The Passion of The Christ has attracted much controversy and negative publicity for its graphic violence and supposed anti-Semitic views. But this is totally undeserved. In Biblical times, a crucifixion was regarded as the most cruel and horrendous of punishments. It was a very slow and extremely painful way to die and before you were nailed to the cross, you were stripped completely naked as the final humiliation.
There are some discrepancies the viewer should be aware of.
1. Jesus is given 100 lashes by the Roman soldiers. The number of lashes permitted was 39 or 40. Forty lashes were considered near-fatal.
2. Pontius Pilate is usually described in the Gospels and movies as a gentle man who was not willing to put an innocent man to death in order to please an angry mob. In reality, Pilate was a barbaric dictator who crucified innocent people for no reason other than suspecting they were plotting to overthrow him.
3. Jesus carries the entire cross to Calvary. He really only carried the crossbeam, like the two robbers who were crucified with him.
A crucifixion was a violent thing, so it's no wonder the scourging and nailing to the cross scenes are very bloody. As for anti-Semitism, there is a scene in the movie where Simon of Cyrene (who helped Jesus to carry the cross) tries to fight off some Roman soldiers who are brutally whipping and kicking a bloodied and near-dead Jesus. What is anti-Semitic about a Jew helping a fellow Jew? At first, Simon is hesitant to carry the cross of a condemned man, but soon realizes that Jesus is an innocent person who is dying for another reason.
When Jesus is placed into his mother's arms after his death, Mary looks straight at the camera. I believe she is saying to the audience with her eyes "Look what my son went through in order to save you."
Mel Gibson did an excellent job of directing, and the mostly Italian cast speaks in Aramaic, Latin and Hebrew very well. Jim Caviezel, as Jesus, gives what might be the performance of his career, and he is, in my opinion, a contender for Best Actor at next year's Oscars.
Although Jesus was at first hesitant to go through all this, he surrendered eventually to God's will and went to his own death without any word of complaint.
When a huge earthquake hits Jerusalem after Jesus's death, the holy temple of the Jewish authorities is almost destroyed, and Caiaphas starts crying. Is it possible that he realizes he's responsible for the crucifixion of the Son of God?
The Roman soldiers are depicted as brutal and contemptuous people, which is what they really were in those times.
If you feel this movie is anti-Semitic, you should probably read the Gospels a little bit more before you come to see it.
I recommend this movie to people of all religions.
Rating: ****
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