- Is The Passion of the Christ too violent? | written by Tim Jackson
The film will most likely receive an “R” rating because of the violence. While some may argue that the violence should have been toned down, I disagree. Too often the suffering of Christ has been sanitized to make it more aesthetically appealing. The brutality suffered at the hands of Roman executioners in the first century was well known in ancient history. This culture that conquered the world gave rise to one of the most brutal of all forms of death–crucifixion.
Mark’s account of the death of Jesus simply says, “And they crucified Him” (Mark 15:24). I must admit that I never fully grasped the meaning of those few simple words. And the biblical authors don’t elaborate on them. People in New Testament times knew all too well that they meant. They had witnessed scourgings and crucifixions firsthand.
However, two thousand years of history has removed us so far from the events of Jesus’ day that even those who embrace the Christian faith have little understanding of the process of crucifixion. The retelling of the crucifixion story in The Passion of the Christ takes the words from the sacred text and paints a vivid portrait of not only the physical torture but also the relational, emotional, and spiritual anguish that Christ suffered as He paid the price for mankind’s redemption.
Having viewed a director’s rough cut of the film without special effects that were yet to be added, the images were bloody, brutal, and difficult to watch. The scourging scene seemed to go on forever, leaving little doubt that some victims died before ever reaching the cross. However, Gibson provides the audience some much-needed relief from the agony of Christ’s relentless suffering with powerful flashbacks to poignant moments in His life. This flashback technique transports the audience back in time to teaching moments with His disciples, tender moments with his mother, the Last Supper, and points of confrontation with the religious leadership, providing the context and purpose for His suffering.
In spite of the graphic nature of the film, the brutality that Jesus endured both physically and mentally was even more horrid than any film could accurately portray. Some 700 years prior to Jesus, the prophet Isaiah predicted that the suffering Messiah’s appearance would be appalling to those who witnessed it–“His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and His form marred beyond human likeness . . . He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire Him . . . like one from whom men hid their faces” (Isaiah 52:14; 53:2-3 NIV). The devastating brutality that characterized the Roman army’s perfection of the art of crucifixion is clearly portrayed in this film.
Some may say that the violence is too much and will refuse to see the film for that reason. I can respect their opinions. For myself, however, who didn’t live in the first century and never witnessed a crucifixion, this was an opportunity to see what I’ve been told about, read about, and have described to others. The Bible tells me that Jesus died for my sins, and that “they crucified Him.” I now have a much more vivid idea of what those few words mean after seeing this film.
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- What opportunities will this film give for meaningful conversation? | written by Tim Jackson
This may be one of the most talked about films in recent history. Of those who have seen pre-release versions of the film, most agree that this is a masterpiece of film art.
The Passion of the Christ provides an unusual opportunity to talk about important spiritual issues. Although many people find it difficult to discuss issues of personal faith, this film will give an occasion for honest discussion about a history-changing event. News media, publishing houses, talk shows, the Internet, and the entertainment industry are giving widespread coverage to the images, stories, and rumors about this film. All open the door for healthy conversations.
Like any other controversial issue, this film will impact people in different ways, but each of us will find ourselves challenged with the need to listen to and respect those who hold different spiritual beliefs than our own. With that challenge will also come the opportunity to help one another think through our spiritual conclusions about the suffering of Jesus. Rather than using the film to press our different convictions about Christ, we can use the film to build bridges to one another. Understanding one another is always more of a priority than disagreeing. The following questions can be part of such honest and friendly conversations:
- Was the film what you expected?
- Do you think Gibson's portrayal of Christ was believable?
- Are you glad you saw it?
- How did you feel when it was over?
- Did it change your understanding of what Christ endured?
- Was the film consistent with what you believe about Christ?
- Did the film make you want to read the gospel accounts of the crucifixion?
Too often when we ask questions of one another, we don’t take the time to really listen to the other’s response, especially if we have an agenda. We need to genuinely listen to people’s responses. Listen especially for their hearts, for their mood after the film. My experience in leaving the theater after seeing the film was that there was a stunned silence. People didn’t want to move. Be aware that people will need time to process what they’ve seen. Be gentle and patient. Don’t push. The impact will not be lost if you don’t talk about it right away.
Finally, this film’s content will be controversial and compelling for both Christians and non-Christians. Be sensitive and respectful of what may be stirred spiritually in others who witness this event with you. Be open and aware that God may want to use the biblical content and themes presented masterfully in the powerful images of this film to invite both Christians and non-Christians alike to reckon with who Jesus was and why He died.
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- As a Christian, should I see this film? | written by Tim Jackson
The decision to see or not to see The Passion of the Christ is a personal one that must be based on firm convictions. It is not a matter of orthodoxy, but a matter of Christian liberty and conscience.
That being said, it would be easy for Christians to be negative and critical about all films. After all, many of the images portrayed and values espoused in the entertainment industry are contrary to biblical values. For that reason, some may refuse to endorse any aspect of the entertainment media and dismiss it all as a tool for evil.
It seems that there are exceptions to this pattern, however. This film may very well fit that exception because of the unique opportunity it provides for Christians to engage with the popular culture about the person they feel most passionate about–Jesus. While we as Christians should not rely on a film to tell others about Jesus, we must also recognize the potential of a cinematic retelling of this biblical story to engage both the heart and the mind of those who see it.
Whether we like it or not, the media of film and television has become the visual vernacular of our modern culture (equivalent to what the newspaper was a generation ago) and is here to stay. Visual arts can be used to dramatically introduce and communicate biblical truth in an engaging manner. Many churches have acknowledged this and are now using visual arts to communicate more effectively to their congregations.
A theater may seem like an unlikely place for someone to meet God, but it may be a far less threatening venue to invite an unchurched person to consider the claims of Jesus.
The truth is, no one expects to meet God in a theater. And most of the time, the expected happens. But every so often, the unpredictable God of the Bible chooses to show up in the most unlikely of places. Could it be that He just may choose to do the unexpected and use a movie to inspire people to examine the Bible for themselves with renewed interest in the teachings of Jesus? I hope we would be open to this possibility.
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- Why would RBC Ministries give so much time to a Hollywood film? | written by Tim Jackson
It is strange to take much time responding to most of what is produced in Hollywood. But we cannot ignore it when someone produces a film about the story that we as a ministry are most passionate about. For almost 70 years, RBC has focused on telling the story of Jesus through an array of electronic and print media. And for the most part, Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ retells that same story in dramatic fashion. From what we’ve seen in the rough cut of the film, it is for the most part an accurate portrayal of the biblical account of the last 12 hours of Jesus’ life.
Our hope is that this film will not be an end in itself, but that it will be a catalyst in two ways: re-igniting Christians’ passionate love for Christ, and inviting non-Christians to consider the Christ who died for all that all might live (2 Corinthians 5:15).
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- Are there artistic liberties taken in the film? If so, how do they impact the narrative? | written by Tim Jackson
As the director, producer, and co-writer of the screenplay, Mel Gibson does employ artistic liberties in the creative presentation of the last day of Jesus’ life. What one must remember when watching the film is that this movie is not the Bible verbatim on film. It is a dramatic retelling of the arrest, trial, and execution of Jesus primarily based on the biblical story from the New Testament Gospels. Gibson creatively blends the biblical material, historical record, and traditional images with plausible development of the characters and their relationships in such a way that the story comes alive.
Gibson’s artistic latitude is most evident in the development of some of the characters that neither the Bible nor history tell us much about. Judas is portrayed as a tormented pawn of Satan who betrays Jesus and then was haunted and taunted by demons till he ends his own life in despair. Pilate’s struggle with “what is truth?” and being caught in the vice between the powers of Rome and of the Jewish religious leadership is convincingly developed beyond the biblical account. His dialog with his wife over what to do with Jesus is reasonable given the way couples talk through important decisions together. Simon from Cyrene is transformed from a disinterested and ambivalent bystander into a believer after being forced to shoulder the cross with Jesus for the trek to Golgotha. It is plausible to assume that somehow he was changed by this experience, but we just don’t know how.
What Gibson provides with his embellishment of these characters are some suggestions as to what he thinks could have happened behind the scenes in the lives of those who were a part of this crucial event. What is clearly evident from the film is that a personal encounter with Jesus was life-changing. How life-changing it was depended on each individual’s response to who Jesus was and what He taught.
Other artistic insertions are used to create dramatic visual effects in the film. The biblical record makes no mention of a literal serpent present with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Gibson visually interpreted the prediction of the crucifixion and the battle between Satan and Jesus from Genesis 3:15 with a powerful image that is riveting. There is no evidence that Mary and Mary Magdalene wiped up the blood from the scourging with clothes provided by Pilate’s wife. Neither is there evidence that the three women ever met. Mary embracing the cold stone floor under which Jesus was bound while awaiting transport to Pilate’s hall portrays the agony of a mother losing her son, but is not factual. The crow picking out the eyeball of the mocking thief who was crucified alongside Jesus has no biblical basis, even though scavengers were known to feed on the corpses of crucifixion victims. The splitting open of the floor, altar, and interior of the temple is inaccurate. As far as we know, while an earthquake did follow Jesus’ death, only the temple veil was torn in half from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51).
Probably one of the most disturbing figures throughout the film is the Satan-figure. Because it represents a visualization of an invisible reality, it may be difficult for some to swallow. One of the more troubling scenes is Satan coddling and caressing a baby, almost an anti-Madonna and child image. While many interpretations are possible, the idea of a personal evil enemy who is orchestrating all the anti-Jesus activity in the film is quite evident.
The inclusion of this creative material and character development doesn’t seem to violate the biblical content. In fact, it enhances the visual retelling of the story that makes it even more believable and real.
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