"Nailed" (Review of "The Passion..." in the New Yorker)

[Richardo]

I read this in this week's New Yorker last night. I think many here will agree. I post the opening and closing parts only, but recommend reading the whole review....it's excellent.

http://www.newyorker.com/critics/cinema/

NAILED
by DAVID DENBY
Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ.”
Issue of 2004-03-01
Posted 2004-02-23

In “The Passion of the Christ,” Mel Gibson shows little interest in celebrating the electric charge of hope and redemption that Jesus Christ brought into the world.

<snip>

Gibson, of course, is free to skip over the incomparable glories of Jesus’ temperament and to devote himself, as he does, to Jesus’ pain and martyrdom in the last twelve hours of his life.

<snip>

For two hours, with only an occasional pause or gentle flashback, we watch, stupefied, as a handsome, strapping, at times half-naked young man (James Caviezel) is slowly tortured to death. Gibson is so thoroughly fixated on the scourging and crushing of Christ, and so meagrely involved in the spiritual meanings of the final hours, that he falls in danger of altering Jesus’ message of love into one of hate.

<snip>

What is most depressing about “The Passion” is the thought that people will take their children to see it. Jesus said, “Suffer the little children to come unto me,” not “Let the little children watch me suffer.” How will parents deal with the pain, terror, and anger that children will doubtless feel as they watch a man flayed and pierced until dead? The despair of the movie is hard to shrug off, and Gibson’s timing couldn’t be more unfortunate: another dose of death-haunted religious fanaticism is the last thing we need.

:wow: :thumbsup:

[On the Road]

1. Well, the Early Church Was Thought of by the Romans

as kind of a death cult, with their emphasis on martyrdom and the crucifixion.

[The Backlash Cometh]

2. Living in a latin american country for the better part of my yute...

...I was fed a non-stop diet of these "Jesus died painfully on the cross for you, you despicable sinner" movie themes. The message sometimes gets distorted in undesirable ways. Resentment towards the obvious emotional manipulation can develop, as well as weird character development traits such as influencing the young to believe that suffering is a good, much admired quality in a person.

[Chicago Democrat]

3. This Movie I will Not See.

I almost threw up my lunch this afternoon because Section 2 of the Chicago Tribune has a close-up of the scourged body of the crucified Jesus in Mel Gibson's "Passion".

For the same reason I didn't want to see "Saving Private Ryan" or "The Thin Red Line" or any slasher movie; this ultra-real ultra-violent art film is just too much for me. Apparently the movie skips all the ministry of Jesus and starts with the arrest of Jesus. The fact that it focuses solely on the torture and death of what 1/4 of the world regards as a god, is to say the least, inflammatory.

Mel belongs to a bizarre right-wing anti-semitic weird Catholic church that thinks the Pope is too liberal.

Besides that, Mel Gibson is a homo-phobe and a jerk; that's another reason I don't want to help that homophobic jerk with his big money gamble. How Australia could produce both Mel Gibson and "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert"?

I like looking at Mel's butt. I know he doesn't like that, so that makes me happpy. If you like violence and Mel's butt; rent "Gallipoli" instead.

[The Backlash Cometh]

4. t'would be interesting to see if Mel suffers at the box office

in future endeavors.

[Scout]

5. picking nits

Mel is not Australian, he was born in the US and moved to Australia at about age 11 or so.

[Chicago Democrat]

6. Interesting, I did not know that!

[trogdor]

13. We know who killed Jesus

Mel Gibson killed Jesus.

[JPZenger]

7. Great Review in Phila. Inquirer

Here is a great review of the movie "The Passion." It seems as if Gibson was so obsessed with the pain and the suffering, he forgot to leave time for the hope and the redemption.

http://ae.philly.com/entertainment/ui/philly/movie.html?id=125346&reviewId=14449

[Bertha Venation]

8. Richardo, did you hear Kenneth Turan's review this AM? eom

[Richardo]

11. No I did not, Bertha. What up?

What did he say?

Inquiring minds etc etc....

[Bertha Venation]

12. in short

Turan has seen the film and he said that, while he knows some people won't understand his point of view, he can't see why anyone cannot see the anti-semitism in the film. Whether the filmmakers intended it or not, Turan said it's there, and he suggested it could fan the flames of anti-semitism. (I don't buy the slippery slope thing but he may have a point on this.)

He said with an all-powerful Jewish leadership depicted as manipulating the puppet Pilate, that the filmmakers didn't see the anti-semitism is shocking.

[Sgt. Peppers]

9. So many views of people who have no viewed the film, no surprise there huh

I watched it last night and it was a great film, but it is distracting you from the WMD's, economy, jobs, Energy Policy and so on. Well I guess once again the media got its wish.

[Bridget Burke]

10. So, where's your detailed review?

We'd really like to hear from somebody who's taken the trouble to see it.

The movie was featured on this morning's news (Houston's CBS affiliate). In the entertainment segment--just before the latest report about Janet Jackson.