I know I should stop talking about a movie I have not seen (and have no intention of seeing), but: Garry Wills has a very thoughtful essay in the New York Review of Books entitled “God in the Hands of Angry Sinners”. His ostensible topic is Vows of Silence: The Abuse of Power in the Papacy of John Paul II, a book discussing the secrecy and coverups in the Catholic Church. But while he’s at it, Wills discusses The Passion:
Gibson finally removed (from the subtitles, not the Aramaic sound track) the verse taken from the Gospel of Saint Matthew—”His blood be on us, and on our children” (27.25)— after reflecting: “If I included that in there, they’d be coming after me at my house, they’d come kill me.” The “they” is ominous.
That mood is reflected in the large numbers of people who have praised the movie by attacking its critics. This may be at the root of the “religious” experience so many receive from the film. These people feel persecuted, like Gibson, victimized by a secular world or by unfaithful fellow Christians. The chosen groups Gibson showed the movie to at the outset included members of the Legion of Christ, an ultraconservative group that feels its fellow Catholics have deserted the true faith —the Legion is even included in the movie’s closing credits.
In case it matters: Wills is Catholic.
Just an interesting side note-the actor playing Jesus was struck by lighting during the filming. I don’t know what that means, but I like it.
Wow – I finally got around to reading the article. Fascinating stuff!
FWIW, I’m not planning on seeing the movie either. I do not like movies with graphic depictions of torture, regardless of who’s getting tortured. But, I still find the discussions around the film interesting to read!