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I don't want to see it because I don't want to cry in front of strangers.

Marduk

Alice, I think what I was getting at was that devotions like the mysteries of the rosary and stations of the cross make more sense to many Latins. Those are really popular Latin devotions. So if I saw the movie, I wouldn't associate it with either devotion since I rarely do them.

Marduk:

You don't need to cry. The Baptists and Charismatics will be doing enough crying for the whole theater. As for crying in front of strangers - never let them see you sweat - or cry.

Dear ByzanTN,

I understand what you are trying to say dear brother.

I am somewhat familiar with both devotions, and yes, I did see them come to life stylistically, as it were, in the movie.

I also saw lots of Eastern iconography come to life as well!

My husband and priest are not familiar with the RC devotions, yet, still really, really liked the movie...after all, those devotions are really, in essence, nothing more than what we know from the New Testament anyway.

We are not in disagreement at all.

Have a good night!

With love in Christ,
Alice

I don't like crying in front of anyone! Family, friends, no matter! I was just grateful it was dark in the theatre and I made sure to clean up the tears and smudged eyeliner before the house lights went back up.

Whatever effect it's having or not having in the States...apparently there's a brisk business in bootlegged copies going on in China.

One of the things I love about Eastern Christianity is its focus mainly on the Resurrection without ignoring the Passion. It is a very balanced spirituality, in my opinion. However, no one before has had the guts to show us in greater detail what our Lord went through in His final hours -- even if it was embellished by visions from a medieval nun and some Hollywood artistic license. Our traditions (East and West) are filled with visions from prophets and desert-dwellers, so we really shouldn't be bothered by this so long as it is made known that these are part of the sources used in the film -- as Mel did speak of time-and-time-again.

There are tons of Jesus movies out there that tell His story. Why can't there be ONE that tells about His Passion in greater detail? Why is it important? Well, my protestant friends who prefer to only focus on the Resurrection, were deeply moved by the reality of His Sufferings for all of us. That is one reason why it is important. They finally understood to a certain extent why some Catholics (Eastern and Western) meditate on His Passion.

Please know that I whole-heartedly respect those who simply are not interested in the movie or just cannot bear to watch the gore. I do understand and please do not think I am attacking anyone. Even those who do meditate on His Passion yet do not want to see it. I am perplexed by the ones who are hostile while expressing their opposition to it.

I loved the movie and am saddened when I see how some of the marketing and other publicity has made it come across as something to be taken as 'Gospel' and to be used as an evangelizing tool. It was not originally meant to be that, as Mel had also said many times.

Meditating on the Wounds of Christ helped heal Mel when he was suffering from addiction, serious depression and suicidal thoughts. He got such strength from his meditations on Christ's Passion that he wanted to externalize his meditation and share it with others. If they got strength from it ... great! If people are able to use it as an evangelizing tool ... great! If people who initially went because of the hype and want to see the gore ... so what! The seed was planted. It may or may not do anything. The point is ... as someone else said in this thread ... it is just a MOVIE! But a darn good one, in my opinion, and one that has indeed planted many seeds. But, just like Jesus' parable ... there were seeds that fell on rock, some among thorns, and some in fertile soil.

I pat Mel on the back for having the courage to be the sower this time. I pray that God could use me to plant His seeds in the souls of people, too.

In Christ, Michelle

A few comments on some recurring points I've seen on this thread

Gore: I grew up in a culturally Spanish area, and every Holy Week the local news will cover long, pious pilgrimages, self-flaggelations, and sometimes even more extreme "devotions" (I use quotes in this case because I personally feel that whipping yourself is going too far, even if I won't object when the guy next door does this). I'm told that in earlier times these kinds of things were extremely common.

With this in mind, it's not suprising that the traditional local iconography always has a considerable amount of gore when it comes to Passion-related subjects; I've seen a few crucifixes as gory as the Crucifixtion in the movie. I am also told that once upon a time such iconography was common in our Parishes.

Thus, I really don't think the movie was all that gory, and in fact feel that it was just about "right" if that word can be used. It wasn't gushingly emotional and pious in its gore, and it wasn't a saccharine depiction. I also think that the real Passion was gorier in even a simply physical sense than anything you can depict on the screen.


The Passion as an evangelization tool and its focus on only a few hours of Our Lord's life: I don't think that most people who walk into this movie - or any other Passion depiction - without any knowledge of Christianity will walk out being "born again", as it were. Passion depictions do tend to reinforce personal piety over creating conversions.

One is generally not converted by singular experiences (or at least not ones like this), but rather by a whole host of factors (and of course a universal calling by the Holy Spirit). Maybe this could be an interesting topic for another thread.

I think back to probably the best passion depictions made, in artistic terms (IMHO) - the Matthew and John Passions of J.S. Bach. They're played and heard every year or so often by substantial numbers of unbelievers. Despite the excellent music (and Nietsche's comments that it almost made him believe) I don't see a huge number of conversions coming from them. Many people appreciate them for the music alone.

In the same vein, I don't see how some people (no one on this forum) can condemn the movie is a distorted view of "the Christian message" without similarly condemning the Bach pieces. The amount of hype and holler the movie has received for a subject which otherwise finds no objection when advertised in the "arts" section of the local paper astounds me.


East and West: I'm glad that many Eastern Catholics and Orthodox appreciated a depiction of the Passion which is frankly very much based on Roman Catholic piety. I was shocked when a priest from the Moscow Patriarchate spoke out decidedly in favor of the movie! Any word on whether Patriarch Alexei in the end saw the movie or made any comments about it?


Thanks everyone for your contributions to this thread! It's an interesting and worthwhile read.

LV

Hello.

I have seen the movie twice (and since I just bought it, I believe I'll be seeing it a lot) and every time I find details that give me a lot to meditate about. For example, at the flagellation, if you recall, first the roman soldiers use some kind of sticks and after about 20 or so whips Christ falls down, and in such moment He sees His Holy Mother and stands up again, paying attention it is possible to hear a voice saying in latin something like "he has incredible strength"... that made me think how, even in such a painful moment, Our Holy Mother is a fundamental part in our redention.

Other scene that has kept me thinking is one when Simon of Cirene is helping Our Lord with the Cross and Our Lord falls down that Simon, even though he looks tall and very strong, can't hold the Cross by himself, and until Our Lord stands up, Simon can support the Cross... it made me think how many times when we are in trouble feel we can't go any further by ourselves, but with Our Lord with us, we can do anything.

Just a thought I wanted to share.

God bless

My wife recently bought me the DVD for my birthday on (9/11.. what luck I have) and have seen the movie at least 3 times in it's entirety.
Each time I have been moved to tears... emotions running from sadness to joy.
One part that strikes me is when our Lord is about to be whipped, He calls to His Father and says.. "My heart is ready Father".

Just read an article about Mel Gibson being awarded Hollywood Producer of the Year by the Hollywood Film Festival.
I wonder if the Passion will see a best foreign language picture Oscar nomination.

Brad

Brad,

I also received the Passion DVD & CD soundtrack for my birthday (9/24), I look forward to many spiritual experiences from both.

james

Just saw the film (with thanks to the kind friend who gave me the video) and found it very moving - I shall include it in my personal Holy Week program for the forseeable future. I particularly appreciated the use of the original languages (even though, obviously, no one can tell precisely how those languages were pronounced two thousand years ago). My one criticism - since the well-known expression "His Blood be upon us and upon our children" was clearly audible in Aramaic, leaving it out of the English subtitles is tacky. My one suggestion is to make the film available with subtitles in many other languages.
Incognitus