Passion Review

So, after it being out for nearly 6 weeks, I finally saw the Passion last night. I stopped by the theater for the 4:35 show after work. Surprisingly enough, I was not the only one in the theater. By the time the movie started, there were almost 15 people in. Fortunately, none of them were under the age of 18.

So, did I like it? Well, yes and no. Yes, in the fact that it is quite moving and personifies the torment inflicted. No in the sense that the movie lost some of its believability with the violence and I questioned some of the historical accuracy of some aspects of the movie.

My biggest complaint I would think is that I have a hard time believing that Jesus would not have collapsed and simply bled to death halfway through the ordeal as Gibson portrays it. In Mark, when Joseph of Arimathea comes to Pilate to ask for the body, Pilate seems surprised that Jesus is deal already. In Gibson's portrayal, I don't think Pilate would have been shocked if Jesus rolled over and died after 10 minutes of cross carrying.

That is my second complaint. As Jesus is led away to Golgotha, the two thieves are marched with him. The two thieves are only lashed to the crossbars. Jesus has to carry the crossbar and support pole. Why the double standard? It just doesn't make much sense to me.

My third complaint is regarding the acting of the men playing the Roman soldiers. I thought the leads did very well but the soldiers were just too over the top. Their breakdown fits of laughter and cruelty seemed too jovial and too forced. I don't deny that the soldiers would have been very cruel, especially if they were recruited from the surrounding provinces and not from Rome proper as has been theorized. But it seemed far too forced for me.

My fourth and final point comes from the fact that I'm not Catholic and Mr. Gibson is very old school Catholic. There were a number of things that did not jive with any version of the story I've read or with my own attitude about things. Examples: Jesus' face is wiped by a woman while carrying the cross, leaving an imprint of his face in blood; Claudia Procula (Pilate's wife) comes out and gives Mary, mother of Jesus, towels to wipe up the blood from the scourging; Jesus and his disciples are sitting at a modern table and chairs during the last supper flashbacks; after Jesus dies, a Roman soldier pierces his heart with a spear on the right side, not the left. These are just some and they just seemed out of place to me.

Now, I will say the things I did like. The film was not anti-Semitic. There were many instances of Jews in support of Jesus throughout the film. Ciaphas is clearly the driver of the whole thing but even he is not made to be an extreme over the top villain. He has religious convictions and is fulfilling them (albeit misplacingly).

I enjoyed the flashbacks, especially the ones with his mother showing Jesus prior to his ministry. It gives one a reminder of the human side of him. Performing in Aramaic and Latin made the movie more real and quite enjoyable. It was easy to engross yourself in the historical aspect of the movie. Despite the gore, I did find the overall movie very moving and touching. It was a good reminder of what we are and the sacrifices God made for us.

Overall, I'd give the movie a B-. If you are Catholic, I'd pull it up to a B. Irregardless, I'd recommend it to anyone interested.