Last year was the year of the sequel and the comic character adaptation. Now we have something that is an adaptation of one of the world's most well known stories, but it is nature of the adaptation itself that makes this movie stand head and shoulders above anything thing else that you will see this year, if not for quite a few years to come. There is no accommodation for audience mass appeal. At face value this may seem to be a strange statement considering that Mel Gibson is using a story that has been deeply discussed many times between different cultures the world over. What I mean by this is that there is no sprucing up of the story to cover a higher demographic count. There is no girl meets boy, boy eventually wins girl over for the woman or fashionable character to tap into the current audience trend. There is also no watering down of the story. We see what happened as told through the ages and witness the horror and brutality of the times. Indeed this is the movie that we have been waiting a long, long time for.
Mega successful movies are the result of the careful crafting of the components of story, images, sound and, of course, acting. Here we have these elements blended together so finely that not one stands out above the other. For sure, this movie will etch itself on the mind because of its intense graphic scenes of violence, but without the strength of the other elements we would have only been witnessing a movie intent on shocking the audience rather than a movie that wanted to communicate a message, that is, the suffering endured for the sins of man. The sublime craftwork created a movie of substance thus giving the audience a truly unique experience.
The movie opens with the scene at the garden of Gethsemane. The scene is a mesmeric one awash with ethereal blue light and mist giving the audience a sense of mystery and the anticipation for the rest of the scenes is immense. The use of lighting is used once again in the High Priest's house where he stands before the council in the presence of the teachers of the Law and the elders. Here a gold like swath of light is used to augment the authority of the gathering, but at the same time it did not dilute the raw emotion of all within the courtyard. This clever use of artistic methods of storytelling also helped to accentuate the period of the story. Satan's presence is also ingenious. It is not ever present, but it is there, hovering, waiting and enticing. Sometimes, producers can get carried away with the use of special effects which would have only served to undermine the story. The Satan character would have been a tempting opportunity for the lesser artist. Restraint exercised was restraint rewarded.
All the actors were unrecognizable to me with the exception of Jesus, who was portrayed by the character actor, Jim Caviezel. This was an important and extremely effective tactic. Blockbuster stars may secure backsides on seats, but they may detract from the nature of the story and of more importance to Mel Gibson, the message. The story was the star here and with the objective of authenticity, actors who were ideal for the characters of the story were cast.
Jim Caviezel is a man who radiates a sense of mystery and intense inner pain. That is what made him such a good choice for the role. He never got carried away with cries of agony which was necessary for the character that was enduring pain for the good of man. Overacting would also have negatively affected the longevity of the movie. His eyes were doctored with some brown lenses and at first seemed to distract, but ultimately accentuated the deep aura that radiated the man.
Further to the quest for authenticity was the use of the language of the time and for the benefit of the audience, the insertion of sub titles. This was another key success factor and was absolutely no hindrance to my enjoyment of the movie. It is without doubt the prime contributing factor to the transporting of the audience to another time, another place, that is, the time and place of the last twelve hours of the life of Jesus. What a welcome change from the era of remakes and sequels. The typical Hollywood spruce up is now being given a substantial challenge in the form of authentic storytelling.
No user comment on this movie would be complete without a profound discussion on the brutality of the violence rained upon Jesus. As previously mentioned, the core objective of the movie was to indicate to the audience the suffering of the man. How would this have been achieved without showing just how cruel people were in those times? Messages against smoking and drunken driving show the tragic results of these types of substance abuse. These messages are powerful since they show people the reality they may face if they persist with habits that have negative effects on the human body. The same principle is applied here. Mel's message can only carry weight if he authenticates the historical references which could only be achieved with the inclusion of these graphic scenes. They are scenes of necessity, as dictated by the quest for authenticity and the message.
As with all movies involving religious material, there is controversy in the form of the handling of iconic characters or groups of people. This is the nature of the world we live in and there is a lot of intent within material to disadvantage certain groups. I did not feel that this was the intent here and thought that the producers of the movie were all consumed with the objective of telling it as close as possible to the way that it occurred. This is, of course, my opinion, which is the opinion of someone who loves to watch movies and to critically analyze them which is my own purpose here rather than to expound a theological interpretation of the material.
Whatever color, creed or religion, The Passion Of The Christ' is by far the best movie you will see this year. From the eerie setting of the garden of Gethsemane to the unworldly harshness of Golgotha, you will be unwittingly lured into a brutal world to witness the sad and deeply moving events within the last twelve hours. You will not be spared a single lash, a single drop of blood as all will bear witness to the cruelty of mans quest for power and for the appreciation of the masses. Stories such as these were meant to move people and you will leave the cinema amongst a group of people who will be quieter than the norm because they have just witnessed a movie beyond their normal experience. Sugar coated Hollywood offerings are fine to escape the monotony of our everyday existence, but we also need a movie to make us think and feel. If you have not already seen it, see it quickly before the talk waters down the experience for you.
Mega successful movies are the result of the careful crafting of the components of story, images, sound and, of course, acting. Here we have these elements blended together so finely that not one stands out above the other. For sure, this movie will etch itself on the mind because of its intense graphic scenes of violence, but without the strength of the other elements we would have only been witnessing a movie intent on shocking the audience rather than a movie that wanted to communicate a message, that is, the suffering endured for the sins of man. The sublime craftwork created a movie of substance thus giving the audience a truly unique experience.
The movie opens with the scene at the garden of Gethsemane. The scene is a mesmeric one awash with ethereal blue light and mist giving the audience a sense of mystery and the anticipation for the rest of the scenes is immense. The use of lighting is used once again in the High Priest's house where he stands before the council in the presence of the teachers of the Law and the elders. Here a gold like swath of light is used to augment the authority of the gathering, but at the same time it did not dilute the raw emotion of all within the courtyard. This clever use of artistic methods of storytelling also helped to accentuate the period of the story. Satan's presence is also ingenious. It is not ever present, but it is there, hovering, waiting and enticing. Sometimes, producers can get carried away with the use of special effects which would have only served to undermine the story. The Satan character would have been a tempting opportunity for the lesser artist. Restraint exercised was restraint rewarded.
All the actors were unrecognizable to me with the exception of Jesus, who was portrayed by the character actor, Jim Caviezel. This was an important and extremely effective tactic. Blockbuster stars may secure backsides on seats, but they may detract from the nature of the story and of more importance to Mel Gibson, the message. The story was the star here and with the objective of authenticity, actors who were ideal for the characters of the story were cast.
Jim Caviezel is a man who radiates a sense of mystery and intense inner pain. That is what made him such a good choice for the role. He never got carried away with cries of agony which was necessary for the character that was enduring pain for the good of man. Overacting would also have negatively affected the longevity of the movie. His eyes were doctored with some brown lenses and at first seemed to distract, but ultimately accentuated the deep aura that radiated the man.
Further to the quest for authenticity was the use of the language of the time and for the benefit of the audience, the insertion of sub titles. This was another key success factor and was absolutely no hindrance to my enjoyment of the movie. It is without doubt the prime contributing factor to the transporting of the audience to another time, another place, that is, the time and place of the last twelve hours of the life of Jesus. What a welcome change from the era of remakes and sequels. The typical Hollywood spruce up is now being given a substantial challenge in the form of authentic storytelling.
No user comment on this movie would be complete without a profound discussion on the brutality of the violence rained upon Jesus. As previously mentioned, the core objective of the movie was to indicate to the audience the suffering of the man. How would this have been achieved without showing just how cruel people were in those times? Messages against smoking and drunken driving show the tragic results of these types of substance abuse. These messages are powerful since they show people the reality they may face if they persist with habits that have negative effects on the human body. The same principle is applied here. Mel's message can only carry weight if he authenticates the historical references which could only be achieved with the inclusion of these graphic scenes. They are scenes of necessity, as dictated by the quest for authenticity and the message.
As with all movies involving religious material, there is controversy in the form of the handling of iconic characters or groups of people. This is the nature of the world we live in and there is a lot of intent within material to disadvantage certain groups. I did not feel that this was the intent here and thought that the producers of the movie were all consumed with the objective of telling it as close as possible to the way that it occurred. This is, of course, my opinion, which is the opinion of someone who loves to watch movies and to critically analyze them which is my own purpose here rather than to expound a theological interpretation of the material.
Whatever color, creed or religion, The Passion Of The Christ' is by far the best movie you will see this year. From the eerie setting of the garden of Gethsemane to the unworldly harshness of Golgotha, you will be unwittingly lured into a brutal world to witness the sad and deeply moving events within the last twelve hours. You will not be spared a single lash, a single drop of blood as all will bear witness to the cruelty of mans quest for power and for the appreciation of the masses. Stories such as these were meant to move people and you will leave the cinema amongst a group of people who will be quieter than the norm because they have just witnessed a movie beyond their normal experience. Sugar coated Hollywood offerings are fine to escape the monotony of our everyday existence, but we also need a movie to make us think and feel. If you have not already seen it, see it quickly before the talk waters down the experience for you.