What is Truth?

So, The Passion was released today in limited release and in broad release tomorrow (I know, a lot of releases). I imagine I will go see in sometime in March, on a Tuesday when I have nothing better to do. I don't know exactly what I will think of it. A lot of reviewers have decried it as a gore fest. Personally, I think the event was probably very gory and that Gibson is correct to properly show the event in all its blood drenched glory. I'm also intrigued by the thought that its all in Latin and Aramaic.

My general reservations deal mostly with compression necessary for movies and Gibson's treatment of Pilate. From what I've heard, Pilate is portrayed as having great reservation and compassion for Jesus. Two traits that I believe that the man had rather small quantities of. Very few people know this, but I have been working on a story of the life of Pilate as told by a slave of his. I've only got about halfway through the Passion sequence and a little bit of a sketch on his childhood. I do have a basic outline of how I want to push his life based on limited historical knowledge and my own personal opinions of the man. Anyway, in my reading of the Gospels, Pilate seems more removed and disdainful of the situation. I've been imagining it as though the Jews are a nuisance and the only reason he doesn't deal with them more harshly, is because he's been getting in trouble with Rome. There is an exchange in John where Pilate is asking what charges have been brought against Jesus and the Sanhedrin gets very defensive, as though Pilate is out of line. Its little things like that that make me think that Pilate could have been offering mercy to Jesus, just to irritate the Sanhedrin and show that he is not their tool. I believe this is the heart of the offering of Barabbas to the crowd in an attempt to thwart the Sanhedrin. Anyway, this is a long tangent on one minor reservation I have.

When I have seen it, I'll offer my review. BTW, if anyone is looking for a complete telling of the Gospel story, and is not that interested in a lot of blood (plus having really good acting), I would suggest Jesus of Nazareth with Robert Powell as Jesus. Very good version and only a few deviances from Scripture. Not enough to warrant dismissal. Moving score as well.