Post by Rob W. Case on Apr 10, 2020 19:56:00 GMT -6
When The Passion of the Christ opened in theaters on February 25th, 2004, it not only gave us the rawest, grittiest glimpse into the last 12 hours of Jesus Christ, but it would leave a lasting impression that would forever change the way we look at the events that transpired in human history, and get a stronger glimpse of the price that was paid for us so that we would not stay forever stuck in the habits, mindsets, condition of heart, and the consequences that all of them inevitably leads to.
Isaiah 53:5--700 B.C.
But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
The Story:
The film originally began with this prophecy from the book of Isaiah. The film opens in the dead of night, in the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus of Nazareth (Jim Caviezel) is praying fervently to the Father as he struggles with the tremendous burden that He is about to bear. Meanwhile, the Sanhedrin (the religious leaders of the temple in Jerusalem) led by Caiaphas the Jewish High Priest (Mattia Sbragia) pays Judas (Luca Lionello) 30 pieces of silver to have the temple guards capture Jesus. As the grand plan begins to unfold, Satan (Rosalinda Celentano) tries tempting Jesus to abandon the mission that he was sent to fulfill, and the incomprehensible stress in this moment of ultimate spiritual warfare causes Him to sweat blood. It is at this point, the Father empowers Him and strengthens Him to accomplish the purpose that he was sent for, and only through Him, begin a new way for man to reconcile with God.
After the temple guards capture him, he is accused by the Sanhedrin of blasphemy and asked if He is the son of God. After He says “I am” Caiaphas tears his priestly garment (which signifies anger and grief) and the religious leaders strike and spit on Him. It is at that point that they want Jesus crucified, but it is unlawful for them to put a man to death. And so, they appeal to Pontius Pilate, the governor of Judea (Hristo Shopov) to crucify Him. Having no interest in crucifying Him, especially on religious accusations, Caiaphas builds a devious political argument that suggest that Jesus is the leader of a large and dangerous sect who hail him as the Son of David, the Messiah, the promised King sent by God to the Jews. Pilate talks with Jesus, and sees no real threat, so he sends Jesus to Herod Antipas (Luca De Dominicis), the ruler of Galilee (and son of Herod the Great, who ordered the deaths of all male children under 2 at the time Jesus was born), and the one responsible for the beheading of John the Baptist. Herod laughs the “threat” off, and sends Jesus back to Pilate, for which Caiaphas gets angrier and intensifies his push to have Jesus crucified, citing that if Pilate does nothing, while Jesus claims to be the King of the Jews, He is siding with Jesus and opposing the rule, reign, and authority of Caesar Tiberius. Pilate then orders Jesus to be scourged ruthlessly by the Romans in hopes to break his will. Satan is right there, adding energy to the level of brutality by the Romans, especially to a case built on a lie. And yet, the crowd is not satisfied. They cry loudly a full Roman crucifixion.
And so, perplexed by everything happening, yet fearful of the potential fallout that could occur if Caesar Tiberius gets involved, Pilate gives in to the Caiaphas’s demands and orders Jesus to be crucified, in which He encounters the barbaric and brutal nature of a full Roman crucifixion. What’s even worse, for Him, is the feeling of being forsaken by God, as He carries the weight of all of our sins on Him. Then, Jesus dies, the earth reacts, and it is not until His resurrection from the tomb that He is laid in, that something new begins, and changes everything, offering humanity a new testament of God’s grace, His love, His power, and His spirit to help us overcome the forces, mindsets, and circumstances that ultimately leads to desolation, despair, and death.
My Take:
This film is undoubtedly the most potent portrayal of the events up to, and including the crucifixion of Jesus Christ ever made. When I first saw this film in theaters in 2004, it made such a profound impression on me, that I remember thinking about it for days after. I then went back to see it again multiple times, bringing friends with me each time so that they too could see it, and we would share our opinions about it, and have deep and meaningful conversations beyond it. It also helped me appreciate with a heightened depth and dimension what Christ went through to pay the price for my sins. What was also interesting about this film (though it took me some time to get used to) was that it restored the ancient languages of the time and place in which this movie took place (Aramaic, Hebrew, and Latin). Mel Gibson, who directed the film, was very careful and meticulous in reconstructing both the political climate in Roman occupied Israel, as well as faithfully reenacting each procedural step used leading up to, and including, the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. While the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were used as primary sources, many other historical sources, some Roman, some forensic, were used in making sure that this film was carefully and accurately (as best as humanly possible) reconstructed to maximize its affect. When this film was originally released, it far exceeded expectations, and became a blockbuster. In fact, in being an R rated film, it became the highest grossing R rated movie ever for its time. And yet, it has since become a “go to” film to watch on Good Friday or around the Easter Holiday in general. And it’s not hard to see why. This movie, in many ways, is a crowning achievement that set precedents and sent a powerful ripple effect, and clear message through Hollywood. And many other blockbusters came out of the remarkable success of this film as well, as it proved that people have a hunger for movies that are powerful, meaningful, and gets them to think of concepts and dynamics much bigger than themselves. And that is why this movie has had such a strong impact for as long as it has, and continues to have.
It is a film I love dearly, and highly recommend (4 stars).
The Passion of the Christ is rated R for graphic violence and runs 2 hours and 7 minutes.
To view a trailer for the movie, please click on the “Play” button below.
Trailer:
"The Passion of the Christ" is available on Blu-ray, DVD, and is available on multiple streaming services, all of which can be found HERE.
Isaiah 53:5--700 B.C.
But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
The Story:
The film originally began with this prophecy from the book of Isaiah. The film opens in the dead of night, in the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus of Nazareth (Jim Caviezel) is praying fervently to the Father as he struggles with the tremendous burden that He is about to bear. Meanwhile, the Sanhedrin (the religious leaders of the temple in Jerusalem) led by Caiaphas the Jewish High Priest (Mattia Sbragia) pays Judas (Luca Lionello) 30 pieces of silver to have the temple guards capture Jesus. As the grand plan begins to unfold, Satan (Rosalinda Celentano) tries tempting Jesus to abandon the mission that he was sent to fulfill, and the incomprehensible stress in this moment of ultimate spiritual warfare causes Him to sweat blood. It is at this point, the Father empowers Him and strengthens Him to accomplish the purpose that he was sent for, and only through Him, begin a new way for man to reconcile with God.
After the temple guards capture him, he is accused by the Sanhedrin of blasphemy and asked if He is the son of God. After He says “I am” Caiaphas tears his priestly garment (which signifies anger and grief) and the religious leaders strike and spit on Him. It is at that point that they want Jesus crucified, but it is unlawful for them to put a man to death. And so, they appeal to Pontius Pilate, the governor of Judea (Hristo Shopov) to crucify Him. Having no interest in crucifying Him, especially on religious accusations, Caiaphas builds a devious political argument that suggest that Jesus is the leader of a large and dangerous sect who hail him as the Son of David, the Messiah, the promised King sent by God to the Jews. Pilate talks with Jesus, and sees no real threat, so he sends Jesus to Herod Antipas (Luca De Dominicis), the ruler of Galilee (and son of Herod the Great, who ordered the deaths of all male children under 2 at the time Jesus was born), and the one responsible for the beheading of John the Baptist. Herod laughs the “threat” off, and sends Jesus back to Pilate, for which Caiaphas gets angrier and intensifies his push to have Jesus crucified, citing that if Pilate does nothing, while Jesus claims to be the King of the Jews, He is siding with Jesus and opposing the rule, reign, and authority of Caesar Tiberius. Pilate then orders Jesus to be scourged ruthlessly by the Romans in hopes to break his will. Satan is right there, adding energy to the level of brutality by the Romans, especially to a case built on a lie. And yet, the crowd is not satisfied. They cry loudly a full Roman crucifixion.
And so, perplexed by everything happening, yet fearful of the potential fallout that could occur if Caesar Tiberius gets involved, Pilate gives in to the Caiaphas’s demands and orders Jesus to be crucified, in which He encounters the barbaric and brutal nature of a full Roman crucifixion. What’s even worse, for Him, is the feeling of being forsaken by God, as He carries the weight of all of our sins on Him. Then, Jesus dies, the earth reacts, and it is not until His resurrection from the tomb that He is laid in, that something new begins, and changes everything, offering humanity a new testament of God’s grace, His love, His power, and His spirit to help us overcome the forces, mindsets, and circumstances that ultimately leads to desolation, despair, and death.
My Take:
This film is undoubtedly the most potent portrayal of the events up to, and including the crucifixion of Jesus Christ ever made. When I first saw this film in theaters in 2004, it made such a profound impression on me, that I remember thinking about it for days after. I then went back to see it again multiple times, bringing friends with me each time so that they too could see it, and we would share our opinions about it, and have deep and meaningful conversations beyond it. It also helped me appreciate with a heightened depth and dimension what Christ went through to pay the price for my sins. What was also interesting about this film (though it took me some time to get used to) was that it restored the ancient languages of the time and place in which this movie took place (Aramaic, Hebrew, and Latin). Mel Gibson, who directed the film, was very careful and meticulous in reconstructing both the political climate in Roman occupied Israel, as well as faithfully reenacting each procedural step used leading up to, and including, the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. While the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were used as primary sources, many other historical sources, some Roman, some forensic, were used in making sure that this film was carefully and accurately (as best as humanly possible) reconstructed to maximize its affect. When this film was originally released, it far exceeded expectations, and became a blockbuster. In fact, in being an R rated film, it became the highest grossing R rated movie ever for its time. And yet, it has since become a “go to” film to watch on Good Friday or around the Easter Holiday in general. And it’s not hard to see why. This movie, in many ways, is a crowning achievement that set precedents and sent a powerful ripple effect, and clear message through Hollywood. And many other blockbusters came out of the remarkable success of this film as well, as it proved that people have a hunger for movies that are powerful, meaningful, and gets them to think of concepts and dynamics much bigger than themselves. And that is why this movie has had such a strong impact for as long as it has, and continues to have.
It is a film I love dearly, and highly recommend (4 stars).
The Passion of the Christ is rated R for graphic violence and runs 2 hours and 7 minutes.
To view a trailer for the movie, please click on the “Play” button below.
Trailer:
"The Passion of the Christ" is available on Blu-ray, DVD, and is available on multiple streaming services, all of which can be found HERE.