| I do not mean this in the sense of historical accuracy as I was not there and neither was Mel. Rather, I found that the verity lay in the characters’ behaviors. Through this interpretation of Jesus’ last hours, Mel exposed the baseness of human beings – that we are capable of extreme cruelty. We know this to be true. Ignorance breeds hate and it is an even uglier thing in the context of a mob. We have seen it time and time again, each occurrence supposedly shocking us, but not really for we are aware of the weaknesses of ourselves. It is amazing the actions that grow from fear – fear of the unknown and fear of losing a perceived power or position in the world. Case in point - the fear of the Jewish priests who convinced Pontius Pilate (Caesar’s Governor) to order the execution of Jesus.
Before seeing the movie, I tried to avoid other reviews and commentary, but it was impossible not to hear outcries about anti-Semitism and gratuitous violence. So, I was curious, I’ll admit it. Perhaps I missed it, even after seeing the movie twice, but I did not pick up on the anti-Semitism nor did I think the violence unreasonable. Fact: it was the Jewish Priests who forced the crucifixion of Jesus. The Messiah willing laid down his life for others, but the Jewish Priests created the circumstances surrounding the death. It is not anti-Semitic, it just is what it is and does not mean that you need to walk out of the theater angry with Jews. Fact: the Bible does use the word scourge (see Matthew 27 and Mark 15) as that which happened before Jesus was crucified. It is logical that with such hatred and fear as the foundation, Jesus would have been abused prior to being hung on the cross. He died for our sins. He died so that we could have another chance at being good and faithful. Don’t you think that would mean some pretty harsh punishment for him?
Granted, Mel did take several liberties in his depiction, but it is art, so he is allowed to do just that. For example, based on the tales of Caesar’s reign and his political officers, I do not believe that Pontius Pilate was as sympathetic a character as displayed in this movie. Again, it is all open to interpretation and our personal inferences from Biblical stories.
Still, I think that the film was well done. I believe that the intensity and brutality of the flaying scene was powerful. The dialogue was sparse and relied on facial expressions and non-verbal exchanges to relay a lot. It was incredible. Jim Caviezel (Jesus), in particular, conveyed so much with just his eyes, his posture. I felt extreme grief and discomfort. I felt pain in my gut. I felt terror at the thought of such torture and ridicule. I felt happy to have faith. I suppose there are many ways to feel about this movie. Some people will probably not be moved at all. Others will be changed for a while. But just maybe there will be those who just might experience an epiphany of sorts, altering their views.
You know that I am not a religious zealot, but more of a go-to-church and try-not-to-sin-too-much kind of girl. This movie touched me. I walked away with compassion for someone in my life that has taken me to the depths of emotional sorrow. I have hated this person. I have given up on this person. I have wished this person harm. All of that has been removed, maybe only temporary, but I will try to make it permanent.
|
