The Passion of the ChristReligion is a code of ethics which governs our behavior. It is about a faith in something greater than yourself. And religion is a way of living one's life through the lessons brought by those who share their wisdom. But religion is varied, just as people are diverse, and faith is not always an easy concept; because while religion can be taught, faith must be embraced. The story of Jesus Christ's crucifixion--the basis for The Passion of the Christ--concerns his final, harrowing day as He walked among men. It is a portion of the greater story of the formation of Christianity, but its message is representative of a crucial component for understanding the faith.
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As mentioned, The Passion of the Christ represents only a fraction of the entire story of Jesus Christ (played by Jim Caviezel), but it concerns itself with the powerful and shockingly graphic display of torture and execution which followed his sermons and lessons. Events which lead up to when the film begins--as Jesus experiences the "Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane", where a manifestation of Satan (Rosalinda Celentano) tempts Jesus with doubt that he can carry the weight of the world's sin--are cut to in flashbacks during his persecution. Take the moment when he rides into Jerusalem on a donkey, and is fanned with branches in praise; these moments are juxtaposed with the lashing of whips as he carries the cross through the streets along the Via Dolorosa to Calvary, the implied message being that the same kinds of people who greeted him with open arms now call for his blood. As Jesus and the Apostles break bread and drink wine during The Last Supper--the Eucharist--Jesus' blood is spilled and his flesh is torn as nails are driven into him. And as Mary (Maia Morgenstern) watches her son stumble and fall, she recalls her child as a boy, playing in the streets, stumbling and falling, her rushing to his side. Jesus of The Passion of the Christ is portrayed as a man who is the son of god, but possessed of humanity and divine wisdom. A scene where, in his days as a carpenter, he builds a table, he is smiling and warm, but does not yet appear to show the superhuman burden which he has to bear in the end. He is a teacher--he is called "rabbi" by Judas (Luca Lionello), prior to the betrayal--and shares the message of the new covenant between Man and God not as our contemporary definition of a leader would, but as a shepherd who leads his flock. This message shakes the faith of the Pharisees, and is the justification for Caiaphas (Mattia Sbragia) to orchestrate the arrest of Jesus, and bring him before Pontius Pilate (Hristo Shopov) to be sentenced to death.
The Passion of the Christ is filmed largely in the dead languages of Aramaic and Latin, as well as Hebrew. The result of filming in the languages of the period is to create an immersive historical experience, dissolving the barrier that separates religion from history. For those who have seen films depicting The Passion before, there are very few alterations to the sequence of events, although additions provide a different perspective on these moments. For instance, the Pharisees throw a bag of silver to Judas, forcing him to scramble to pick up the pieces, highlighting their disdain for him and their own righteous attitude. When Peter (Francesco De Vito) denies Jesus three times, it is in the midst of a frenzied mob who have already begun beating Jesus, and Peter reasonably assumes that he will be next. And Pontius' washing of his hands is merely the demonstration of a politician before the unruly crowd, a symbol that he is too cowardly to govern by the law, justifying his weakness by arguing for the subjectivity of truth, and pandering to the bloodlust of the populous when he cannot shift the responsibility to Herod (Luca De Dominicis). There are many whose lives are touched by Jesus; some are shown in memory, like that of Magdalen (Monica Bellucci), who Jesus saved from stoning, while others are in the present, such as Simon (Jarreth Merz), who is conscripted to help him carry the cross, but comes to sympathize with his suffering after the hateful beatings Jesus endures. All of them carry a fragment of this story with them, reflecting that the story of Jesus is carried in different ways by different people throughout time.
The Passion of the Christ is remembered as one of the most violent depictions of the last day of Jesus, and the film generated controversy--for various reasons--upon (and prior to) its release as a result. The abuse which Jesus suffers is palpable, and genuinely painful to witness, no doubt more so for those to whom Jesus remains a beacon of hope and love. As Satan walks among the crowds of the city streets, the reactions of the crowds are either to revel in the cruelty or to be ashamed and sorrowful at his persecution. For those who fall prey to the devil's caress, their rage comes from the incursion of evil into their hearts, illuminating the message which Jesus imparted to his disciples: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." A lot has been said about the extent of the violence and brutality exhibited in The Passion of the Christ. In a flashback to the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus preaches that it is not enough to love those you love; you must love your enemies as well, and those who would do you harm. This is one of the pillars of Christianity, and the true message of The Passion of the Christ. It challenges the viewer to accept this tenet in the face of the abject horror and bloody savagery which is inflicted upon Jesus, a man who lays down his life for both his loved ones and those who do not know him--that is all mankind--as the true manifestation of faith.
Recommended for: Fans of a powerful religious picture which does not refrain from portraying the crucifixion of Jesus as visceral and painful; but it is through this cathartic demonstration and the core message of The Passion through which The Passion of the Christ achieves its goal of demonstrating the power of faith.
The Passion of the Christ is filmed largely in the dead languages of Aramaic and Latin, as well as Hebrew. The result of filming in the languages of the period is to create an immersive historical experience, dissolving the barrier that separates religion from history. For those who have seen films depicting The Passion before, there are very few alterations to the sequence of events, although additions provide a different perspective on these moments. For instance, the Pharisees throw a bag of silver to Judas, forcing him to scramble to pick up the pieces, highlighting their disdain for him and their own righteous attitude. When Peter (Francesco De Vito) denies Jesus three times, it is in the midst of a frenzied mob who have already begun beating Jesus, and Peter reasonably assumes that he will be next. And Pontius' washing of his hands is merely the demonstration of a politician before the unruly crowd, a symbol that he is too cowardly to govern by the law, justifying his weakness by arguing for the subjectivity of truth, and pandering to the bloodlust of the populous when he cannot shift the responsibility to Herod (Luca De Dominicis). There are many whose lives are touched by Jesus; some are shown in memory, like that of Magdalen (Monica Bellucci), who Jesus saved from stoning, while others are in the present, such as Simon (Jarreth Merz), who is conscripted to help him carry the cross, but comes to sympathize with his suffering after the hateful beatings Jesus endures. All of them carry a fragment of this story with them, reflecting that the story of Jesus is carried in different ways by different people throughout time.
The Passion of the Christ is remembered as one of the most violent depictions of the last day of Jesus, and the film generated controversy--for various reasons--upon (and prior to) its release as a result. The abuse which Jesus suffers is palpable, and genuinely painful to witness, no doubt more so for those to whom Jesus remains a beacon of hope and love. As Satan walks among the crowds of the city streets, the reactions of the crowds are either to revel in the cruelty or to be ashamed and sorrowful at his persecution. For those who fall prey to the devil's caress, their rage comes from the incursion of evil into their hearts, illuminating the message which Jesus imparted to his disciples: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." A lot has been said about the extent of the violence and brutality exhibited in The Passion of the Christ. In a flashback to the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus preaches that it is not enough to love those you love; you must love your enemies as well, and those who would do you harm. This is one of the pillars of Christianity, and the true message of The Passion of the Christ. It challenges the viewer to accept this tenet in the face of the abject horror and bloody savagery which is inflicted upon Jesus, a man who lays down his life for both his loved ones and those who do not know him--that is all mankind--as the true manifestation of faith.
Recommended for: Fans of a powerful religious picture which does not refrain from portraying the crucifixion of Jesus as visceral and painful; but it is through this cathartic demonstration and the core message of The Passion through which The Passion of the Christ achieves its goal of demonstrating the power of faith.