The Passion of the Christ

DVD is prefect. Packaging is perfect. This is a movie that is in another language that has subtitles -this is the way they are all made- just to remind anyone buying it. It’s a movie that shows Jesus’s crucifixion. It is brutal and not meant for small kids to watch. I like to watch this on Ash Wednesday before I give up things for lent and again on Good Friday before Easter. Praise God. Definitely recommend.

On Saturday, March 6, 2004, I attended a showing of The Passion of the Christ with a group from Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church. We had decided to make this an evangelism event with a discussion following the movie followed by a chili fellowship. A group of 50 (half guests of Salem) attended the afternoon matinee. Flyers announcing the discussion were distributed and several viewers joined us for the discussion. All in all it was a good afternoon and all involved were able to sort out thoughts and feelings following the watching of this movie. In a word, the movie was breathtaking. Some scenes the audience literally jumps. The theater was quiet-one didn't hear the munching of popcorn! Artistically the movie portrayed the suffering as no one has seen it portrayed before. Many at the discussion admitted that it got to a point where they said to themselves, "Enough already!" One person even left the movie (but did re-join us for the discussion). My advice is to know yourself. If you feel you cannot handle violence or blood, don't go. If you do desire to see it, consider waiting until the movie is released on video or DVD and rent it-you can always stop the tape if the action becomes too intense. Mr. Gibson remained for the most part close to the Gospels. There are some Catholic add-ons, such as I believe Veronica wiping Jesus' face which is not found in the Gospels but is part of the chronology of the Stations of the Cross. Some thought Mary may have played too prominent a role, but she was the mother of Jesus; what mother wouldn't be there to comfort her child? Amazingly, I was able to understand about half the spoken dialogue (all that Latin, Hebrew, and Aramaic training finally came in handy). The scenes with Pontius Pilate were interesting. Sometimes the dialogue between Pilate and the Jewish leaders was in Latin, other times in Aramaic/Hebrew. I will try to watch it again to try and detect a pattern. The subtitles were somewhat close to the Scriptures. Not knowing what translation of the English Scriptures Mr. Gibson used I cannot verify if the passages were verbatim. I did enjoy the opening scene of a black background with a verse from Isaiah in white text. It set the tone for the movie. There was, indeed, violence. How can there not be when a man is whipped and then crucified? Here the movie did disappoint. Having studied the Roman methods of torture and crucifixion I believe Mel Gibson held back in this area. And this might be the right call. The horrific violence that was on the screen was too much for some. Add to that the fact that the mental and emotional suffering Jesus endured weren't portrayed. (If you can stay awake through it, watch The Last Temptation of Christ and keep in mind throughout that this was a temptation as envisioned by the artist. This might give you a taste of what Jesus endured internally in this suffering.) The scene at the cross was a tad short. Mr. Gibson could have had Jesus pushing himself up gulping for breath just to give the audience a taste of the cruel discomfort on the cross. The arm being pulled did add realism to the effect just before the nail being driven through the right hand. The role of Pilate brings a new dimension for Christians who haven't thought too much about this man whom they name in their confessions. Mel Gibson adds a soliloquy by Pilate on truth where he asserts what he believes to be truth as he sees it. His wife, Claudia (not named in Scripture) does play a more prominent role than she does in Scripture. In the Gospels we are told she sends a messenger to her husband; in Passion she is right there through the trial giving her husband disapproving looks. You will not soon lose the picture of the gleeful Romans whipping Jesus. Again, in our discussion it was pointed out that the Roman culture loved blood. All in all, this is not a movie you will enjoy (even if the ticket taker says, "Thank you. Enjoy the movie."). But you will leave thinking about it and pondering it. You will want to talk to someone about it. If you do go to see it, try to go with a group planning to discuss it afterward, or schedule time for reflection afterward. One patron we met took a flyer disappointed she had to go to work. We assured her she could come anytime if she wanted to discuss the movie. Don't cheat yourself of this opportunity!

The Passion of the Christ isn’t just a movie—it’s an experience that reaches deep into the soul. Directed by Mel Gibson, this film vividly portrays the final hours of Jesus Christ’s life with raw emotion, reverence, and authenticity. It’s not an easy watch, but it’s an essential one. From the moment the film begins, you’re drawn into the depth of Christ’s sacrifice. The performances, especially by Jim Caviezel as Jesus, are absolutely heart-wrenching and powerful. The use of Aramaic, Latin, and Hebrew adds an incredible level of realism that immerses you into the world and the weight of what took place. This film doesn’t sugarcoat the suffering, and that’s what makes it so impactful. It reminds us of the true cost of grace and how deeply we are loved. Watching it is a humbling experience that will stir your faith, bring you to tears, and deepen your appreciation for what Jesus endured. Whether you're a longtime believer or someone seeking to understand the Christian faith, The Passion of the Christ is a must-have in your collection. It’s more than a film—it’s a visual reminder of the Gospel’s power. Watch it, reflect on it, and share it. It has the power to change lives.

"And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns." Rev. 17:7 Mel Gibson uses film making to its utmost potential in this most graphic portrayal of Jesus' passion. This film is an artist's rendering of historical events through a medium where almost anything is possible. Did he go too far? The superficial rendering of the story of the Passion of Christ Jesus is bound to draw sharp criticisms. It's when you dig beneath the surface that you find great riches. The first time I saw this movie was by accident, I never meant to see it--too much hype, I thought. I came across it on TV and thought it was a foreign film; then it dawned on me I was watching Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ. Though I've prayed the sorrowful mysteries many times, my puny imagination could not have evoked such images as this film portrays. It brought to my mind the real gravity of our Lord's suffering that we all take sin so lightly and we shouldn't. That's what Mel is saying in this great work of art. Art, you say? Great art. I realized it from my first viewing. The story is true to the Gospels, the additions are from the visions of Ann Catherine Emmerich and Mel Gibson's use of poetic license, and he works the imagery to great effect. I instantly recognized that certain of the graphic aspects of the film are inspired by what I always thought were ghastly paintings of Jesus on the Cross that you see so much in Italy, and the book of Revelation--"And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration." Rev. 17:6. For instance, in the whipping scene, which garnered so much of the criticism for its violence, you see those images transposed deftly--the androgynous-looking gaunt woman in the black veil with her off-spring (which is corruption), the soldiers drunk at the sight of the blood they draw from the innocent body of Christ with their instruments of torture, he it was that crushed the head of the snake in the Garden--"The infernal serpent . . . whose guile, stirred up with envy and revenge, deceived the Mother of Mankind" (Milton, Paradise Lost). And so you are also moved by the juxtaposition of the sweet scenes of Jesus' life and the brutal slaying of this most innocent of men, and you wonder about the gaunt woman threading her way through the crowd as she watches events unfold with fixed eyes of cold fascination. Because this film IS so graphic I do not watch it more than twice a year for fear of becoming jaded, but each time I do I'm struck again and my heart is broken by this man of sorrows, "[D]espised and rejected of men . . . and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not." Isaiah 53:2-4.

Una obra maestra. Hecha desde la fe y el profundo sentimiento, remueve profundamente al espectador, sin caer en lo desagradable, pero manteniéndose en el limite. La época, las lenguas muertas tratadas con la mayor intencionalidad de fidelidad... todo ello la convierten en una obra maestra de los anales del cine. Una joya para tener en casa.

Prima, snel geleverd en gesealed.

聖書の内容をよく再現されていたと思います。主イエスの受難がリアルに伝わってくる素晴らしい映画でした。 磔刑の本質とは、神とサタンとの戦いであったことが分かります。主イエスの死と復活をもって、神はサタンに勝利したのですから、主イエスを信頼する者に、もはや怖いものはありません。

I bought this for my brother as a present.

Per molti punti di vista condivido quello che altri utenti hanno commentato. Non ho nulla da togliere al maestro Zeffirelli (che comunque ha un modo diverso di dirigere e uno stile completamente diverso), ma in questa opera cinematografica Mel Gibson ha davvero superato se stesso. Credo che sia il film che più di tutti rispecchia il momento della morte di Gesù Cristo, caratterizzato da tutti i suoi momenti di estrema sofferenza (come credo fermamente che sia andata nella realtà). Negli anni ho letto molte critiche, sia positive che negative, su questo film. Io lo trovo comunque magnifico e grandioso. Non è per tutti, non per la comprensibilità del fatto accaduto nè tanto meno per la lingua originale utilizzata nel film (che dona molta più credibilità); non è per tutti per le scene molto violente. Personalmente non mi impressiono facilmente, ma una persona dallo stomaco debole potrebbe avere una reazione poco piacevole. Non ho parole per commentare il cast eccezionale del film, persino la Bellucci (che personalmente non ritengo bravissima nella recitazione in generale) è stata davvero eccezionale nella sua parte. Tutto questo contornato da una colonna sonora da brivido!!! Parlando invece del Blu ray, anche qui solo punti positivi: qualità video sublime, con colori contrastati ma non troppo saturi. immagini definitissime e di forte impatto visivo (in tutti i sensi!). Audio meraviglioso, a parte qualche sbalzo improvviso tra toni alti e bassi. E per finire, un intero DVD a parte interamente dedicato ai fantastici contenuti extra!! Insomma, il miglior film sulla passione di Cristo mai realizzato (secondo me) che è stato capace di farmi piangere letteralmente. Amazon fantastico come sempre! Scene violente a parte, lo consiglio a tutti!!