Mad Musings of a Miller

After reading, watching, and listening to interviews, opinion pieces, and reviews about The Passion of the Christ, I had truly come to the point (more than any movie I can remember) of sick of the media and simply wanting to see the movie and judge it for myself. (Ironically now I sit writing another opinion – I guess it’s just one of those movies.)

So, I did see the movie last night and witnessed an incredibly powerful and emotionally impacting movie. Yes I’m biased. I believe the story of the Bible to be true and personal and therefore had every reason to like the movie. Still, I had my worries before seeing it and am thankful none of them were true. I’ll be the first to admit that Christians usually produce low quality works. As far as acting, cinematography, editing, this movie was of the highest quality. Finally. But there are more important things to talk about with this movie…

1. I agree with those Jews who have seen the movie and said the same. With those who acted in the movie and said the same. This movie is not anti-Semitic. Anyone who thinks this movie is anti-Semitic does so because they want it to be. To be sure, this story is so beyond blaming ANYONE that it’s somewhat ludicrous to even address the issue. But, since the topic has been mentioned in every article dealing with the Passion, I found myself forced to address it. Ironically, whenever I did force such thoughts, they only enforced to me that it was a higher plan in action and not the Jews. It doesn’t make sense otherwise - the Jews were so adamant that this man be killed and after you see what they did to Him – why, I found myself asking. And then you see Satan again (personified very well). It becomes very obvious these Jews were simply tools in the hands of higher forces and nothing to be blamed. But again, blaming anyone was so far out of my mind that it still somewhat bugs me that I even had to think about it. It’s also somewhat ironic to remember the main character of the movie is also a Jew, as are his disciples and many other followers: Jews I left loving more, not hating.

2. The violence is strong, although I again disagree with many of the reviews I’ve read. This movie is brutality, not violence. Pulp Fiction was violent: a theater of people laughing when a guy’s brains splatter across the window of a car. That is violence of a much more disturbing nature, than anything this movie contained. I find it very inconsistent to rake this movie over the coals for its violence while praising all kinds of other movies that contain much more twisted violence. This movie is brutal no doubt, but not twisted. If you are going to rip this movie, come up with something better than violence.

3. For those reviewers who claim the movie doesn’t give enough of Jesus’ message…did we see the same movie? For those who say the violence outweighs any moral message…the violence clearly illustrates the message. I can only assume they didn’t like the message they got – it had plenty. I’ve never seen a movie where the message of Christianity is so clearly displayed. Jesus’ teachings interwoven with the actions of living up to His words. And as the two thieves on the crosses next to Jesus so clearly illustrated – and as C.S. Lewis so clearly stated in Mere Christianity - believe He was a crazy man and curse Him or believe in what He said and worship Him. Just don’t say there is no message.

As Mel Gibson said, he wanted to create not a movie experience but an experience. For me, he did just that and I’m thankful for it.

Posted by: rsjm / 7:35 AM