"Mel Gibson’s ‘Passion’ Project"
by Scott Mantz

“The Passion of the Christ”
Jim Caviezel, Maia Morgenstern
Directed by Mel Gibson

"Christ, you know it ain't easy!" Mel Gibson directs Jim Caviezel in "The Passion of the Christ"

“The way things are going, they’re gonna crucify me.”

John Lennon may have sung those words in “The Ballad of John and Yoko” back in 1969, but these days, they could easily apply to Mel Gibson.

That’s because after months of heated debate among religious leaders, “The Passion of the Christ,” Gibson’s highly anticipated labor of love, which depicts the last 12 hours in the life of Jesus, hits more than 2,000 theaters on February 25 (that’s Ash Wednesday). It’s hard to recall a time when a film was shrouded in so much controversy, but moviegoers will finally be able to see what the fuss is all about. Is the film anti-Semitic (as some press reports have indicated), or is the over-hyped brouhaha much ado about nothing? Well, whatever the case, “The Passion of the Christ” is an engrossing, powerful film that’s sure to go down in history as one of the most talked-about movies of all time.

Shortly after the Last Supper, Jesus of Nazareth (Jim Caviezel) is arrested in the Garden of Olives after being betrayed by Judas (Luca Lionello). He is taken within the walls of Jerusalem to face Caiaphas (Mattia Sbragia), the leader of the Pharisees, who charges “the Son of God” with blasphemy. After listening to the accusations, Pontius Pilate (Hristo Shopov), the Roman Governor of Palestine, is left to ponder the matter of how to handle his persecution. Rather than aggravate the intense political situation, Pilate gives into the wishes of the angry crowd and orders the punishment of Jesus through to his crucifixion. After being whipped, beaten and tortured, a weakened Jesus carries the cross through the streets of Jerusalem and up to Golgotha, where he is nailed to it and left to hang there until his death.

Gibson’s film is based on the writings of the four Gospels, who implied that the Jews were responsible for Jesus' passion. Four decades ago, the Second Vatican Council rejected this implication, and therein lies the focal point of all the controversy. There is no subtlety here, and if the film is to be taken at face value, then the Jewish high priests were ignorant, brutal and sadistic politicians, while the Roman Governor was a noble, conflicted and respected ruler. If anything, he offers to actually spare Jesus’ life and only orders his death after further protests from the angry mob. As a result, the film suggests that while Jesus died at the hands of the Romans, the Jews pushed for it to happen. Does that make the film anti-Semitic, or simply a one-sided version of the story? You be the judge…

On a purely cinematic level, “The Passion of the Christ” is a punishing film to behold. After setting the standard for bloody realism in “Braveheart,” Gibson pushes it to the next level in his third film as a director. From the moment the first whip is cracked until the final nail of his crucifixion, every effort is made to capture the brutality of Jesus’ torture. Watching this extended process (which feels like it was shot in real time), one can’t help but wonder how anybody – even the Messiah – could endure so much pain. The problem is that after a while, the horror diminishes to a more numbing effect, and you can’t help but feel like you’ve been beaten over the head by an over-abundance of graphic violence.

There’s no doubt that Jim Caviezel was put through the wringer here, and he gives a spiritual performance that’s offset by the physical ordeal he had to endure during the torture scenes and the crucifixion. Maia Morgenstern is also devastating as Jesus’ mother, who can only watch helplessly as her son is beaten and killed, while Rosalonda Celentano gives a haunting turn as Satan. On the other hand, Mattia Sbragia gives a far too one-note performance as the Jewish high priest, and Hristo Shopov is far too sympathetic as the Roman leader who caves into pressure.

Given that Gibson – a devout Roman Catholic – directed, co-produced, co-wrote and paid for the budget of this $25 million passion project, he has the right to make any film he wants. There’s no denying that “The Passion of the Christ” is a well-made film (thanks to the help of Caleb Deschanel’s amazing cinematography), but if it’s going to inspire debate, let it be for a good reason. After all, the film is ultimately about loving and praying for everyone – your friends and your enemies. These days, isn’t that the more important message we should all be passionate about?

If that’s the case, then perhaps John Lennon said it best when he sang…

“All you need is love!”

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