Introduction
The Passion of Christ is a movie based on the suffering and death of Jesus Christ on the cross in the hands of the Romans as provoked by the Jewish religious leaders. The movie started at the scene in Gethsemane where Jesus was agonizing about his eminent death on the cross, as recorded by all the authors of the four Gospels of the New Testament. The context of the film was based on Judas betrayal of Jesus Christ for a thirty pieces of silver and a kiss. The Biblical account tells us that the religious leaders were greatly offended by Jesus radical criticisms of their hypocrisy and that they feared the growing authority of Jesus as mentioned in the Gospel of John 11: 45-51. The strictest sects of Judaism, the Pharisee, and Sadducee both sought to kill Jesus because they were often the subject of Jesus strong rebuked either through parable or through direct confrontation.
Perhaps due to their desperate desire to exterminate Jesus and stop him from attacking them, and to prevent his growing popularity to steal the people’s loyalty and respect from them, they secretly research on the background and weaknesses of each of his disciples and offered hefty amount if any one of them could hand Jesus to them. The Gospel of Luke mentioned that the chief priest and the teachers of the law were “looking for some way to get rid of Jesus” (Luke 22: 2). Discovering that Judas Iscariot was a corrupt man, these religious authorities bribed him, which he may have readily accepted. Luke 22: 4 goes on to say that Judas himself went to the chief priest and officers of the temple and “discussed with them how he might betray Jesus.” Thus in the film, the movie begins in the scene in Gethsemane where Jesus was met by Judas along with soldiers who arrested him.
Brief Summary of the Film
The movie started at the scene in Gethsemane where Jesus and his disciples had been usually spending time for prayers. With a kiss from Judas Jesus was arrested and was brought to the house of the chief priest where Peter made his denial that was foretold by Jesus Christ perhaps barely an hour past, that Peter will deny him three tomes before the roaster crows. From there, Jesus was brought to assembly of the people, which proceed to bring Jesus before Pilate for Judgment according to their charges. Finding no crimes that would deserve death punishment being sought by the Jews, Pilate was supposed to set Jesus Free but the Jews pressured him to hand Jesus over to them. However, in his attempt not pass judgment on Jesus; he gave option, which the people would want to be set free, a criminal by the name of Barabbas or Jesus, the people insisted to crucify Jesus.
The succeeding scenarios featured the severe and cruel beatings of the Roman soldiers of Jesus Christ like an animal tied by a chain on the post. He was then forced to carry his cross and lead him outside Jerusalem for his crucifixion. The road going to Golgotha also feature Mary as the loving mother who was deeply affected by the afflictions, beatings, insults, and terrible pains and sufferings that Jesus Christ was experiencing. The movie ended with the resurrection of Jesus and His series of appearances with his disciples for final instruction and binding with them.
Evaluation of the Films Accuracy
Performed by Mel Gibson, the character of Jesus in the movie was excellently played which blends perfectly to the mood of the scene. So naturally, Gibson played the role Jesus as if he is real. His voice, his expression, and everything that was recorded in the New Testament about Jesus’ character were beautifully and excellently portrayed by Gibson. Although we cannot really exactly describe in our minds the actual scenario of places described by the Gospel authors but the film presented a very realistic atmosphere and scenarios that one would imagine the places and the people including the Roman soldiers were real. Gibson’s performance in the movie made the film very convincing. Fred Harvey cited that the actors speaking ancient languages such as Latin and Aramaic made the movie truly fascinating and was the high light of the whole movie (Harvey).
One distinct character of Jesus in this movie, which made the aura of the film authentic, is the looks of Jesus and other characters in the movie. They were much like the real characters as compared to other Jesus movie, which present the characters as rather Anglo-American looking. The film according to Harvey differs from previous films as it begins “at the end” presenting only the last twelve hours in the life of Jesus. The movie had also shown Satan trying to tempt Jesus into skipping the whole sufferings that Jesus was facing but has failed.
On the other hand, critics of the movie contend that the film was a blasphemy against God. Professor David Engelsma explains that blasphemy is contemptuous offense and is daring attack on the holy God and our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. Citing Gibson’s real character Engelsma remarked that it is a blasphemy to God for a sinful, shameful, and corrupt human such as Gibson to impersonate the sinless, glorious Jesus Christ. However, overall, the movie was realistic and very convincing as it was based on the accounts of the four Gospels recorded by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The animalistic Roman soldiers beating and dragging Gibson to and from Pilate and their merciless punishment of Jesus including the insults they hurled at him by crowning with thorns was, according to some historians, typical of the Roman soldier, which added to the film’s accuracy. I believed that overall, the film had fairly represented the event for economical, political, religious, and other personal reasons. The films research and presentation of the Biblical account of the arrest and crucifixion of Jesus was very satisfactory, credible, and believable. The political aspect which present a balance view between for and anti Semitism as script was taken literally from the Bible, and so the religious event of the movie also provides biblical references.
In general, the movie offered a fair view of the real story of Jesus’ crucifixion, death, and resurrection.
Agenda for the Film Maker
Perhaps one of the agenda for the filmmaker is to project or stir the feeling of anti Semitism aside from purely profit making. Although it was based on actual biblical account and in the Jewish attitudes described in the Gospels; yet, the choice of the movie itself was from the start, expectedly to generate feeling of anti Semitism because of their injustice and violence, and religious corruption. Rabbi Ken Spiro pointed out that the Jewish role in the story is devastatingly negative and concluded in the ultimate crime: the murder of God. Spiro argued that the Gospel is consistently hostile to the Jews. He pointed out that the Roman procurator, Pontius Pilate was equally guilty of the crime yet the Gospel authors almost completely held him guiltless. However, Spiro himself admitted that the Jewish roles in the movie portrayed a corrupt priesthood, and were feeling threatened by Jesus’ popularity, and had conspired against him and had him arrested by the Romans. However, all these were actually true and was based on the Biblical account, thus, based on the context; the film was based on the actual records of the Bible. The filmmaker’s agenda therefore is seen on the choice of the story, which presents the Jews’ in infamous role, rather than on its context. What I mean for this is the choice of the kind of material which is it self complete, a script already, rather than the director putting his own contents on the script.
Artistic Vision
The film’s artistic vision reflects the director’s excellent portrayal of the life of Christ in a way that it catches the viewer’s imagination. The scenes, costumes, and the script and the designs were all beautifully and artistically design. The movie appears so realistic because the casting of the films as well the location was all artistically made.
Is the Filmmaker responsible for telling the Truth
I believe that the filmmaker is responsible for telling the truth because the story is very familiar and everyone can checked its accuracy compared to the Biblical script of the Gospel. The filmmaker has obviously presented a factual film based on the actual scenes of the Bible, although at fist glance, it looks like the film is promoting anti- Semitic feeling. However, a closer look and analysis of movie reveals that the Jewish role was truly based on their greed, love of power, love esteem from people, and in their fear and that Jesus will out clashed them. Their attitude was also based on the desire to kill Jesus for his strong rebuked and disapproval of their hypocrisy.
The film was indeed a strong movie, which can offend any segment of society with its content. Yet for the sake of fairness and truth, I believed that the filmmaker has indeed been responsible in telling the truth.
Is there Different Kind of Truth?
I believed there are two sides of truth in the film. One side may claim the film is anti Semitic and those that are anti Semitic will be further push in that conviction. The other side may embrace the message that Jesus was teaching. Forgiveness and living according to the teachings he has left with his disciples. In other words, Truth depends on one’s perspective. Harvey asserts that the truth depends on what is in the minds of the individual person watching the movie. If the viewer is anti Semitic, the truth for him is the Jews are criminals and corrupt and were responsible for such a violent crimes committed to Jesus Christ. If he is a Christian, he will certainly appreciate what Christ has done and that the Jews were merely instrumental for the fulfillment of the will of God.
Someone might disagree with the content of this paper, but it is a fact the film was literally based on the actual Biblical accounts. That means, the language, the occasions, the events and all the circumstances that were mentioned in the movie were actually mentioned in the Bible except probably of some effects to make suspense and excitement. The content therefore is not a fiction, nor a product of human imaginations, or something that we can refute. The whole story of the movie is concretely based on the Gospel and if it appeared one sided it is because the story talks about the sufferings and death of Jesus Christ in the hands of the Jews. It means that there are only two sides, the side of Jesus who was betrayed and killed and that of the Jews who sought and killed him through crucifixion kill him because they were often criticized by Jesus of their hypocrisy.
Work Cited
(Critiques of the Film)
Engelsma, David. Why a Reformed Christian May not Attend the Movie (the Passion of
Christ) and what he or she must Witness to those Who Do. The Standard Bearer.
Vol. 80; No. 13; April 1, 2004
http://www.prca.org/standard_bearer/volume80/2004apr01.html
Harvey, Fred. “The Passion of the Christ.” The History Place. 3/14/14.
http://www.historyplace.com/specials/reviews/passion-christ.htm
(Historical Research)
Spiro, Ken. “The Passion: A Historical Perspective.” Simple to Remember.com.
http://www.simpletoremember.com/vitals/Passion_History_Who_Killed_Jesus.htm
Bible
