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Has anyone seen Mel Gibson's new movie -- or is anyone planning to see it?

I have no plans to see it -- I hear it's just two hours of Jesus being brutally and graphically tortured. I have no reason to see it. I also have no religious feelings about "The Christ" so it doesn't interest me on that level either.

I'm in no hurry to see it. I've already read the Book and as we all know the books are always better than the movie.

I'm gonna see it just not right away!!!!

Yahoo ran a photo of a father consoling his young son after taking him to see the movie.



I wish he'd had the common sense not to take his kid. Everything I've heard from the reviews has been that this is definitely NOT for kids. Or some adults, even-- a lady in her mid-40's or 50's reportedly died of a heart attack she suffered during the crucifixion scene.

Kinda interested as a history buff, but it looks like this'll be a DVD watch for me... Like SLK sez, 'the book's better than the movie'...

I'm just waiting for the tripped out psychadelic extravaganza that shows the Book of Revelations.

I'm not a Christian, and that would diminish its appeal for me anyway, as Jesus of Nazareth -- to me -- was simply the most famous by far of many thousands of people brutally executed by the Romans. Little is depicted to set him, in terms of this film, in any other context.

It lingers on the bloody details, as has been reported by many reviewers I trust -- such as Roger Ebert, who recommended it. A half-hour of flailing Jesus's flesh turns such a movie into "a biblical snuff film," as one commentator described it, and I have no interest in that.

I'll say this much, though: I can't imagine seeing it at home on DVD, with one being able to shut it off at will, or to pause it to make popcorn. Such a visceral experience is meant for a large audience in an un-pause-able setting, where you cannot abandon or interrupt being part of it ... short of walking out, that is.

For that reason alone, morbid curiosity may draw me to a bargain matinee. To keep one eye trained on the audience, as well. And to not be alone in my reactions. And to cut my losses if I do walk out.

I heard it was in Aramaic and Latin, with sub-titles - the whole thing, or just parts? It would be interesting to hear those languages spoken, but I don't think I'd go for the gory details. Snuff film may be a good description. Will people go for the titillation of violence or for some search for insight and understanding a being they worship?

It struck me as distasteful (illogical maybe) that this "big blockbuster" was released on a day of penitence. Get your Ash Wednesday t-shirts!

Why not? Look what's been done to Christmas!

And what would Easter be, without PEEPS! :rolleyes:

Apparently, Mel didn't get much of the history right either. According to an article I read the other day, there were several major errors and many minor ones. For example, everyone in the movie speaks Latin or Aramaic. In Judea at that time, the romans and hebrews conversed with each other in greek, not latin (also, one latin scholar said that the latin as spoken in the movie is so badly pronounced as to be unintelligible). Jesus is portrayed physically as a man with long hair, a look that is based on later religious art. In that period, Hebrew men wore their hair short, and Jesus, as a devout man, would have done so as well.

I just saw the movie last night.

My church sponsored the event, along with a local Jewish congregation. We went to see the movie together, then met afterwards to discuss it and ask questions of our minister and rabbi. That in itself was worth the experience of seeing the movie: The open and frank exchange it prompted helped break down a few barriers and foster understanding between people who see the crucifixion of Christ differently.

(For example, I had no idea that some Jews see the cross as a painful reminder of 2000 years of persecution, as the rabbi put it. I've always found the cross to be a curious symbol, despite being raised Catholic and since becoming Protestant: It's rather like wearing the symbol of an electric chair on your lapel. But I never knew that Jews might view it as reminder of a painful history.)

The rabbi related a story of being a young boy and being told by another boy that his priest had said that Christians should forgive Jews for executing Christ. Our minister related that two days ago, some "punk" (as he bluntly put it) had spray-painted an anti-Semitic slogan on the side entrance of our church. (For this reason, two policemen were on hand at the discussion to make sure there weren't any disruptions.)

It's ignorant attitudes such as these that we need to combat, and I credit Mel Gibson with giving us a reason to do so. Charges that his movie will foster anti-Semitism were brought up in the discussion. It was the opinion of both the rabbi and the minister that those who are looking for an excuse to perpetuate anti-Semitism will find it in the movie. Those who are looking for more to discuss and to learn from will find that, too.

Yes, the movie is excessively violent. It's almost a filmed version of the Gospel According to John (which is very different and has a different agenda than the other Gospels). There were times when I thought that the violence was too much. But Gibson's purpose is to show the pain and suffering that Christ went through during his last 12 hours. It is a very visceral experience, and one that is not for the faint of heart. But there is little in it, in terms of violence, at least, that isn't described in the Bible.

(There are certain other things that can be chalked up to artistic license: An androgynous Satan hovering through the crowd, for example.)

All in all, I'm grateful for the experience of having seen the movie, and, more importantly, for attending the discussion afterwards. Would I recommend the film? Yes, but with reservations. No, children should not see it (at least not without their parents having seen it first and then watching it with them, as my minister suggested beforehand.) Yes, I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in Judeo-Christianity, and who seeks greater understanding between people who have a shared, intimate and inescapable history.

The whole thing.

I'm actually going the DVD route, since I have a child. She boohooed pretty bad over the death of Jean Grey, so I'm guessing this would be tenfold.

Don't know if she'll be able to handle the movie in a few months better than she would now, but I'm thinking of those same effects of the big screen that you mentioned.

For those who think Gibson's movie is the work of the devil, this from CNN earlier today:

That ticket numbering should have been changed right away to avoid problems.

As for this film, I had heard Gibson's career hung in the balance. If so, his career is safe-- the film took in 117.5 million in its first 5 days of release...

It just goes to show that nothing will make people want your product more than a little controversy.

i saw the movie, its a good movie, not boring or dragged out. Its quite compelling, however i found the hype about how graphic some scenes were was just that, HYPE.
In my opinion, if you came out of that moviE deEply distuRbed at what you saw or cried or had a heart attack, i am telling you it isnt the movie, ITS YOU!!
The movie was no more graphic then any other graphic scene in any other movie, its just that people see this movie and because its jesus and they are god fearing people they feel they have no choice but to be disturbed by what they saw, how could a god fearing person not feel something for the death of the lamb of god.
Please, its just a movie, whose fire is fueled by cries of anti semitism.

now dawn of the dead, thats gonna be disturbing and REALLY graphic.

I know of people who haven't been to see a movie in decades who went to see this movie. Of course their going to be shocked by the brutality and gore displayed. Those of us who have been watching movies all of our lives aren't going to be as disturbed by the images.

I am looking forward to seeing it. But because of the personal nature of the film (I am a Christian) I really want to wait until all of the hype has worn down. If I do have an emotional reaction to this film, I want it to be because of its message as it portrays the Scriptures and not because it is part of mass emotional hysteria.

The Passion of the Christ
True Story
Only the facts have been changed.