| NOT PASSIONATE ABOUT "THE PASSION" |
| Written by Maria Elena Salinas |
| Tuesday, March 02 2004 |
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| I have been holding back from talking or writing about "The Passion of the Christ" for several reasons: first of all because prior to viewing the film in a private screening I was asked to sign a paper committing myself not to discuss the movie's content until its release. But also because of the mixed emotions the film left in me.
I don't want to seem ungrateful to those who invited me to the screening, but it was not necessarily the best movie experience I've ever had. It did not turn out to be a religious revelation for me, either. So I am wondering if they thought that I would actually come out of the film either wanting to run home and pray for my sins or wanting to recommend it to my friends so that they would realize the tremendous suffering that Our Lord Jesus Christ endured in the last 12 hours of his life.
If that was the case, neither happened. Why on earth would I want to submit any of my friends to two hours of torture, of relentless violence? Mel Gibson has admitted that he intended to shock the audience, and at that he succeeded. When I walked out of the high-school auditorium where I viewed the film, I felt sick to my stomach, but I also felt insulted and manipulated.
Don't get me wrong, it's not a lack of faith. I am a Catholic, and I believe in God. I was taught through my Catholic upbringing that Jesus, having committed no crime, was brutally beaten, was crucified and died for the forgiveness of sins. But I don't need a movie to show me in such a graphic form the extent of the violence that Jesus was exposed to in order to strengthen my faith. I am at peace with my faith. Religion to me is a very intimate relationship between a person and his or her God, between a believer and his or her conscience.
People's reaction to this film is also very personal. Everyone seems to get something different out of it, and I respect the diverse points of view. But no one's faith should be judged depending on his or her review of the film. I personally did not feel it was anti-Semitic. Yes, the Jewish crowd and high priests were unyielding in their clamoring for the punishment of Jesus, but they were, after all, going after one of their own, defending orthodoxy. What struck me as odd was the role of the women in the film. I was disturbed to see Mary and Mary Magdalene in such submissive roles, standing by and watching the beatings and at no time even trying to stop them.
We must not lose sight of the fact that "The Passion of the Christ" is a movie. It is the filmmaker's rendition of the Gospel that is itself an interpretation of a story told generation after generation.
It took me two days after having gotten over my emotional roller coaster to realize that as a film "The Passion" is truly a work of art. The cinematography, the editing, the acting and the use of sound are breathtaking. It is commendable that those involved in making the film had such a strong faith that they prayed throughout the production of it.
I don't remember ever seeing so much publicity around a film. If the reason for the screenings and all the controversy surrounding it was to ensure its commercial success, then I am insulted by it. Would I see it again? No. Would I recommend it to my friends? No. But that is irrelevant; people will go see it regardless, because, ironically, it has become bigger than Jesus himself. |
