‘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.
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