By CHRIS RANDAZZO
of the Gazette
"The Passion of the Christ" is one of the most powerful and horrific movies to ever hit the big screen. The violence in the film is so intense and graphic that it is almost impossible not to turn away at times. That violence is not unfitting, though, as it shows how Jesus suffered for the sins of mankind (at least that's what Christians believe).
For Christians the film will likely bring home the reality of that suffering in a way that no amount of Bible study or reciting of the Stations of the Cross ever could.
As a society we've become more and more visually oriented as the means by which we communicate and we move further away from the printed word, so actually seeing what Jesus endured, instead of just hearing about it, will strike a chord with most.
Historically, it's impossible to know how accurate this version of the story is as even the different books of the Bible disagree on some of the details, but those with a Christian faith will likely find it rings true to what they learned.
The movie deals with Jesus' life from when he is arrested to when he dies on the cross (with a brief scene showing that he rose from the dead afterward).
In some ways "The Passion of the Christ" works as a movie when separated from the religious story it tells and in other ways it doesn't.
What works is that it is beautifully shot, well acted and speaks of man's cruelty to man in a universal way - one that will hit home whether or not you believe that Jesus was the Son of God. The film is so engrossing that within its first few moments you'll likely forget all about the fact that it is subtitled with the actors speaking either Aramaic or Latin.
Conversely, where it struggles is in terms of story telling. The film assumes that its audience is familiar with the story of Jesus' life. For example, Mary Magdalene is in the film throughout, but her relationship with Jesus is never really explained, other than through a brief flashback.
That flashback would help as a refresher if you had heard her story before, but would mean very little if you know nothing about her. Most of the film's flashbacks are that way, such as ones of the Last Supper or the Sermon on the Mount.
Therefore, I wouldn't really recommend this movie to those who are just looking to see a quality movie. It does have moments that would speak to anyone, but the film is so brutal that choosing to watch it outside of its religious context would border on sadism.
Even Christians, who think they know what they will see, may find the violence too much to bear. A number of people left the theater during the showing I attended. I even called my mom (who is Catholic) and warned her not to see it, as I figured the violence would be too graphic for her.
The violence I'm referring to isn't the crucifixion itself, which is horrible in its own right, but rather the beating Jesus takes at the hands of the Roman soldiers. Initially, Pilate (Hristo Naumov Shopov) chooses to have Jesus tortured, instead of crucified, for his crimes. That punishment is in the form of a public flogging.
That flogging is so intense that I don't know if I'll ever get the image of it out of my head. Not only is Jesus beaten with sticks and whips, but with whips that have pieces of metal on them designed to rip away chunks of flesh.
And rip they do. Jesus is nearly flayed alive before the audience's eyes and it is a terrible sight to see. In just about any other context, this level of violence would be extremely gratuitous and unnecessary. The scene is certainly less than 10 minutes long, but it seems to go on forever.
What really makes the movie worth seeing, though, is how it excels at portraying Jesus as a human being.
James Caviezel does an incredible job of showing the emotional gamut that Jesus ran in the final hours of his life, from the terror he felt in the garden, asking God to take this burden from him, to his loving relationship with his mother, to the pity he feels for those who torture him while on the cross. In every scene Caviezel makes the audience feel those emotions with him.
Maia Morgenstern also does a superb job as Jesus' mother Mary, showing the pain she feels as her son is tortured before her eyes.
The film has taken a lot of heat for being anti-Semitic, which is patently ridiculous. Certainly it shows the Jewish high priest Ciaphas (Mattia Sbragia) in a negative light, but no more so than the Roman soldiers who take glee in torturing Jesus.
Overall, "The Passion of the Christ" is a powerful picture that I recommend seeing, but with reservations. It certainly isn't an enjoyable experience, but it is a moving one.