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The Passion of the Christ (Widescreen Edition) Customer Reviews (118 - 120 of 160 Reviews)

A masterpiece of religious art - simply unforgettable
If you've been living under a rock for the past, oh, year or so, I might as well inform you that the most controversial movie in years has been released into theaters. And this isn't Bernardo Bertolucci controversy; this isn't even D.W. Griffith controversy; this is first-rate, full-blown religious controversy, and it's done nothing but cling to every mention of director Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ. Turn on the television and they're talking about it, get in any gathering of people and it comes up, open any entertainment magazine and it's front-page news. But now it's February 25, Ash Wednesday nearly two-thousand years after the event depicted in the film occurred, and the movie has hit screens. I had the opportunity to see the film earlier this evening and see how all the criticism and controversy I've heard and read stands up. Well, as you'll read, that unjust criticism of anti-semitism, too-graphic violence, and spiritual insignificance tumbles like a man beneath a cross, and Gibson's ferocious, passionate film triumphs like the Savior from a tomb. In this review, I'll try not to give away why Gibson's film is set apart from other run-of-the-mill Biblical films; you can see it for yourself. But I do want to convey why The Passion ranks as one of the most important cinematic experiences I have ever had.

Like any great epic, the first thing that stands out is how visually striking the movie is, and The Passion of the Christ is no exception. The camera trails gently through the garden, and we see Jesus. Except, this is not the mechanical, puppeteer Jesus of so many other passion plays this is a man who knows what lies before him. A man who knows the kind of responsibility he has. A man who, despite being scared out of his mind, knows that he can take the challenge. Jesus, played with grace and utter devotion by Jim Caviezel, is the human that many other narratives seem to leave out. I found myself amazed at Gibson's choice to show not doubt, but simply fear - something that would come to any man who had to endure what Jesus does in the next two hours of the film.

The scenes in which Jesus is brought before the high priest Caiaphus have brought accusations of anti-semitism to the film, but anti-semitism was the last thing that came to my mind as various people stood before Him and ranted that He was nothing more than a crazy blasphemer that encouraged the drinking of His blood and the disobedience of Jewish customs. Well, to the leaders of the Jewish faith, that's what Jesus was - He was a man who went against their establishment and they found nothing more suitable than to have his life taken for it. In placid flashbacks that gorgeously contrast with the escalating violence of the proceedings, we see Jesus encouraging his disciples to love one another and even hate those that persecute them. That went against the teachings of the Pharisees, but it certainly has made the world a better place today. Gibson's film separates Jew-hating from people-loving, the notion that the film truly embraces.

Not much time is wasted before the film launches into some of the most stomach-churning, brutal violence ever committed to mainstream cinema. In a brutal scourging sequence, we see pieces of Jesus' skin flayed off as multiple Roman soldiers pound him to within an inch of his life. The long, arduous trek to Golgotha features lashes with whips among other forms of physical torture. Before seeing the film, I was worried that accusations that the violence detracts from the film's spiritual meaning would ring true. It doesn't - the suffering of Christ depicted in the film produces not a feeling of pointless blood-spattering, but divine sacrifice. Jesus is shown as a man who was sent to spread a message of love and redemption, and Gibson's movie rightfully asserts that in order for it to all come to fruition, He had to endure this. But that is not to say that this movie is meant for any person, young or old. The violence is tolerable, but at times - barely.

Any doubts about Gibson's intentions on making this film are dispelled in the climactic scene of the film in which Jesus has his hands and feet nailed to the cross on which he eventually dies. This disturbing-but-earthshakingly-powerful scene ranks among the most powerful I have ever witnessed in the cinema. The brutal nailing to the cross and presentation before the crowd represents the pinnacle of Christianity, the moment at which the weight of the world falls on one man's shoulders. And you feel it. At the movie's normal moments, it is accurate and engrossing. At moments like this, it's so powerful it's hard to look.

I, too, probably like every other critic on the face of the earth, walked into the movie expecting to find gaping flaws, excessive use of an artistic license, and too-graphic violence, but getting up from my seat at the end of the immensely moving film, I could only think of...well, how much crap all of those critics are full of. Forget about what you've read - the violence is not repugnant, it serves a purpose; the film is not anti-semitic, it is accurate; the movie is not a publicity stunt, but a deeply-felt expression of one man's passion about one man's sacrifice. From the opening moments of The Passion, Gibson's film is a visually gorgeous, deeply emotional, and accurate rendering of the single most important event in the history of man. The film's brutal, violently moving climax elevates it to a standard of excellence that Gibson has never before achieved, and not only do I approve immensely of it, but I think that it is a landmark in religious art and a movie not soon to be forgotten. I'm trying to not use the word 'masterpiece' so much anymore, but I'm pulling it out of retirement for this movie. GRADE: A

Powerful, Gripping Account of Christ's Passion
Seldom does a large audience leave a movie theater in complete silence, but that is precisely what happened during the matinee showing of Gibson's Passion that my wife and I attended. Many left the theater visibly shaken, others in tears. I have not seen any other film have quite the effect on an audience that this one did. My wife and I did not speak a word until we were in the car for at least five minutes.

I have seen many of the other "Passion" stories, everything from Franco Zeffirelli's "Jesus of Nazareth" to Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Jesus Christ Superstar," and while all of these have their individual merits, Gibson's Passion succeeds where the others don't always get it right. As viscerally wrenching as the film is, Gibson succeeds in capturing the key element that the others overlook: power.

Gibson's "Passion Play" could just as easily be called the "Power Play," because when you reduce the story to its key thematic elements, the crucifixion and death of Christ are about the complex power structure that Jesus threatened. Jesus, the son of a carpenter, threatened the religious power of the Pharisees over the Jewish people. He threatened the power of Pilate to keep the Jewish population in line. Herod, when Jesus is brought before him, however, is short-sighted enough to believe that, because Jesus does not perform a miracle on demand for him, Jesus has no power over him. Herod, of course, further ridicules Jesus and sends him back to Pilate.

The thematic element of power undergirds all others in the film, and could be summed up in one of the lines of dialogue (roughly approximated here) that is taken from the gospel of John. Before he is sentenced to crucifixion, Jesus says to Pilate: "You have no power over me except what is given from above." Therein lies the reminder that, although the earthly powers that be have beaten Jesus to a bloody pulp, mocked him, tormented him, and killed him in perhaps the most painful way possible, they truly have no power over him.

As for the pre-release charges of anti-semitism, I am unconvinced that the film is anti-semitic. If this film is anti-semitic, then so is the entire New Testament. Although Caiaphas and some of the high priests are ultimately depicted as forcing Pilate's hand in crucifying Christ, there are notable dissenting voices among the high priests who feel that the charges against Christ are ridiculous. These high priests are quickly silenced and shoved out of the way by the high priest. I found the depictions of the Pharisees to be less favorable in Lloyd Webber's musical than in this film, and with the passage of time, the controversies over "Superstar" have died down considerably. I expect that the same will occur with this film.

More disturbing than the singular hatred Caiaphas and other members of the Pharisees display toward Jesus is the merry brutality of the Romans, the group that comes off most poorly in the film. The centurions who carry out the graphic and bloody scourging of Christ are not just following orders--they visibly enjoy the torment they are inflicting. They believe they hold the ultimate power over Christ's physical body, and beat and ridicule him mercilessly, baring their awful teeth in sneers of derision from the courtyard where Christ is scourged all the way to Golgotha. If anyone is to be reviled, it is the Roman centurions.

Another theme that Gibson captures so well in the film is the battle raging between the larger powers of good and evil. A pale, androgynous creature that we can only assume to be Satan appears throughout the film, reminding us that although this drama is the passion of the Christian God incarnate in a man, there is much more at stake than the petty power play on earth--the forces of good and evil have thrown down the gauntlet in Jerusalem.

Gibson also acknowledges the fact that the crucifixion isn't the end of the story of Christ. Where Lloyd Webber's musical stops at the cross, Gibson's continues, albeit briefly, to the resurrection. Not that anyone can really give "spoilers" to one of the best-known plot lines of all time, but without giving too much away, let me just say that Gibson recognizes that the ultimate power play happens after the death of Jesus. Although he gives it somewhat short shrift in the closing moments of the film, we get a hint of the joy that is the Christian Easter holiday after getting hit with two hours of the brutal pain that is Good Friday in the Christian tradition.

An ecumenical masterpiece, Gibson's work will be remembered by Christians long after the petty controversies have died down as a graphic reminder of Christ's suffering, death, and resurrection for the sins of the world. While the movie is certainly too intense for anyone younger than teenagers, it is a brutally accurate and moving experience for adults of any faith. The acting is magnificent, and the cinematography and score will move even the hardest of hearts. A must-see film for people of any faith who want to understand what the Christian faith is all about.

Good film, but leave the kids at home!
First let me say that I was raised Presbyterian. Whether or not I believe that Christianity is "true" or not is my own business (and God's, assuming he does exist) and no one elses. That aside, the film is undeniably powerful and probably worth seeing for most adults (and I cannot stress this enough - this is NOT for children) that are interested, but I left the theater feeling, essentially, disappointed.

Regardless of Christ's true nature, let us grant that, in the context of what he suffered, he was a great man. Brave beyond belief, very caring, a true model of humanity's best. However, in the film, we are not given much more than a combination of endless torture, a few flashbacks, some INCREDIBLE cinematography and musical scoring, and a generous helping of old-fashioned guilt. In short, the movie is designed to appeal to you because, as a human being, you will feel sympathy for the noble, peaceful, loving Jesus and feel compelled to emotionally attach yourself to his suffering.

It is naked manipulation. The story of Christ is both tremendously sad and immensely hopeful, as the billions of worldwide Christians demonstrate. This however, does not mean that what you are seeing is TRUE. The film is not necessarily historically accurate, although the director claims that "the Bible is historical fact", no matter what source you hear claiming otherwise. The gospels themselves are known to be fraught with contradiction and inaccuracy, not to mention the additional quandries introduced following the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, as well as the exclusion of the Apocrypha from the Christian canon.

Thus my own conclusion would be that the film succeeds on its own merit, as a well exectued, heartfelt STORY that works emotionally. Unfortunately, as usual, there are many who seek to connect this with "the truth". The truth is...the story of Christ presented in this film is nothing more than very effective modern MYTHOLOGY that has updated ancient myth for the modern audience.

I have to add one other thing. It seems that many fundamentalists are praising this film without end. These are the same people who were calling for the destruction of Hollywood when "The Last Temptation of Christ" was released (incidentally, THAT is a much better film than this one). My request for these folk that constantly bemoan the "trash" that Hollywood endlessly generates is merely that you accept that freedom of expression, no matter how it is exercised, be honored. There are many other films having violence, and SEX in them that are of much greater social value than "The Passion" (my opinion of course).

Of course,this is all "just my opinion". Others may disagree...and I'm sure they will. Ultimately, Mel Gibson has pulled off a noteworthy film, but I don't think it will have the lasting impact that others seem to expect from it. Unless of course, you count the numerous viewings that will surely be repeated in fundamentalist churches for the foreseeable future.

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