If there was an award for "Most Controversial Movie of the Year," Mel Gibson's latest epic "The Passion of the Christ" would be an easy candidate.
Any movie about Jesus Christ is bound to be full of controversy. "Passion" is the first major motion picture that describes the final hours of Jesus' life. The movie was blasted as being anti-Semitic weeks before its release; lead actor Jim Caviezel was struck by lightning and dislocated his shoulder during production; and a woman from Wichita died of a heart attack during a showing. How's that for controversy?
The screenplay, written by Gibson and Benedict Fitzgerald, remains very faithful to the Gospels and Anne Emmerich's "The Dolours Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ." The film is separated in two halves, the first of which is Jesus' trial.
The movie begins with Jesus of Nazareth (Jim Caviezel) being arrested at the Mount of Olives. He is taken to Jerusalem, where he is brought in front of the court of Pontius Pilate (Hristo Shopov), whom reluctantly subjects Jesus to a brutal flogging and sentences him to death by crucifixion.
The second half is dedicated to the crucifixion. Gibson relied heavily on Emmerich's book in this half, as the Bible had very little to say about the actual event.
The movie is presented in Latin, Aramaic and Hebrew to give it an authentic feel. Gibson had originally planned to release the movie without subtitles, but thankfully decided to include subtitles in the end. Many people seem to hate subtitles, but the subtitles in this film fuel it, and are never a distraction.
For the film, Gibson chose mainly unknown foreign actors, so as to not distract attention from the action onscreen. Nevertheless, Jim Caviezel is a relatively known actor from films such as "The Thin Red Line" and "Frequency," but the long hair and beard that he sports in this film make him unrecognizable. At least, a lot more unrecognizable than had Gibson played the role himself. (You know he wanted to).
Caviezel gives a gripping performance as Jesus. He perfectly portrays a man that remains strong despite physical suffering. For an American actor, his Latin is quite convincing. Maia Morgenstern, a Romanian actress, also gives a strong performance as the Virgin Mary. Though the mother-son bond was not given much attention in the Bible, Gibson and Fitzgerald decided to add it. Morgenstern's performance brings this relationship to life and humanizes the story.
People seem to forget how violent the Bible can be, but Gibson succeeds in reminding us. This movie is bloody. The movie is not rated "R" for nothing. It makes the violence in Gibson's directorial debut "Braveheart" seem rather tame, as Gibson refuses to spare us from the gore with cutaways. Slow motion shots are often used to accentuate the suffering. While the subject matter is far from being an action movie, it was certainly shot like one.
People have been wary that the Christian subject matter would make the movie inaccessible to non-Christians and atheists. However, they have nothing to worry about. This movie is quite entertaining and should keep Christians and atheists alike on the edge of their seats. The running time of the movie is slightly over two hours but feels a lot shorter.
However, this movie is not for everybody. This movie is very bloody, and not in the exaggerated way like "Kill Bill" was. If "Saving Private Ryan" made you sick, then "Passion" will do no different.
Gibson had been severely criticized for the grisly nature of the film. It seems almost as if Gibson was getting revenge in making the movie. Surely, Gibson didn't have to show Jesus being punched, kicked, mocked, flogged, nailed and stabbed by vicious Roman guards. Maybe he didn't have to, but incorporating it makes the film much more powerful. The film is no longer a movie -- it is an experience.
Films such as "Jesus Christ Superstar" or "The Greatest Story Ever Told" didn't need the violence to work because they focused on more than "The Passion." But if "The Passion" was as timid as "Superstar" or "Story," it is highly unlikely that the film would have been as effective or even made the box office.
As for the anti-Semitic criticisms, it is indeed true that the Jews had Jesus arrested and crucified, but the Roman guards were just as hateful. Jesus could have had a relatively minor flogging and a painless walk to Golgotha had it not been for the Romans. They were the ones who made him suffer. Afterwards, there were both Jews and Romans that wanted Jesus spared, so there is no concrete evidence to show that the film is anti-Semitic.
"Passion" is Mel Gibson's first effort behind the camera in nine years, yet "Passion" is just as impressive as 1995's "Braveheart." In "Passion," Gibson pieced together an epic that is stirring but brutal.
As the year is only two months old, I feel that "The Passion" is currently the best film of the year. Sure, it may be surpassed by year's end, but for now, this is the movie that you have got see, unless you have a weak stomach, of course.
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