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Movie Review - The Passion of the Christ
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(What this rating means)
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| Director: |
Mel Gibson |
| Starring: |
Jim Caviezel, Maia Morganstern, and Monica Bellucci |
| Rated: |
R (for sequences of graphic violence) |
| Length: |
127 minutes |
| Genre: |
Drama |
| Website: |
The Passion of the Christ |
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PLOT
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A dramatization of the last twelve hours of Jesus' life ensues.
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JOHNNY'S TAKE
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Are you looking for a light-hearted movie to watch so you can enjoy an easy-going afternoon at the movies?
Well, "The Passion of the Christ" probably isn't what you're looking for. It's not exactly the type of movie
that allows you to sit back and enjoy yourself as you happily munch away on popcorn and Hershey's Popables.
It's a hard movie to watch.
But that's not necessarily a bad thing, especially if that's what you're expecting. Sometimes a sobering
wake-up call is exactly what we need.
Take me, for example. I saw "The Passion" on a Sunday afternoon. The previous Saturday afternoon, my beloved
University of Memphis Tigers lost a basketball game to our hated rivals, the Cincinnati Bearcats, by 4 points
on the Bearcats' home court. The loss prevented us from securing a #1 seed in the conference tournament.
Oh, and the refs pretty much robbed us as well. I was upset by the loss. I was furious at the missed calls.
I wanted to find a Bearcat fan and punch him in the face. Come Sunday morning I was *still* complaining.
"Somebody needs to try to do something about those refs," I told Stephanie during breakfast. "I don't think
I'll get over this until our next game." But then I went to see "The Passion," and after watching two hours
of Jesus being beaten and crucified, you know, losing a silly little basketball game wasn't so tough to stomach
anymore. And the next time I stub my toe on the couch, I *promise* I will not act like I see a white light and
my death bell has been tolled.
Those of you who don't understand how I could get so upset over my home team losing a basketball game clearly
don't understand the passion that is involved. Similarly, this is a movie that will mean more to the viewer
who already has an understanding of "the Passion" (meaning "the suffering") of Jesus than to those who "don't
get it."
"So, Johnny, you're saying the movie is a little narrow in its focus?" Well, yes, you
can say that. But that's Mel Gibson's vision. There are plenty of movies that give more details and back story
of Jesus' life, but Gibson wanted to focus on Jesus' last 12 hours. However, Gibson does a great job using
flashbacks to flesh out Jesus' life and message a little. The flashback involving Mary and Jesus as a young
child was the one that got to me the most.
"I heard it's anti-Semitic. Is that true?" No. If somebody wants to find something
to complain about, then they will. Jesus' crucifixion didn't take place in Africa, folks, so what can you do?
A Jewish nation usually consists of Jewish people. Were there Jews in the crowd calling for Jesus' death? Yes.
But you know what? There were also Jews in the crowd screaming for somebody to stop the torture and to help
Jesus. The man who helped Jesus carry the cross was a Jew. Jesus' disciples? Jews. The Romans are the ones
potrayed as the most brutal as they gleefully whipped Jesus until there was barely any flesh left. Why aren't
old-school Romans in an uproar?
"Well, isn't it really violent?" Yeah, it's pretty brutal. But this is the story of
a man who was whipped, beaten, and nailed to a cross. Don't expect colorful, talking fish. History shows that
the Romans were brutal torturers, and they would often whip rebel Jews or early Christians to the point that
veins, muscles, and entrails were exposed. It's hard to take those elements and paint a pretty picture.
"There aren't a lot of famous actors in the movie, how was the acting?" Jim Caviezel,
who I've liked ever since I saw him in "Frequency," did a great job portraying Jesus as a man suffering both
physical and mental anguish. I say give him an Oscar nomination, but we know that won't happen. Everybody else
does a good job.
Gibson added several personal touches that I felt helped the movie. His depiction of Satan as an evil but
alluring being was very creepy and interesting. And Satan holding a freakish 40-year-old baby with back hair
is the sort of thing that makes you scratch your head and say, "What in the world? That was creepy."
I admit, it's a lot more pleasant to dwell on Jesus' life and resurrection. And that's what should usually be
the main focus because life is always more uplifting than death. But if you're a Christian who has taken Jesus'
death for granted, then this movie may be just the thing you need to take you out of your comfort zone.
If you're not a Christian, and you can handle the violence, then it won't hurt you to go see what all the fuss is
about. Regardless of what you think about Jesus and His message, chances are you'll come out of the movie
feeling *something.*
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MAMA'S APPROVAL
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Stephanie and I saw this movie with my parents, and I can say that my mom gives it her approval. This is
the first movie she's paid to see at the theaters since ... hmm, probably since she took me to see "The Empire
Strikes Back." Or wait, I think my dad may have taken her to see "The Sixth Sense" at the $2 theater. I'm not
100% certain of that though. I think that's right because my sisters and I were absolutely flabbergasted that
she was actually gonna let my dad shell out $4 for them to go to the movies.
However, "The Passion of the Christ" is not suitable for younger children. I would say that fourteen or fifteen
would be a good cut-off age. Children younger than that may not be able to handle the graphic scourging and
crucifixion.
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TRAILER COMPARISON
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The trailer is a good indication of what to expect from the movie. However, it might not adequately prepare you
for how brutal some of the scenes are, so consider this your warning.
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THE GIST
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Ironically, "The Passion of the Christ" is a movie that is both hard to watch and hard NOT to watch. If you need
to be reminded or if you want to find out just how bad Jesus suffered prior to His death, then watch this movie.
If you're upset that there isn't more back story, then read the book. And if you're not happy that the movie only
dedicated a couple of minutes to Jesus' resurrection, well, you can see the sequel on April 11, at a church near
you.
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