
The Passion follows Jesus of Nazareth’s final hours on earth, intertwining the story of his arrest, trial, sentencing, scourging, and crucifixion with flashes of his life and teachings.
This movie is intense. It is awesomely terrifying. On the one hand, I was in wonder as the stories I have heard over and over again came to life on the screen. On the other hand, I was terrified by the violence and the cruelty that a group of human beings inflicted on a man. The movie is violent, that cannot be denied. If a person is old enough and mature enough to understand what the film is trying to convey, however, I think the violence is permissible. It is even slightly counteracted by the many beautiful moments that make up this film. As Jesus goes through his “punishment” he shows complete humility and still, through it all, love. Some of the most tear jerking moments come from his interactions with people like Veronica, John, Pilot, and especially Mary. One of the images from this film that will stay with me for an extremely long time is when Jesus is falling for the second time under the cross. As Mary sees her son fall, she remembers watching him fall as a small child. Simultaneously, the images of her running to comfort her little boy, and her running to comfort her grown son are shown. Poignantly, as she was able to comfort a young Jesus, she is not allowed to comfort him now. It is moments like this that bring the real humanity to this film.
The Passion is gut wrenching and painful to watch, but at the same time it touches on the concepts and emotions that so many people hold dear. I think that to see this movie, one must see it in the theater with an audience. Watching it at home in my living room would not have had the same affect as watching it with other people. It is such a humanizing movie. It made me ashamed of myself, but at the same time, it made me feel loved and wanting to love others better. The theater also has a certain degree of reverence that my living room does not. It was dark and utterly silent aside from the sobs and gasps of the audience.
Mel Gibson has done an incredible thing. My dad called the movie a “gift to believers.” I give Mr. Gibson a lot of respect and praise for even making the film. This was a project that he could not have done poorly. The consequences would have been too great. I think it took a lot of courage and a whole lot of faith in his own abilities to attempt the film and his bravery paid off.
This movie truly is, however, really intended for those of the Christian faith. A background in the story is practically a prerequisite to watching the film. Many of the references, or flashbacks, are so subtle that someone who does not know the New Testimate will not understand.
As for the whole anti-semitism controversy, anyone who came out of this movie feeling any kind of hate completely and inexcusably missed the point.
Overall, The Passion is a chilling and brutally beautiful piece of work that is justified in gaining the world’s attention.
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