But thankfully not writing-less.
How was it? Yes, I almost cried at one point, when Jesus first beared the cross on the road to Calvary. I was squirming in my seat in discomfort quite a lot, though. And yes, some people were breaking out the tissues.
To me, the much talked about violence was not itself what shocked me. Yes, it was more explicit than anything I've seen, but the scenes which moved me the most were His anguished face and reactions, compounded by the realization that all this brutality was all focused on one person, and the fact that it actually happened. Yet, at the same time, I was living in the film so vicariously that the two hours flew by, just like that. It was the fastest two hours for me. So, Gibson certainly succeeded in the "connection" of emotion.
Really, he could do it no other way -- after all, the resolution of the story is known, there's no opportunities to break out the VFX, and character development for a film that covers 12 hours is largely irrelevant and a waste of screen time, so the raw emotion is the only card in the filmmaker's deck he could have really played.
So, is this a good "outreach" film? It packs a wallop without being preachy or overtly evangelistic like the CCC Jesus film. I do think it's indeed a unmatched way to convey the anguish of Christ's sufferings, and that will push some people over the brink of belief, but I personally wouldn't bring someone who doesn't have a familiarity with what Christians profess their belief in, and isn't nearly at the point of receiving Christ. It itself certainly is not the "best outreach opportunity in 2000 years" as billed by some organization or other, although I do think that Christians nowadays are better poised to reach those around them than at any time in history, and Passion is a part of the reason.
But, I strongly recommend that every Christian see it once. Once is all that's necessary, and I will say that my prayers and drinking that grape juice during communion will be forever in a different light after this. What this film does magnificently is to remind us Christians, especially living a cozy life in the valley and attending a nice "hip" church, what our faith is ultimately all about. Not about fast-paced multimedia-fueled worship, not about funny skits, not about basketball and ultimate frisbee in the afternoon, not about community building in small groups. But after all is said and done, it's just about someone who endured the ultimate shame and paid the ultimate price, making the great exchange so that we could all be free from our sins.
So, thank you God for that and thank you Mr. Gibson for that kick to wake us up.
Posted by Ryu2 at February 25, 2004 11:24 PMHi Mark. I finally saw the Passion yesterday with Margaret and a non-Christian friend. It was much better than I expected - in part because I had receiving mixed reviews from both secular and Christian sources.
In talking with my non-Christian friend, I realized that the film assumes the viewer has more than a rudimentary grasp of the gospel story. For example, many of the quick flashbacks to Jesus' life and teachings would not fully make sense to someone who has little-to-no understanding of Jesus' life (i.e. the woman caught in adultery who Jesus saves, the triumphal entry and even the powerful imagery of the Son of Man stepping on the serpent's head in Gesthsemane). In addition something as powerful an image of the veil in the temple being torn in two would remain puzzling to many viewers. I'm sure I've missed some other things, but those are the ones that immediately come to mind.
I'm glad we had dinner together afterward to discuss some of the various things about the movie that weren't entirely clear to him.
Personally, I appreciated the simple but powerful reminder of Jesus' humanity in His suffering and death for us who deserve no better than those who persecuted and crucified Him that day.
Posted by: Joey at March 1, 2004 08:02 AM