Passion - A Review of Sorts

After seeing this film on Ash Wednesday, I'm finally getting to a point where I can write some sort of review. So here are some hopefully cohesive thoughts on this film. (If you're interested, here are some initial thoughts I had right after I saw it.)

Some have looked at this film as a potential evangelization tool. It seems to me that some want to judge the success of this film by whether it can fulfill some utilitarian purpose. I think this is a mistake. As Jared pointed out in his review, this film will mean the most to Christians. It is mostly for us.

I don't know how non-Christians will react to this film. Some may hate it and some may be moved. Some Christians even hate the film, but I think it may have to do with the fact they don't want to see a Christ who suffered and died for their sins. They don't want all that icky stuff about sin and Hell to even be brought up. They want a happy-go-lucky, hippie Jesus who did nothing more than go around telling people to "love each other" and "judge not".

Some reviewers have complained about a lack of "context" in this film - they say that it should have gone into more detail about Christ's ministry and teachings. I have always understood that the word "Passion" in this context refers exclusively to Christ's arrest, torture and crucifixion. So I didn't have a problem with the events covered in the movie.

I don't think it was Mel Gibson's job to spoon-feed, propagandize or evangelize the audience. He was making a work of art about something that has made a profound impact on his life. Some may agree with the way he expressed it, others may not. I don't think you are a "bad" Christian if you don't want to see this film. That's a decision everyone must make for himself.

In this film, Christ is fully God and fully man. And as a man, He suffers greatly. His suffering is shown unflinchingly. It's very hard to watch certain parts. You will weep. At one point in the film, Jesus says to His mother Mary, "See mother, I make all things new." (Where have I heard that before? Revelation 21:5.) The Resurrection scene makes it clear that He meant what He said, that it was not just some pathetic statement from a dying man. He is shown with wounds healed and all the blood and sweat gone. Only the nail marks are left. Because of the Resurrection, this film has a hopeful and - dare I say it - happy ending despite all the suffering portrayed.

As people were leaving, everyone was so quiet. Nobody knew quite what to say. Everyone was contemplative and reflective. There was no anger or hatred (except maybe at their own sin). If this film gets people to take their faith more seriously, and I believe it will, then it has done a good thing.

A few more thoughts (I don't think there's anything too spoilerish here):

• Aramaic is a really beautiful language. And I actually recognized some of the Latin from all that those high school Latin classes.


• I was really impressed with the portrayal of Simon of Cyrene, the man picked from the crowd to carry Christ's cross.


• I loved the little flashback of the carpenter Jesus making a table and playfully bantering with His mother.


• Another brief moment of comic relief: Barabbas' strutting around after being set free.