‘Passion’s’ violence to be expected

RAY BUFFER

Frankly, I don’t see what all the fuss is about. Yes, it’s violent,

but, crucifixion isn’t a day at an amusement park. I think the fervor

over “The Passion of the Christ” is actually more of a theological

one than a racist one. The age-old argument about whose religion is

the “truest” is the real elephant sitting in the middle of the

collective room.

I am no theologian. I was raised Baptist, converted to

Episcopalian, married a Catholic and in addition to the St. James’

Bible, I have books on my shelf about Buddhism, Atheism and

Scientology. In each of these religions (or anti-religions) and many

more, there are bad people. Bad people often become the way they are

out of fear. If you ignore the religious content of this film, that

is what the story boils down to: one man’s fear equals another man’s

death.

Mel Gibson has made a film that reflects his beliefs, and droves

of Christians, Jews and others are going to see it. That is their

choice. Gibson has created a self-funded $30-million religious horror

film. Despite the number of people who chose to attend the same

showing I went to, with their crying babies in tow, the film is rated

“R” for good reason. What you will see is a violent portrayal of

Christ’s last 12 hours, of which it would seem he was lashed and

tortured for 11. When I went to see the film on Sunday, the house was

packed. Other than noticing many in the audience engaged in

conversations during the film, I can always tell that there are

people in a theater who haven’t been to see a movie in a while.

Perhaps that is also why this film has such a bad rap for extreme

violence. Anyone who has been to a movie in the last 20 years will

find its “gore-level” similar to a “Nightmare on Elm Street” film.

An admirable decision in a modern movie making studio world,

Gibson chose to use the original and now dead languages of Latin and

Aramaic for all of the film’s dialogue, requiring the use of

subtitles. Unfortunately, I could not help but notice a number of

people felt the need to read them aloud. Is there a theater etiquette

class that people can be required to attend?

Jim Caviezel (“Frequency” ) plays the title role of Jesus with

subtlety and depth. Maia Morgenstern, Monica Bellucci, Mattia

Sbragia, Claudia Gerini, Luca Lionello and Hristo Naumov Shopov all

turn in fine, but underutilized performances. Gibson uses Rosalinda

Celentano as a bald and freakishly-eerie Satan, whose androgynous

nature is a metaphor for the shape-shifting qualities associated with

“the Devil.”

The musical score by John Debney is sometimes wonderful, and at

other times bizarre. Luca Lionello turns in a tortured portrayal of

Judas, the disciple who rats out Jesus and later commits suicide.

The Jewish high priest Caiaphas (portrayed stoically by Mattia

Sbragia) is the film’s big bully. His fear, competitiveness and

disbelief fuel the events that led to Christ’s death. The others in

the Sanhedrin support him, displaying a classic “pack mentality,” all

too common in society.

It does seem that Gibson intended to focus on the dark and tragic

side of Christianity. To illustrate the point that everyone shares

responsibility in Christ’s death, Gibson used his own hand to portray

the hand of the soldier who held the stake that went into Christ’s

palm, and one thing accomplished by Gibson’s use of gore, is that in

the film, the blood of Christ rained on the hands of everyone, not

just some of the Jews who opposed him.

I think some of the upset over this film is that Gibson -- a

mainstream Hollywood icon -- has broken the sacred rule about

mentioning politics or religion in polite conversation, and as a

result we all are, too. In the end, as Christ dies, Gibson chose to

use a variable translation of the familiar phrase “It is finished” by

instead using “It is accomplished” -- a subtle distinction, but one

that I believe reflects Gibson’s true intention of showing that in

his film Christ had a mission that he carried out willingly for the

sake of all.

* RAY BUFFER, 34, is a professional singer, actor and voice-over

artist.