The Passion

This movies making a lot of $$$$. I don`t know if it is because it`s a well done film or if its because it`s a touchy subject?

I think it is because of the conviction of the producer. Look how well Michael Landon did with his career.

There is/was an OT thread on this in the Arc Flashlight forum, but it completely drifted away from a discussion of the movie to a discussion of science and religion and everything in between. For the most part I wanted and tried to discuss the film but was more or less invisible and ignored.

So, if I might make a suggestion, could we start and maintain a discussion in this thread that is MOSTLY about the film and things more or less directly related to it? And if people want to discuss evolution, science, the scientific method, etc. could we start ANOTHER thread here in the cafe with a title like "Science and Religion"?

How do people feel about this proposal?

Assuming this is accepted, here are a few things I have to say about The Passion of The Christ:

First and foremost, I think of this film not so much as a movie as a meditation on the Passion of Christ, or for those of you who say the Rosary, on the Sorrowful Mysteries: the Agony in the garden, the Scourging at the pillar, the Crowning with thorns, the Way of the Cross, and the Crucifixtion. As such it addresses itself to people who already know the whole story and its context. This is important, I think, and is the reason why there were not more flashbacks than there were.

So, I found the movie to be strangely translucent. I was like, "ah huh. Yup. That's it." Not that I wasn't impressed. I was! I think this film is a work of art that is very carefully crafted. Every little detail. But I wasn't blown away or surprised or shocked. It was a great meditation on its subject, but it did not displace or replace my own meditations.

I especially liked the meeting of Mary and Jesus during the Way of the Cross. I had never imagined it like that, and it was very poignant for me. I also found the violence to be appropriate to the subject and not in any way gratuitous. I think that such movies as Reservoir Dogs, and Platoon, are more truly violent than The Passion.

I really liked the Aramaic and Latin with subtitles. It gave the feeling of both immediacy and distance at once. Really effective to my mind.

On the other hand I didn't agree with Mr. Gibson's take on the Agony, where Jesus was wrestling with doubt. I think He was in agony over all of the many and terrible sins committed by humans past, present, and future. He had to take ALL of that on Himself, as if He were the one who had committed it all. That is why He sweated blood. In my opinion.

I also didn't like Peter's three denials happening one right after the other with only seconds in between. In the Gospels they happen at three separate times in three different places, and so they really constitute a TRIPLE denial.

Anyway, that's enough commentary for now. I'm looking forward to hearing what others thought of this film.

Not to get this OT, but here are some pretty funny Blooper out-takes.

At least I hope they are funny to everyone. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thinking.gif

I laughed a bunch-- THANKS!

Tree, thats very good /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif I don't think they should be offensive to anyone. This was a movie production after all... The more emotionally charged the set of a movie is, the more outrageous the gags and goofs become. The actors have to cut the tension a little bit once in a while. And nobody should have any doubts about what a charged set this must have been!

Gibson breaks Hollywood's 10 Commands:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/columns/grove_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000464071