| Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ was undeniably | | | | violence in the movie changes the viewers frame of |
| the most powerful movie of 2004. It shows the last | | | | mind from that of a viewer to that of a participant in |
| few moments of Jesus', life in all of its gruesome detail. | | | | the action. It immerses the audience in the film. It is |
| Everything from the Agony in the Garden to the | | | | inconceivable for a person to sit in a chair watching |
| Scourging at the Pillar to Jesus being nailed to the | | | | The Passion to be callous and scrutinizing while a real |
| cross was included in this detailed film. Although this | | | | person is being tortured before their very eyes. I call |
| movie may not be suitable for the young, the old, the | | | | Jesus real because the actor, James Caviezel, is not |
| pregnant, or anyone with a heart condition, it is an | | | | simply an actor playing a role. He is Jesus. |
| exceptional movie that definitely accomplishes Mel | | | | The realness of the characters can be contributed in |
| Gibson's goal of showing the world exactly how much | | | | part to the foreign languages utilized in the film. The |
| Jesus suffered to save us from sin, allowing us to | | | | use of the Aramaic, Latin, and Hebrew languages adds |
| enter into God's kingdom. | | | | to the plausibility of the film in that once words are |
| The Passion of the Christ is a thought provoking | | | | removed from the equation, the only thing that is |
| movie. It captures the attention of anyone watching it, | | | | transmitted to the audience is emotion. If a picture is |
| and it enthralls them because of its power to make | | | | worth a thousand words, then surely emotion is worth |
| people feel. The movie makes the audience feel | | | | ten thousand. No single word or group of words can |
| sorrow, gratefulness, pity, anger, fear, and a host of | | | | adequately explain how people feel. Words are flawed |
| other emotions. For example, the presence of Mary | | | | in that there are simply not enough to convey every |
| throughout the entire film gives the audience a sense | | | | idea and action. For this reason, I would argue that the |
| of sympathy for a mother that watches her son be | | | | film would be just as powerful if not more powerful |
| tortured undeservingly, while the scenes of Jesus being | | | | without the English subtitles. This would be perfectly |
| tortured invoke a sense of disbelief and fear. Moments | | | | alright since the Passion story is so widely known. |
| like these make it impossible for a person watching | | | | Mel Gibson had to bring something to the table in order |
| The Passion to not feel anything. While watching the | | | | to give his movie that extra something that would |
| film, the audience hated the Jewish leaders for being | | | | make it great. Violence was not that extra something. |
| so ignorant and cruel. They hated Pilate for being | | | | The extra something is the acting. I never once |
| irresolute, but at the same time, they can appreciate | | | | doubted the authenticity of the characters because |
| the stress of his position. They feel the sorrow of the | | | | not only did they act their parts well, but they also |
| women that watch Jesus carry his cross. The | | | | appeared to be Middle Eastern, and they spoke the |
| audience feels Jesus' pain as the Roman soldiers flip | | | | language. Little touches like these make the movie |
| the cross over in order to flatten the backs of the nails. | | | | great. |
| Everyone jumped a little bit when Jesus died and the | | | | However great the movie may be, I cannot watch |
| devil let forth a blood curdling scream. The film does a | | | | The Passion of the Christ without feeling somewhat |
| stellar job of making the audience feel the intenseness | | | | manipulated. It is almost as if Mel Gibson is telling me, |
| of the Passion story. | | | | the viewer, what to believe. For example, Gibson |
| The key to the emotional manipulation lies in the | | | | shows the entire Jewish community in a terrible, evil |
| producer's power to make the film believable. | | | | light. Based on solely the movie, it is impossible for me |
| Something that sets this movie apart from other | | | | to come to any other conclusion than that the |
| religious movies is the exclusion of the cheesiness that | | | | collective Jewish people are entirely responsible for the |
| tends to accompany other movies concerning spiritual | | | | death of my Savior. This is not unlike the Roman |
| topics. However, this is no ordinary, run-of-the-mill | | | | soldiers. In the movie, there is not one decent |
| religious movie. For starters, the film shows Jesus' flesh | | | | rank-and-file soldier. Although Mel Gibson portrays |
| being torn away as he is whipped within and inch of | | | | Pilate in a somewhat decent manner along with his |
| his life, only to be spat on, kicked, and crowned with | | | | right hand man, he makes the entire Roman culture out |
| thorns. It shows Jesus' shoulder being dislocated as the | | | | to be twisted, demented simpletons that like nothing |
| soldiers pull his arm to be nailed to the cross. Every | | | | better than torturing innocent people. This is unfair and |
| painful moment is included in this hard to watch film. | | | | definitely a flaw in the movie. |
| Even if you cannot identify with any of the characters | | | | I called The Passion 'a lesson in emotion' because |
| or situations, surely you can identify with pain. This | | | | throughout the course of the movie, the audience |
| self-identification makes the movie real, because there | | | | experiences intense emotions that they have never |
| is a relationship between the viewer and the movie. It | | | | felt before. By watching the Messiah carry his cross, |
| makes it come to life. This is where The Passion | | | | our cross up the hill, only to be nailed to it, they undergo |
| stands out against other religious films. It is believable, | | | | a learning experience. It is undoubtedly, 100% impossible |
| whereas others are not. Gibson dared to show what | | | | to see Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ without |
| no other person would dare to show the world. This | | | | experiencing a host of new and compelling emotions. |