This is the review of the Passion that is hopefully appearing in next Friday's North Star:
My intention before going to see Mel Gibson’s new movie, The Passion of the Christ, was to review it as a movie, not allowing my Christian faith to slip through. To cover acting, cinematography, writing, F/X, etc. After I watched it, I realized that that was impossible. For me, and I suspect for many others (Christians and non-Christians alike), this is more than a film. It is a personal spiritual experience.
For those of you who don’t know, The Passion of the Christ chronicles the last 12 hours of Jesus Christ’s life. It covers from the garden of Gethsemane to the Resurrection. Throughout this, it also shows the bigger picture of Christ’s life through flashbacks. The movie is in Aramaic and Latin with subtitles.
Gibson’s attention to Biblical detail is stunning. Through locations, costumes, casting, and dialogue, he works hard to make the movie true to the gospels. He does add some touches, but for the most part they are interpretive (like the use of a corporeal Satan throughout the film) or are needed to put the film into context (as in the case of the flashbacks).
The other way in which Gibson stays true to the story is through his brutally accurate depiction of the torture and crucifixion of Christ. This movie could be very difficult for the squeamish or faint of heart, but at the same time to take out or soften the gore would be to destroy the purpose of the movie – to show people just what Christ did to save them.
The acting, cinematography, and music all served to make the film highly emotional. Because the dialogue was not in English, we have only camera angles, lighting, faces, and music to show us the emotion of the scene. Luckily for us, Gibson combines these elements to draw us in so subtly we don’t realize it until we’re crying.
Finally, the resurrection at the end of the film is handled perfectly for this film. The film is called The Passion and shouldn’t focus too much on the resurrection, yet if left out completely it renders the story meaningless. The short but brilliantly shot scene at the end of the film gave us just enough to finish the story.
I think this film is going to have a profound effect on many people who go to see it. Many Christians will strengthen their faith or be inspired to discuss things with others they’d never discussed before. And people of other faiths will, if nothing else, have a better understanding of Christianity which will help us to relate to each other. I think Mel Gibson has done a great service to the world with this film, and I thank him for it.
