4/02/2004 09:37:00 AM

I have yet to give my account of this "cultural event" known as "The Passion of the Christ." I waited some time before going to see the film. I had high hopes, but low expectations. I really hoped that somehow I would be surprised with how good the film turned out to be, but expected that the hype would stand in the way of the film being truly great. I went alone. I went to a theatre I do not normally go to. I wanted to experience Mel's contribution to religious cinema with as little distraction as possible. I wrote out my thoughts, long hand, immediately prior to and immediately following the film. These long hand notes will likely never make it onto this blog. My observations here will be brief.

The film's only truly interesting character portrayals were Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Satan. The best scene/line of the film was Mary running to a fallen Jesus, holding the head of her unbelievably beaten (literally) son, saying, "I am here." Persephone, I mean Monica Bellucci, as Mary Magdalene was beautiful, but the part had little substance--which is the real issue with all of Gibson's characters in this film. But, really, how could they have any substance? There is absolutely no character development undertaken and no context created for the events of the film. This is perhaps the most disappointing thing for me. The film is rather meaningless without any substantial retelling of the life that lived before it was snuffed out.

Mel took the interpretive stance that, while the Roman's meeted out the punishment, the Jewish religious authorities and the mobs they whipped up were to blame for Jesus' execution. He seemed to go out of his way to make the Roman leadership look sympathetic. The average centurion was a brute, but Pilate was your rough, but likeable next door neighbor forced into crucifying Jesus. Mel also cast the Jewish context and central Jewish personalities in a very negative, stereotypical light. I really was shocked by how many times Pilate and his ilk were cast sympathetically while the High Priest and his were portrayed as inhuman evil.

Cinematically, in terms of story telling and visual execution, despite my low expectations, I expected more.

Theologically, leaving this film without the slightest sense for what Jesus taught of self-sacrifice and love, I was quite disappointed.

I will not see this film again; at least not for a very long time. I will not encourage my children to view this film. I will leave it to them when they are adults.

Other reviews of this film are copious. The summary review that I like most is IHT's:

Emerging from the movie, I recalled a brief religious sequence in "Ben Hur." Two leprous women crossed Jesus's path on his way to Golgotha. A few seconds of pure emotion. No image in Gibson's boring, bloody and pretentious film can compare.

-IHT | 'The Passion': great marketing, lousy movie

i think that sums it up: boring, bloody and pretentious. any of these would make for more interesting viewing and discussion.