Seth’s World View

The Passion opened on the 25th of February, and by the end of the weekend, had grossed 125.8 million, and that’s just in the US! No other movie came close, but the competition isn’t that strong either. Fueled by controversy from all sides, Mel Gibson’s movie has achieved blockbuster status. Who would think a fairly accurate movie about Jesus would be a blockbuster? Mel says he had a faith experience about 10 years ago, and that it changed his life. He wanted to produce a movie that focused on the last hours of Christ’s life. Key to his portrayal would be actors speaking in the language of the day, and the suffering of Christ not being sugarcoated for easy viewing.

I saw the movie on February 27th, and it moved me, affected me, but didn’t change my life. The movie is really accurate, especially as it relates to Jesus himself. There are a number of minor additions to the Biblical story. Whether they add or destract you can decide, should you see it. For myself, I kept asking myself what Mel Gibson was trying to convey when he added to the story, and most of the time I came up with an acceptable answer, though I didn’t always think it worked well.

This movie is violent, and if I had children, I wouldn’t let them see this movie below a certain age. Christ, however, did suffer violence. He was whipped. They portray him being whipped with a Cat of 9 Tales whip. It showed what that whip would do. The movie shows more violence than is in the Biblical text, though most of it is not out of the question. It certainly could have happened, and it’s not likely the author would mention every single hit or fall he endured. It makes you think about how people treat each other, how we find it more tolerable to accept people being treated poorly when they are dehumanized in our eyes. My favorite aspect is that Jesus, though beaten, never looks beaten. There is a fire in his eyes, and a passion that carries him through. He loves God and the people he is able to die for. Though he suffers, we see flashbacks where he talks about the greatest love of dying for our friends. There is even a flashback where he says he is the way to the Father, surprisingly enough. In the end, we see him whole again, right before the credits roll. This Christ isn’t to be pitied. He is strong, and in the end, he rises above it all a new creation.