The Passion of the Christ movie review

If you're like me, maybe you've been a Christian for a while, but it's easy to gloss over familiar passages.  Even the key chapters of Jesus' death can become "skim through" places.  This movie helped me.

The Passion of the Christ shows the story of the life of Jesus during his last hours, including the Garden of Gethsemane, the scourging, the crucifixion, and a quick glimpse at his resurrection. It covers the accounts told in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.  It shows a peak into the real story.  The real, amazing Love of Christ's sacrifice.

  

A film about the last twelve hours of Jesus of Nazareth's life. The film opens in the Garden of Olives (Gethsemane) where Jesus has gone to pray after the Last Supper. Jesus resists Satan's temptations. Betrayed by Judas Iscariot, Jesus is arrested and taken back to within the city walls of Jerusalem where the leaders of the Pharisees confront him with accusations of blasphemy, and his trial results in a condemnation to death.

Details:

126 Minutes

By 20th Century Fox

Directed by: Mel Gibson

Rated: R

Released: 2004

Negative Elements:

This is the only R rated movie I'm ever planning on watching.  I was nervous to see the graphic and violent content that I had been warned about, but I also wanted to gain a real understanding of what Jesus went through during the time of the passion.

This movie is not for anyone who avoids violent, scary, or gruesome details.  The Passion of the Christ shows Jesus' arrest, the flogging, and the crucifixion in details.  It doesn't attempt to hide or minimize the agony He went through.  The scourging was especially hard for me to watch.  There was a lot of blood - way more than I expected.  The cruelty and suffering can't really be described.  In those regards, the movie was a challenge for me to watch.

But that was good... because that's what the Passion was like.  It was a sobering reminder.

There were also many frightening scenes.  Satan is portrayed almost ghost-like, and it gave me goosebumps to look at him.  The scenes in which Satan enters or uses his power are chilling.  I covered my face with a pillow several times to avoid the worst scenes.  However, this too seems necessary to the film to show who Satan really is - the prince of darkness.

A last comment is that the movie depicts soldiers who are drunk.  Really though, in the entity of the movie, this is a small comment.

My Review:

Yes, there were a lot of negative elements.  Honestly, the movie was hard for me to watch.  The Passion of the Christ is realistically portrayed (in my limited understanding), and is quite open with the gore.  Although I did skip certain scenes, I can still say I'm thankful to have watched it.

What Jesus went through was undeniably horrific.  At multiple times in the movie, I watched His limp body, barely able to stand, and it just shocked me.  I never imagined Him as that torn.  As that broken.  The movie made the Bible come alive when it says,

But He was wounded for our transgressions,

He was bruised for our iniquities;

The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,

And by His stripes we are healed.

- Isaiah 53:5 

His sacrifice is much more than we can imagine.

I also appreciated scenes in which we saw flashbacks into Jesus' earlier life.  It made His humanity  more real, and it took away the tension for a moment.  One part even made me laugh.

The movie ended with a quick glance into an empty tomb, but I wished it had gone more in depth into His resurrection.  After all I went through as a viewer, I wanted more closure.  I understood His death better, but His resurrection is vastly important for our salvation as well.

Overall, I recommend this movie to those who want to gain a real grasp of Jesus' death.  It's not an easy film to watch.  At all.  It's also not for those who want to experience a movie "for fun."  But understanding the Passion could give you a deeper understanding into the Gospels and how great His love is for us.  For that, the film is totally worth it.

Other Notes:

Something that surprised me is that none of the movie is in English!  Instead, the audio is in Latin and Aramaic, with English subtitles.  This didn't take away from The Passion of the Christ, as it was an interesting thematic element that helped transport me to the early years AD.

Also, a more detailed review is offered through Plugged In.  Use judgement, as I cannot promise that the site doesn't contain information you might be uncomfortable with reading.

And if you have watched this movie, I would be interested in hearing your side.  Does violence and gore bother you in films?  Have you watched an R rated movie that you deemed acceptable?  How do you try to see Jesus' sacrifice in a personal light?

Let's strive to guard our hearts and minds but also seek to know the full Love He has for us.  ♥

He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He opened not His mouth;
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.

- Isaiah 53:7

~♥~