Right. I'm not gonna waffle on about it, because there's already plenty of that on plenty of other sites, and one could add to this the fact that I don't speak Latin, nor, indeed, Aramaic, and can therefore comment none regarding the infamous "Blood on our children" remark, and the context of it in the film, since I didn't know when it was said. What I will add regarding this is that the film, to me, does not reek of Anti-Semitic hatemongering as some have suggested, and to be honest, a lot of the claims of such have had more to do with Hutton Gibson, Father Of Braveheart, and his deliriously ignorant gabbing, than anything onscreen. When the man who is asked to assist in the carrying of the cross has the words, "You go now, Jew!" hissed into his ears with derisory contempt on account of his refusal to participate any further in the atrocity, it is a tad hard to swallow the Anti-Jewish accusations.
But there is one problem which does feel painfully inappropriate, and which The Duke would have preferred to have been excised completely. The last five minutes of the film are practically abominable. A sequence beginning with the formation of a CGI raindrop, moving on to some mild-mannered city rumbling, via a brief jaunt to hell and back in time for the resurrection, is next to laughable, and completely out of touch with all that has gone before it.
Better it had ended as The Duke hoped, on that heartbreaking, gorgeous shot of Mary cradling the lifeless body of her son, staring beyond the camera, beyond the audience, in a veil of incomprehension.
The Passion Of The Christ is beautiful, transcendent and heart-felt, boasting a talented "Action"-shouter in Mel Gibson - a genius, painterly Cinematographer in Caleb Deschanel who has finally found a vehicle worthy of his talents, after such middling affairs as The Patriot and It Could Happen To You - and a cast full of tremendous actors and actresses, reaching a divine plateau of some nature in Caviezel's hypnotic, heartbreaking performance.
For more of The Duke's inane gabbling, head on over to Mondo Irlando.
Article comments
1 - rob
I agree with everything you wrote.
Especially the ending.
What's with Satan wearing the black wig? Screaming like a lunatic. Give me a break. I guess it was for the Christians to show them that Satan was defeated. As for me, an agnostic bordering on atheist, it jarred me back to reality and the silliness of my life.
I do wish they would have ended it with the Pieta image. That was awesome.
I've been reading reviews and yours was one of the better and articulate ones so I thought I should comment. Thanks!
2 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
Why thank you!
And Lo, The Duke Did Blush.
Yes, i felt those final moments of computer-generated nonsense took me completely out of the film. What in hell's CGI wig-wearing name was he thinking? As if the real stuff wasn't achingly beautiful enough! "Hey, i know, let's have some CGI rain drops. Wouldn't that be the coolest?"
"Uh, sure Mel, just don't be gettin' all Mad Max on us, ok big guy? Do whatever you want, man."
I bought the soundtrack album yesterday, which is fantastic also. I note they didn't feel the need to round it off with a techno-remix. Pity Braveheart hadn't took the same route.
But still, the film was perfect in every other damn respect.
Thanks again Rob. Means a lot.
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