Movie Critic: Passion of the Christ

Lenten Observance: Passion of the Christ

As a remembrance of Christ’s passion and death and as a Lenten observation, I would like to share to you my reflection about the movie Passion of the Christ which was directed by Mel Gibson and starred by Jim Caviezel (the Christ).

I was still 10 years old when I first watched the movie. So far as I can remember, I wasn’t paying attention too much that time because I was afraid of seeing Jesus beaten up and crucified. When I got to 3^rd year High School, I started watching the film every year, more so, over and over again. I do this because the movie inspires me and at the same time, I feel that I become closer to God.

The movie itself is really nice. It is very dramatic in a sense that you will really feel that you are in their situation seeing Jesus suffering and enduring all those wounds which cause pain- a very deep explanation of pain may be used because it is very indescribable. The movie had shown that Christ really became part of us. It is not only because of the historical figures and personalities rather it showed the depiction of the history of Salvation in the Holy Scriptures. Like what the late Pope John Paul II said, “It is, as it was.” It might be quite exaggerated and bloody but that is what really happened to Christ.

The first scene shows the agony of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane. At this point of His life, He was having second thoughts of continuing His mission which the Father had sent Him for. “If only you can take this cup of sufferings away.”- The line associated with that event. In life, we also experience this. Sometimes, we are at the point of giving up even if we are very close to our achievements. The way to our goal seems very far. And whenever we will feel this, we have our parents by our side telling us “Anak, nariyan ka na. Ituloy mo na. (You’re already there, my child. Just keep going).” The movie depicted this as if Jesus’ pores had opened because of intense emotional pain that he was already sweating blood.

The next scenes show that Judas Iscariot, whom Christ had foreseen as His betrayer, was already out of his mind. He was guilty, he had gone crazy. He threw the silver he earned for obeying the orders of telling the High Priests and soldiers who Jesus was. He didn’t know that what the High Priests and soldiers will do is to crucify Jesus till death. So again, he was full of guilt and the movie depicted it that he was seeing the devils around him. The children laugh at him as if he can see the face of a demon mocking him.And shaken by his conscience, he hanged himself and died. What Judas has committed is a very grieve sin. It was denial of the Holy Spirit- thinking that he will never be forgiven. We should take this in mind that in our life, though we are sinful, God loves and is ready to forgive us.

What strucked me most was the scourging at the pillar. It gives a very big impact to me as a Christian. The movie might have presented it as if Jesus is literally being torn piece by piece. You can see that his whole body was covered with wounds and his blood splatting on the floor. The movie had shown a great action of whipping. This became the climax of the movie. What I’ve heard from one of the brothers, Jim Caviezel took some hits in order for the movie to look real. This part of the movie showed me that even though we delivered Christ to death, seems that he was slaughtered like a pig, He’s there taking all the most painful wounds for our sake. We gave Him a crown of thorns but He reshaped this to a heart to show His love for us.

There was also a depiction of Mary remembering Jesus’ childhood when she saw that He stumbled while carrying the cross. I believe that all of us love our mothers. And this also has a great impact to all of us if we will be able to watch the film. The movie showed that a mother will remember all the moments that she is with her child. The scene was about Mary remembering that the child Jesus tripped during his childhood. This maybe because the child was playing. They have shown the motherly instinct that she was ready to protect her child. She grabbed the kid and embraced Him like she never wanted the whole world to hurt Him. But, on Jesus’ way to the cross, the promise has to be fulfilled. Christ said in the movie, “I will make all things new.” She wants to redeem her son from the hands of the oppressors yet she has to accept in silence that her son needs to go through intense pain because he has a really big mission of saving us.

I can say that the best scene in the entire movie is the Crucifixion itself. I am quite curious of what and how the director decided to nail the actor on the cross. It might be traumatic to others especially the children. I’ve heard that there were also viewers before who experienced hyperventilation because they were touched by the movie too much. But, so much with the story, this completed everything not only the movie but also and most of all our faith. God has given up His life for us. It may be an accomplishment of the movie, yes, but this is the best way we can picture out how God has fulfilled the Scriptures.

It is very difficult to be a Christian if we do not know how to obey God. Christ became man not only for our Salvation but to show us the examples of being truly human. He became man. He also laughed, he cried, he was tempted, he loved and he endured pain. Sometimes we complain that God do not understand us. “E hindi naman ako naiintindihan ng Panginoon e.” For those people who would say this, let us give them the answer, “Syempre naiintindihan ka Niya dahil pinagdaanan din Niya lahat niyang pinagdadaanan mo.”

May our Lenten Season become memorable by giving our whole self to God’s will and rejoice for He, our Lord Jesus Christ, has come to bring us to Eternal Life.

PEACE BE WITH YOU ALL! J