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COULD IT HAVE BEEN BETTER?
Since seeing The Passion I've had no end of friends asking me if it was "good" or not. My response each time is a firm "no." It's less a film than an experience; a reawakening of faith. I didn't like it at all, but then again, enjoyment wasn't the point.
However, as much as I felt this movie was worthwhile, several aspects left me unsatisfied. The first was Mary, Jesus' mother, and her apparent lack of emotion. I was also disappointed at how little of Jesus' life was covered in the film. The best and most moving parts of the movie were flashbacks to earlier periods in Jesus' life, including scenes from the last supper and even from his carpenter days. In focusing only on the hours of his suffering and crucifixion, Gibson overlooks some of the most significant parts of Christ's life and undermines the film's impact.
The aspect that Gibson does focus on is violence and he takes brutality to an unnecessary extreme. Christ's whipping was prolonged and utterly nauseating. While I appreciate Gibson's efforts to give an uncensored representation of Jesus' suffering, I can't help but feel that he might have been influenced a little too heavily by his personal love of violence. (Remember Braveheart?)
It took a few moments for the crowd to react once the credits starting rolling. As we emerged into the midday Saturday bustle, I felt oddly detached from the world around me. I marvelled at the bright rays that warmed my skin, as surprised to see the sun as if I had expected to emerge into darkness after the movie. What overwhelmed me then, and has stayed with me since, was a strong sense of God's all-encompassing love. Passion has shown me humanity in a new light, in a way that makes me almost ashamed to be counted as human. Yet God, knowing this, forgives and loves us all, which, for its failings, is the point that "Passion" ultimately makes.
- Becca Tuttle
March 2004
March 2004
| <- Previous: The Biblical Aspects of The Passion | Next: Passionate Words Main -> |
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