Mar 2nd, 2004, 03:26 AM
I saw it tonight.
First of all, it's not the movie event of the millenium. Secondly, it's a movie strictly for Christians. Christians will most assuredly be wailing, sobbing, and beating their breasts over this, but to a non-believer (like yours truly) it won't have the same effect. It's a good piece of filmmaking, don't get me wrong, but I wouldn't give it the same kind of praise that I've seen so far in the media. The cinematography is excellent and the musical score is gorgeous, but it's a generally disturbing film (I'm aware that was the intent, by the way) and a few elements even make it border on.. corny.
It's violent. Holy shit is it ever violent. It's the most violent movie I've ever seen, and I say that in all sincerity. It's so gruesome, in fact, that it becomes absurd at times. Jesus, for example, is scourged by the centurions for nearly a half hour. Every time there's a lull in the action, Gibson fills it with a random flogging of either Jesus or a bystander. At one point, the cross lands on top of Jesus, jamming the crown of thorns deep into his skull, complete with sickening sound effect and spurt of blood. With all this abuse, it's remarkable there was anything left of J.C. when he finally made it up to Golgotha. In reality, he would have been dead by the end of the scourging scene, but Gibson doesn't have to pander to paltry things like "medical accuracy." Saint Mel is working from the Gospels, after all.
But then again, the Gospels don't go into tremendous detail about the degree of violence inflicted on Jesus, and a lot of the more gruesome moments, like the aforementioned crown of thorns incident, are Mel's own ideas. Mel's own ideas, by the way, are hit and miss, and he takes some other bizarre liberties in addition to the excess gore. For example, he throws in an omnipresent Satan figure and a gang of demon children that terrorize a guilt-stricken Judas. These little additions in particular were probably intended to be "deep and meaningful," but they just come across as hokey and unnecessary. Gibson also creates a major character out of an obscure line (Matthew 27:19) with Pontius Pilate's wife, Claudia. She's involved in two scenes that are found nowhere in the Gospels, one of which is a discussion with her husband about how Caiaphas is just so darn intimidating to a brutal Roman governor.
And that brings me to the big question: is it anti-semitic? Well.. maybe. Gibson removed the big offending line (Matthew 27:25), but apparently there were still objections even after he did so. Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin, to be sure, do not get sympathetic portrayals, coming across more like Emperor Palpatine (Star Wars) clones with their heavy cloaks, beady eyes, and hideous laughter. Then again, once the centurions come into the picture, they quickly become the most loathsome, sadistic characters in the movie, so it would be hard to say that the blame has been planted squarely on one group of people. Mel's message seems to be more about what pieces shit of we all are. Yeah, it's the feel good movie of the year.
The subtitles may be intimidating, but they really aren't an issue. After a few minutes, you hardly even notice you're reading them. The languages are effective for the most part, though there are a few questionable pronunciations here and there.
Overall it is a good film. However, it is, like I said, a film for Christians. A devout type will most likely think it's the most extraordinary thing he or she has ever seen while others will sit and wonder what Saint Mel was trying to say. Is the audience supposed to be inspired or repulsed? Has he intended for Christians to leave with a feeling of warmth or overwhelming guilt?
Who knows? I don't believe in this shit anyway.
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