Where to begin when reviewing a film who upon just hearing the name creates a charged atmosphere? I have found it a tough movie to discuss with friends and other movie fans, as the conversation opens up to include much more and turns into a bit more of a battle where feelings get hurt, and a general air of unease develops. That aside I have decided to go ahead and give some thoughts about the film and this DVD release.
Most of you reading this are probably at least peripherally aware of the story. I feel that many faiths have similar tales of a prophet, or some holy man, who is persecuted for his or her beliefs. I don't think that you necessarily need to be a Christian in order to get something out of this film. I don't want to get into any of the controversy regarding anti-semitism, I can see how someone could interpret it as such, but I truly feel that it was not the intent of those involved at all. The best I can say is see the movie before making a judgment. My fear is that many people are and have made up their mind regarding the movie before even seeing it, and that is a shame, you are missing out on a wonderful film.
Mel Gibson took a big risk making this movie. It's controversial subject matter kept all of the major studios from backing the film. Mel sunk millions of his own money into the production, moving forward with no studio back and no distributor. He felt so strongly about making this movie that he made it anyway, despite any Hollywood backlash he was bound to receive. The gamble paid off, as the film found a distributor with Newmarket Films and the people came out in droves. I saw it when it came out last year.
The cinematography is breathtaking, this is one of the most beautifully shot films to come along in awhile. There is great use of shadows and fog throughout the movie. Caleb Deschanel does a fantastic job of giving the film a distinctive look, with beautiful lighting. The music is haunting throughout thanks to a score from John Debney.
The film is subtitled, spoken languages are Aramaic, Latin, and Hebrew, and the actors involved do a fine job of making it sound convincing. Although the film is subtitled, not everything in the film is translated, and it's probably for the best. If every word had been translated there would have been way too much to read, as it stands Gibson had wanted to release it sans subtitles. One thing I like on the DVD is that we have the option to watch with or without the subs. The story is told through body movements and facial expressions, which really tell the story without having to understand the words.
Article comments
1 - roland
Nice review, Chris. I plan to pick up the DVD.
I thought that the soundtrack would have picked up the Academy Award. It was picked by NPR reviewers.
2 - Triniman
Subject matter aside, I thought the film was neither superb nor awful.
It doesn't compare well to, say, Mystic River or Million Dollar Baby, if can use examples of two universally lauded films.
Having said that, if anyone is curious about it, they should see it,if they don't mind seeing the mind-numbing torture scenes. If this sort of thing bothers them, they should not see it and maybe opt for the recut version (which I haven't seen.)
Apparently, Gibson could not get financial backing for the film and ended up paying for it himself. If there ever was a sure thing, this was it. If he was selling shares to raise money, I, and millions of others, would have gladly invested. I cannot imagine why "they" wouldn't invest in the film.
Someday, I look forward to seeing a Jesus film that focuses more on his teachings. Or, perhaps a film about Abraham, since he was a central figure to Jews, Christians and Moslems, whereas Jesus was an important figure only to Christians and Moslems.
3 - Louise Barnes
I agree that this is a very well done film. I cried too- and I saw it four times. I was very dissappointed that it did not get nominated for best film, director or actor. Surely at least it should have gotten best soundtrack or makeup or cinematograhy!
4 - Allen
There's also a terrific documentary on 'The Passion' called 'Impact: The Passion of the Christ'. The film shows the impact 'The Passion' made around the world.