My Review of "The Passion of the Christ"

This is my opportunity to get my reviewing shoes on- something I haven’t done in a while now! I used to write for several computer game websites- they were pretty small and basic but nonetheless an ample ‘developmental’ position, where my writing skills are concerned anyway. But, something told me before seeing ‘The Passion’ that these would need an overhaul if I were to express anything that the movie represents- and now I have seen it I think I was right.

What with all the controversy and the hype acting as filmic ‘ying’ and ‘yangs’, and with all the conflict of opinions that naturally follow this, I deem it necessary to sift through the spin from either side and get to what was true. Did I succeed? Good question. As a Christian I had a bias. Not only that, as someone who openly supported this film before hand I had another bias. But whatever anyone tells you, we all suffer from this and it makes me no different from a film critic, or a Jewish/Muslim viewer or a preacher who fancied the odd Saturday night out. However, what biases cannot do is change what was shown on that screen and that is what I’m going to talk to you about- not personal convictions, and not personal beliefs. This is about the movie, and for now (and just for now- I won’t make a habit of it) I will forget my beliefs. Until, of course, I come to the part of the review that demands I look at it from a Christian perspective...but you can just turn off at that point! Aside from this, I will analyse the movie from both a secular and a ‘neutral movie goer’s’ perspective.

1) From a Secular Perspective

Within this I’ll temporarily ignore the filmic elements (e.g. was it good on a movie-goer’s basis) and focus entirely on whether or not, to the non-Christian, this is worth seeing. Well…this is not the easiest concept to address to be honest. I’m really trying hard to put myself into a secular mindset, but I suppose it’s just easier to address it bit by bit. Ok, here goes. Firstly, was this film ‘preachy’? Absolutely not. I didn’t feel like I was getting preached to. Infact most of the time it was just the teachings of Jesus were expressed; love, forgiveness and providence. This isn’t ‘preachy’- it’s moralistic! And what’s wrong with that, seriously?

Secondly, is it worth seeing if it’s just about Jesus? Aside from getting to know what all the fuss is about, I have to say it really is. It can give one an interesting insight into the dynamic life of Jesus Christ, and no one can claim that any other single individual has affected general world history in the same way or to the same extent. It’s always healthy to have a different perspective. Suffice to say; I think this film rather safely passes the ‘secular’ test.

2) From a Neutral ‘Movie-Goer’ Perspective

This category is going to address the much-cited criticism of ‘The Passion’, which tends to revolve around two central claims; a) it is anti-Semitic and b) it is excessively violent. If any movie contains such things then naturally its message and overall impact will be hindered somewhat. So what’s the deal?

On the claim of anti-Semitism, my first reaction is one of confusion- confusion at how such a film can be dubbed with such a derogatory term. If one is labelled an anti-Semite in one’s western society, and the claim is just and fair, then one is rightly stigmatised. In my personal opinion, anti-Semitism is a terrible thing; something which has manifested itself in no uncertain terms over the past century (and, unfortunately, over the past millennia at the hands of the institutionalised Church). Therefore, given the track record of previous ‘Passion’ plays and the anti-Semitism that followed them, the Anti-Defamation league expressed deep concern since Mel Gibson revealed his plans for this feature film. Where they must draw the line, I contest, is when the film is released and their charges have no weight behind them. As is the case now.

This movie is certainly not anti-Semitic. If one wanted to put such a label on this film then it is possible; one could look at how the Jews shouted for Jesus’ death, or how the High Priests plotted against Him. However, to do so would mean one would need to either forget or remain ignorant about the fact that in the crowd there were nevertheless a substantial number who were shocked and appalled by the beaten Jesus presented before them, or that when Jesus was being beaten on His way to the site of crucifixion there were a number of Jews who said, and I quote, “somebody stop this”. One would also need to forget that Jesus, Mary, His disciples and His other followers were Jewish and were presented as such, or that in front the High Priests one individual rose up and basically told the court that the trial was illegitimate. These things show the reader and the viewer alike how the film was balanced. Indeed, the charge of ‘Who Killed Jesus?’ is one that is incredibly easy to put to rest from a Christian perspective. Answer- we all did. Those administering the blows were ourselves. Let’s not forget why Jesus had to die- to save us all from our sin. John 3:16 states- “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son, so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life” (emphasis added).

Sorry if I had to quickly dip into my own beliefs there; I know I said I wouldn’t until later but in that scenario I deemed it necessary. Now, moving on to the claim of excessive violence. This one, I must admit, is relative in that it depends on who is watching it. From a personal perspective, it certainly wasn’t excessively violent but then again I’m a 17-year-old male who, for the last 10 year of his life, has grown up with a dose of violent TV, movies and video games. I no doubt have become desensitised to what is perceived by the older generations as ‘twisted’ or ‘vulgar’. So it should come as no surprise again that those who are mostly offended by the violence are often 35 and over. This is not meant as a derogatory statement, nor is it meant to include an element of oxymoronic condescension; rather it is intended to highlight a reality that has been picked up by other individuals I’m familiar with.

The bottom line in this issue is this- if you feel you are used to violence you won’t be offended. If you aren’t, then you will be. It’s that simple. To be honest, however, the violence that is shown for about 30-40% of the movie is no worse than what you would see on a primetime television drama. The worse bits by far are the Scourging and the Crucifixion, and it is these scenes that get the film its high classification ratings. They aren’t that bad, I ‘like’ to class them as ‘brutal but realistic’ and ‘painful yet necessary’.

3) From a Christian Perspective.

This category is something that is generally far more difficult to ‘pin down’. As a Christian, I picked up things from the movie that the average non-Christian viewer would not, which is inevitable really. Certain events in the film are biblical; others are not, but at the same time they present us with a high level of Christian imagery and symbolism. At other times, Catholic Traditions make themselves present. A quick example from each of these criteria is in order.

Certain bits, such as Jesus on the cross, the ‘Question and Answer’ session before the High Priests (the Sanhedrin), and the way in which Jesus is presented to Pilate, are very much Biblical and toe the line of Gospel accuracy. I remember reading an ‘Empire’ review of this film which said that it followed the Gospels “religiously” which I found rather amusing! And indeed it does, but there are certain situations that are not included in the Bible. For example, Satan is included in the Garden with Jesus, who then stamps on the heel of a serpent, Satan is later seen carrying a deformed child whilst Jesus is being scourged, and a woman cleans Jesus’ face whilst He is carrying the cross to the place of Crucifixion (Golgotha). Some of these can be explained as Christian imagery (such as the first two, the first of which represents Jesus’ temptations and the fulfilment of a Genesis prophecy, the second represents the Anti-Christ- the child of Satan), others can be explained as Catholic tradition. Within Catholicism, there is something called the 7 Stations of the Cross which are presented in this film, namely and most memorably in the case of Veronica- the one who wipes the blood from Christ’s face.

Aside from these little ‘quirks’, some have argued that the film presents an altered theology from the mainstream. Jesus says ‘It is accomplished’ just before He dies, as opposed to ‘It is finished’. What initially may appear insignificant some claim carries a greater importance. If something is merely ‘accomplished’ then it can be added to, such is the Catholic doctrine of salvation through works as well as forgiveness from God (‘Grace’). However, such a claim, however well founded, is nevertheless speculation and ‘accomplished’ can just as easily carry the same significance as ‘finished’. This type of nitpicking won’t get us anywhere.

And it is here that I highlight the big issue from a Christian perspective- aside from the nitpicking, what can this film do to contribute to Christianity? Well, from a personal view I can say that I have seen some very good effects indeed. This film has converted some, made others question and at the very least has changed people’s ideas about Christ. Anything like this is good for the Christian. I must say, however, that even if some have been ‘converted’ to Christianity solely through this movie I can’t see it happening as a widespread phenomenon. This movie is very good, but for those who don’t know an awful lot about Christianity they aren’t going to be won over by powerful imagery and profound, underlying messages. What this will do, however, is enable the Christian to talk about his/her faith and teach the individual about Christ and His message. That is all we can do as Christians- some see us as ravaging lions who will try to ‘win’ people over to our religion, when infact most of us just want to share the Gospel- the good news that Christ died for all mankind and was resurrected, and any action after that is a bonus! If this film can allow us to do this, then in my opinion it has served its purpose.

So, I have gone over these three categories and what opinion have I come to? Well I must say I was very impressed by ‘The Passion of the Christ’. As mentioned before, it has and is serving its spiritual purpose and from a non-religious viewpoint it is a fantastic movie, a great and moving watch that asks us questions- it engages the audience, something all epic movies should do! Not only that, it does it on a grand scale and with hints of religion, something that whether we like it or not will continue to pull at the heartstrings of society. No wonder why it has been so successful.

Final Verdict? Go see it, ponder on its message and be prepared to answer the question that Jesus Himself asked Peter, His disciple, all those years ago-

“Who do you say that I am?”