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I feel somewhat sheepish about dwelling so much on "The Passion of the Christ" especially after spending a lot of time ridiculing "the media" (that vague, ever-present cultural force) for doing just that. However, I realized exactly what I felt while in the shower this morning. And I'm the kind of person who can't just let a point rest, especially not after hearing/reading more opinions about the film from people at church this morning.
I felt manipulated by the violence. I would feel compassion and hurt for any person who suffered the violence depicted in the film. While Jesus' loving response to the violence certainly adds to the awe and makes the compassion stronger, I think it would have been more effective in a lasting (rather than shocking way) if Gibson had shown more examples of Jesus' love during his life on earth, if he had established some sort of connection to the audience through particular characteristics. (Yes, there were the flashbacks, but maybe more flashbacks should have been used.) Having been a Christian my whole life and feeling this way about the movie, I can only imagine what it would be like to be relatively unfamiliar with the story. Also, I'm aware that Gibson's portrayal of the Passion is just that, a passion play. But the Protestant in me longed for further delving into the Resurrection. Whether this whole thing is healthy or not, I cannot say. It certainly deserves to exist, uncensored and in the style Gibson felt was appropriate, as much as anything else deserves to exist. But I will never watch it again, nor will I feel embarrassed for not feeling an enormously emotional reaction after the viewing was complete.
(Also: my mom clipped a news article from a week or so back that details Mel Gibson's father's statements about the Holocaust. He says most of it was fiction. That is disgusting and sickening and really, really scary.)
I am now moving on with life. 3...2...1...
♥ I love the warm weather and open windows and door screens and wearing a short dress without freezing.
♥ I love the Oscars.
♥ I love my church.
♥ I love Zero 7.
♥ I love having an unusually small amount of homework. (That's what happens when you drop Calculus, I guess--there's about a million more hours for everything else. I had no idea how many hours I was logging on Calculus until I stopped logging them.)
♥ I love my job. Yesterday was so much fun. I made so many waffle cones, which was comfortingly simple and full of repetition. I just love handing the ice cream over the counter because people are so excited to get their hands on it. I love wondering about the people. I love talking to my boss, whose second grandchild is due in about a month.
♥ I love this computer.
I felt manipulated by the violence. I would feel compassion and hurt for any person who suffered the violence depicted in the film. While Jesus' loving response to the violence certainly adds to the awe and makes the compassion stronger, I think it would have been more effective in a lasting (rather than shocking way) if Gibson had shown more examples of Jesus' love during his life on earth, if he had established some sort of connection to the audience through particular characteristics. (Yes, there were the flashbacks, but maybe more flashbacks should have been used.) Having been a Christian my whole life and feeling this way about the movie, I can only imagine what it would be like to be relatively unfamiliar with the story. Also, I'm aware that Gibson's portrayal of the Passion is just that, a passion play. But the Protestant in me longed for further delving into the Resurrection. Whether this whole thing is healthy or not, I cannot say. It certainly deserves to exist, uncensored and in the style Gibson felt was appropriate, as much as anything else deserves to exist. But I will never watch it again, nor will I feel embarrassed for not feeling an enormously emotional reaction after the viewing was complete.
(Also: my mom clipped a news article from a week or so back that details Mel Gibson's father's statements about the Holocaust. He says most of it was fiction. That is disgusting and sickening and really, really scary.)
I am now moving on with life. 3...2...1...
♥ I love the warm weather and open windows and door screens and wearing a short dress without freezing.
♥ I love the Oscars.
♥ I love my church.
♥ I love Zero 7.
♥ I love having an unusually small amount of homework. (That's what happens when you drop Calculus, I guess--there's about a million more hours for everything else. I had no idea how many hours I was logging on Calculus until I stopped logging them.)
♥ I love my job. Yesterday was so much fun. I made so many waffle cones, which was comfortingly simple and full of repetition. I just love handing the ice cream over the counter because people are so excited to get their hands on it. I love wondering about the people. I love talking to my boss, whose second grandchild is due in about a month.
♥ I love this computer.
