Christian film review: analyzing The Passion of the Christ
Christian Film Review: The Passion of the Christ
In 2004, Mel Gibson’s brutally realistic cinematic landmark, The Passion of the Christ, debuted.
The film is an unforgettable tale, unfolding the last twelve intense hours of Jesus of Nazareth’s life, before His scheduled crucifixion. In the Gethsemane garden scene, for example, Jesus trembles on his knees, fearing what is soon to come and He freezes up when He spots Satan—the representation of all that is immoral— peering down at Him. The Devil asks the Son of God, “Do you really believe that one man can bear the full burden of sin?” Jesus turns away and tells God, “Shelter me, Oh Lord. I trust in you.”
The garden scene is where Jesus is first introduced, as he is finding peace near a tree. Before being restrained with chains by King Caiaphas’ soldiers, His disciples—Peter, in particular—commence an attack to try to save Him but are told to stop fighting. While healing a soldier’s cut-off ear, Christ says to Peter, “Those who live by the sword, die by it.”
Through this series of painstakingly horrific events that lead to Christ’s inevitable death and then resurrection, the story can be understood as a message to us about developing an absolute loyalty to a higher power. And, we can decipher this story’s message by analyzing the film’s visuals. For example, when Jesus is finding peace near a tree, we can see that as foreshadowing of when He embraces the cross. When Jesus tells Peter to stop fighting, this lets us know that Jesus is concerned about the safety of his disciples and that His plan is unfolding as it should.
Throughout the film, the trait of trust is presented as the appropriate response to the difficult situations occurring. For example, take the scene where Christ is nailed to the cross. He looks down at Mary and says, “Mother, behold your son. The will of God be done.” He is asking her to trust, letting her know that she will soon see him again, and that this has been His fate since birth.
In other words, we can effectively decipher the subliminal message being delivered through the reactions of those who were personally grief stricken by these momentous moments in biblical history.
The film’s meaning can also be discerned through dialogue. During the iconic Last Supper scene, John is asked by Jesus to make an agreement with the Lord using the iconic bread and wine, saying, “This is my body, this my blood.” John is being asked to trust that this is true.
Who Should Watch The Passion of the Christ?
Adults who are struggling with their faith should watch this film. Even though POC is over a decade old, it continues to be the baseline reminder of worship while maintaining a high quality of social relevance and emotional impact on the first-time/returning audience member. Please note, this film is not for children or the immature audience. However, if POC is used for educational purposes and the youth are present during the film’s presentation, parental participation is a must. It’s rated R for depicting severe acts of violence, gore and intense/frightening scenes.
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