My wife and I said very little in the car on the way home after seeing The Passion of the Christ. We both tacitly agreed that to talk about The Passion as you would talk about most movies would somehow reduce its impact and would be crass. We also both agreed it was like no movie we had ever seen. But after a couple of weeks of mental processing, I feel like I have some sort of handle on the film. My view is that anyone over 14 or 15 should see it, and Christians (same age range, though some younger children might be able to handle it) should certainly go. Maybe the best way to talk about The Passion is to address some of the questions its release has generated. So here goes:
Q: Is it Biblically accurate?
A: From everything I’ve heard, yes. There are a few added elements, such as the wife of Pontius Pilate kindly giving Mary and Mary Magdalene cloths to wipe up the blood of Jesus after his bearing of his cross to Golgotha and his crucifixion there. That’s certainly not in the Scriptures. In general, though, it seems like an intelligent and accurate distillation of the Gospels.
Q: Does Mel Gibson take too many liberties when he makes Satan an actual character, since Satan is not a specific personage in the Gospels?
A: Initially it gave me pause to see the hooded character who turns out to be Satan, but ultimately it didn’t bother me. This is the director’s prerogative and part of his artistry. Satan was certainly in the background of the event.
Q: Is it anti-Semitic?
A: I don’t think it is. The fact that members of the Sanhedrin shouted for Jesus’ execution and pressured Pontius Pilate to crucify him is historical fact. Members of the Jewish power elite don’t acquit themselves well here, but the Roman soldiers who scourge and whip Jesus come off as really cruel and sadistic. Besides that, Mel Gibson has said he intended no slight towards Jews. I believe we have to take him at his word.
Q: Aren’t Mel Gibson’s spiritual views too much on the fringe to allow him to make a worthy film about Christ?
A: Gibson’s father has been criticized for his supposed anti-Jewish sentiments, his belief that much of the Holocaust didn’t happen, and so on. Some have assumed Gibson must feel the same. The movie feels inspired, however. Whatever Gibson’s spiritual views might be, The Passion is reverential and powerful.
Q: Isn’t the movie too violent? Do we really need to see all of the scourging and the continuous whipping?
A: The violence is painful to watch. One might fault Gibson for focusing too much on it. But the crucifixion is the key event in human history. If the violence were curtailed, the film would seem sanitized and “reasonable,” making it a lot easier for us to gloss over it mentally. The crucifixion wasn’t reasonable.
Q: What if I hate violent movies and violence in general? What if the movie makes me sick?
A: That viewpoint is fine in reference to most films, but it just doesn’t apply here. I suggest we grit our teeth, screw up our courage, and resist any ostrich temptations. The Passion provides a compelling way for us to understand truly the sacrifice Christ made for each one of us.
A local reviewer gave The Passion two stars and criticized Gibson for not adhering to storytelling conventions -- such as introducing one’s characters -- and for not focusing on the character of Jesus. Sorry, but that seems like a worldly view. It implies that The Passion should be treated like any other movie, as just another entry in the forum of the marketplace of ideas. Gibson’s picture is far more than that.
The bottom line: We should see The Passion of the Christ and take along a nonbeliever. The Apostle Paul tells us in First Corinthians 18, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to use who are being saved it is the power of God.” The film may seem like foolishness to some, but it may touch the hearts of others.
Film Rating: R (for violence)
My Rating: 4 stars.
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