Konq, I believe that is the reason why the movie was entitled "The Passion of the Christ". In Catholicism, The Passion is the depiction of the events from Gethsemane to his death on the cross. I think it would be unfair to say that this movie was intended to be a witnessing tool for Christianity. Instead, it was meant to show the last 12 hours of our Lord while on earth. In that stead, it accomplished this very well.
As I mentioned yesterday, I sat down and watched this movie again with my family, including my 11-year old daughter. I was very skeptical about doing this, as I am sure most of you are who are reading this. However, my wife and I sat down with her prior to the movie and explained what the movie was going to be about, and that it would be very graphic.
My daughter, as I've mentioned in posts elsewhere, does not do well with 'scary' movies, but surprisingly, she did well watching this one. Not that this was a scary movie (maybe the scenes with the kids and Judas were a bit scary) but the violence and gore was very much exagerrated.
Today in church, while we were reading about the events of the Resurrection, for once, she was very interested in the Scriptures, and asked me many questions. I felt that by her watching this movie with us, it really opened her eyes as to what Jesus endured for us while on earth. She has even talked to me about sitting with her and reading the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke or John to understand the life and teachings of Christ. In today's society where the power of television and the big screen is mightier than the book, I am glad that I could watch this movie with her and help her understand more what Jesus did for us.
Now to a question I had about a scene in the movie. While Jesus was being scourged by the Roman 'torturers' we see Satan walking through the crowd, holding what I can only describe as a demon baby. Let me first say that the scenes of Satan walking among the people also made my daughter realize how closely Satan interacts with us on a daily basis, and how it is so easy for him to tempt us if he wishes.
Back to that scene, I could not comprehend what that was supposed to depict or mean. Why was he carrying a baby, and a demonic looking one at that?
Our church showed a showing of this Friday night and I did not go. I saw it once in the theatre when it came out, and I do not think I could even begin to endure it again.
I think the movie was meant to stir our hearts and give us a reminder, as close as could be depicted, of what our Savior went through. To me, though, the most important part of the movie was the last twenty seconds, where Jesus walked out of the tomb. That moment right there made everything worth watching to send out the reminder that He did not stay dead, but rose again.
As for the baby, I have no idea. We all contemplated that one. It has been so long I don't remember all the theories, though.
QUOTE (Malexander) |
Why was he carrying a baby, and a demonic looking one at that? |
QUOTE |
Why was he carrying a baby, and a demonic looking one at that? |
Wow. I would never have thought all that stuff. When I watched the movie I thought the baby symbolised that evil was about to be nurtured in the place of Christ.
I guess that theory is blown out of the water.
What did people generally think about all the graphic detail? I personally enjoyed the attempt of authenticity. I imagine Roman torture was no walk in the park.
However I was once dating a girl that got upset when we watched a movie about Jesus because he had dirty clothes. She couldn't fathom that someone as pure as Jesus could be dirty! I tried explaining to her that washing machine technology has come along way in the past two millennia. But she would have been petrified at the depictions of Jesus being massacred in the Passions of the Christ.
Do you think the graphic nature added to the movie or detracted?
Edited: arvhic on 19th Apr, 2006 - 11:59am
QUOTE |
Do you think the graphic nature added to the movie or detracted? |
This movie was one of my favorites by a long shot. I went with a huge group from my college's Baptist group. A friend of mine and I were on the front row and by the end of the movie, we were both on our knees in front of our seats. I could barely walk after it was over.
The acting, in my opinion, was terrific. I was shocked to find out that the person that portrayed Satan, was a female.
As far as the violence and all of that, I had prepared myself for it, so it did not bother me as much as it could have, but it did have an affect on how I perceived His crucifixion
This was a fantastic film in my opinion,
I don't think I have ever seen a film that has ever moved me so much.
I went to see this film by myself, I couldn't find anyone who wanted to see it,except for my Son who was too young at the time, so I sat by myself at the front.
By the end of the movie, the pain that Jesus Christ had to endure had tears running down my face.
I really think that the portrayal of Jesus must have even softened the hardest of hearts.
I would love for this film to be showed at the cinema again, although we have it on dvd, it doesn't quite hit you the same as it does when it's on surround sound on a huge screen!