For a film that has courted so much controversy, Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ left me strangely unmoved.
Now, I know if you gathered everything ever written about this film and dropped it from a great height it would probably smother a continent.
Nevertheless, I do feel compelled to add a comment or two.
Let me begin by saying that I was predisposed to dislike this movie from the outset.
I had vowed - vehemently vowed - that I would never again give my hard earned cash to Mad Mel (he of the glaring Christ complex) after the stomach churning self-indulgence of Braveheart.
Mel is not well known for his subtlety, but the glee with which he threw himself into the role of tortured martyr left me cold. The obvious relish with which he both filmed and acted the (lengthy) climactic death scene seemed a bit ... well, unhealthy, really. Braveheart made me feel unclean. As if I'd paid to watch someone masturbate.
In retrospect, of course, Braveheart was merely a warming up exercise for the main event: the calisthenics before the marathon, if you will.
I always maintained it would be a cold day in Hades before I ever set foot in a theatre screening The Passion. But then, you know, movies come out on DVD and you think, well, hell, let’s see what all the fuss is about.
The sustained and gruesome torture of The Passion is now legendary and in this respect, the movie very much lives up to the hype. It is, in reality, a gruelling 127 minutes of blood and gore.
We watch Jesus stumble meekly from one beating to the next, a ready made whipping boy, victim to all manner of senseless degradations.
The problem is, however, there's no context for the violence.
The movie glorifies Christ’s agony, focuses exclusively on his humiliation and pain, while offering no real reason for why he suffered as he did.
Article comments
1 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
great piece, Kirsten, and although i diagree, im not sure WHY i disagree. you're pretty much spot on.
HOWEVER - i think the passion is probably the most beautiful film i've saw this year. The thing just LOOKS gorgeous. I'm not at all pleased by this development, though, and how its one of my fave flicks of the year. I had no desire to have Gibson as one of my favourite filmmakers all of a damn sudden. But then i thought about it, and next thing i know, i realise i dont actually DISLIKE any of his films.
they're all basically the same story, though. fella is an outcast for no good reason, is vilified by folks what just don't understand, and suffers a bout of torture, either mental (as in "the man with a face thats a bit burned on one side" or whatever it was called) or physical, as in his later films.
The Passion is very much an exploitation film, and maybe it was just the thrill of having such a gleefuly violent, gut-strewn flick packing the theatres once again that got the duke all excited.
as well as all that, though, there is a lot of talk in the film (thematically, if not verbally), about pacifism, which was obviously one of christs fave topics. the unimaginable physical pain dished out on the man, and yet not even a curse word spat in the face of those responsible.
Anyway, enjoyed your piece a lot. thanks!
2 - Bernard
Amen,
Allthough the sick feeling this movie put in my stomach had the potential to be very moving, but ultimately failed.
Much like the movie itself.
3 - Eric Olsen
Super review Kirsten, very vivid, honest and absorbing. I still haven't seen this yet because I basically fear being exposed to exactly what you said.
Thanks and welcome!
4 - visualsimplicity
Although the violence seemed excessive, I wouldn't say it was unnecessary. I always assumed the film was made to allow the believers to see and feel what Christ had to endure and sacrifice in order to save them. Following by that, I think the film succeeded. I think Jay Leno (of all people) put it right when he said something to the degree of how when you watch a movie of some guy punching another in the face, you cringe because of the violence dealt upon someone else, but when you watch The Passion, you cringe because it feels like the violence is happening to you.