Mel Gibson's The Passion- Page 4

[Auggie27]

Posted: 2/25/04 at 11:41pm

I don't think people here are condemning the film; but if they are, it is not in a vacuum. Mel himself orchestrated a helluva lot of advance talk -- to make sure it was hot topic. He succeeded. Brillliantly. Which is show biz at its best/wortst. And his prerogative. Just like it's ours to listen to his non-stop promotion and evaluate his take on history, the Bible, the Holocaust (apparently his daddy's -- Mel: "he never lied to me!" favorite revisionist bedtime story), any all relevant sidebar issues. Creating the film and calculatingly releasing it to target audience members -- while withholding it from many, many others -- is bound to create at best curiosity, at worst, a media/slash/religious backlash. We're somewhere on the graph, we humble souls at this site. After we see the film, or avoid it, we'll no doubt have a lot to say.

[orion59]

Posted: 2/26/04 at 8:05am

I would be willing to bet that somewhere in this country, at least one person died of a heart attack while watching a Disney movie. It happens. Thousands of people have heart attacks every day and I'm sure some of them are at movie theaters when it happens. It not divine inetrvention, it's every day human life events that are being used as an errie event to help promote the movie. Like someone said in an earlier post, it is very reminiscent of the opening of THe Exorcist years ago. if you are looking for it, you can find these "strange" events connected to any movie or any event.

[SonofMammaMiaSam]

Posted: 2/26/04 at 10:48am

I saw it last evening. My opinion, it is a big old bloody mess!

[iflitifloat]

Posted: 2/26/04 at 11:11am

Is it really difficult to sit through, or is the violence over-hyped, too?

[SonofMammaMiaSam]

Posted: 2/26/04 at 11:21am

Explicitely gory and, in my opinion, difficult to sit through on many levels.

[iflitifloat]

Posted: 2/26/04 at 11:34am

I hate the fact that I feel compelled to see it for myself, if only to be able to voice my own opinion. But I'm not looking forward to it. And it doesn't help that I feel manipulated by all the hype.

One more question...did it have a lingering effect on you...your mood...afterward?

[SonofMammaMiaSam]

Posted: 2/26/04 at 11:48am

I have read and seen so much about this film that it's effect on me hasn't been lingering--I expected it. I went to see it more as a film as opposed to the content of the film. Hence my literal and figurative comment; it's a bloody mess. I can comment on the mood of the people leaving the theater, if that helps. Complete and utter silence. No one was talking even through the lobby and out into the parking lot. Rather eerie!

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 2/26/04 at 12:58pm

with 857 theatres reporting after the matinees, according to variety, it was at $7 million. that was with about 2300 theatres to go. looks like about a $20 million day.

[iflitifloat]

Posted: 2/27/04 at 2:28pm

I'm still working on trying to articulate my reaction to the film (I went yesterday afternoon)... but in the meantime, someone sent me a quote attributed to conservative lawyer and columnist, David Limbaugh (yep, the Rushmeister's bro), which is fairly disturbing:

"The moral is that if you want the popular culture to laud your work on Christ, make sure it either depicts Him as a homosexual or as an everyday sinner with no particular redeeming value (literally). In our anti-Christian culture, the blasphemous "The Last Temptation of Christ" is celebrated and "The Passion" is condemned. But if this movie continues to affect people the way it is now, no amount of cultural opposition will suppress its force and its positive impact on lives everywhere. Mel Gibson is a model of faith and courage."

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 2/27/04 at 3:45pm

That's very interesting. If faith is defined as believing something you've never seen or something than cannot be proven by facts, then how is Mel a model of faith when he believes it must be seen in order to be understood? It seems to me that if Mel requires these images to be shown graphically, then he has lost faith rather than kept it.

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 2/27/04 at 4:16pm

"But if this movie continues to affect people the way it is now, no amount of cultural opposition will suppress its force and its positive impact on lives everywhere."

Here's a good example of the "positive" impact the film seems to be stirring up.
Pastor: "Jews Killed Jesus"

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 2/27/04 at 4:26pm

hmmm, isn't that mary cheney's church?

[iflitifloat]

Posted: 2/27/04 at 5:54pm

Speaking of Mary C., have you seen this?

http://www.dearmary.com/mary/milkcarton.html

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 2/27/04 at 7:38pm

I want to see it but can not see any reason for wanting a video of it so not sure what life it will have in video after the uproar has died down

Updated On: 2/27/04 at 07:38 PM

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 2/27/04 at 7:42pm

Very interesting article on the dpeiction of Christ in "The Passion" and every other form of Judeo-Christian Idoltry (oh wait.. Idols are condemned and forbidden by God.. did someone tell the Christiana?? Or did they skip THAT part too?)
article

[Broadwaylady]

Posted: 2/27/04 at 7:57pm

If anyone is interested, in the true version, which Mel does, visit Spiritdaily.com. Why am I not surprised about the article BG2 uses?

[DofB5]

Posted: 2/27/04 at 8:43pm

This is one movie I don't think I'm going to try to go see. I get so easily upset when I see someone being hurt. Even when I went to see JC:SS the other week, I wanted to jump on that stage or at least yell, "Don't hurt him!" and I knew he really wasn't being hurt.

And it’s not that I'm very religious, either. I think not only of Christ but all the other millions of people that were being hurt just as bad, if not worse then Him.

I fear I might find this movie way to disturbing. I don't need any bad dreams. Updated On: 2/28/04 at 08:43 PM

[Dollypop]

Posted: 2/28/04 at 10:30pm

If you get upset when you see people getting hurt, I ask you never to observe me in the classroom. I know ever part of the human body that doesn't leave marks and relish inflicting mental and physical pain upon the wrteched creatures who are entrusted to my care. I hate kids almost as much as I HATE MOVIES!!!!!!!!!

[DofB5]

Posted: 2/28/04 at 10:36pm

Really, DP? You HATE kids? I don't have any problem with them. Stuffed and mounted, they're fine.

D

[iflitifloat]

Posted: 2/28/04 at 10:36pm

That's just really scary, DP, even if it is a joke.

Updated On: 2/29/04 at 10:36 PM

[Auggie27]

Posted: 2/29/04 at 12:14pm

And Dolly, I'd grown to think of you as the board's combo Mr. Chipps, Jean Brodie. I'm so disillusioned.

[sharon1]

Posted: 2/29/04 at 2:07pm

A lot has been said, and a lot written. I saw the film last night. It left me breathless. It was, now I don't know what words to use suddenly, more than I could have imagined. It was brilliant film making. The audience just sat there after the final scenes and when the credits began to roll. It left an indelible mark on me and those with me. Bravo to Mel

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 2/29/04 at 2:29pm

$117.5 million so far and counting...so how long is it before the copycat movies to follow? a re-make of the robe with russell crowe maybe?

[ErikJ972]

Posted: 2/29/04 at 4:02pm

I ended up seeing it last night. I don't have much time to write because I'm busy preparing for my fabulous annual Oscar party but...
I thought the movie stunk. Here's what I learned about the last 12 hours of Jesus' life. Things happened very slooowwwllly. Mel, please lay off the slow mo in your next film. And wasn't the whipping a tad excessive. Something that's given a few lines in the bible goes on and on and on and on. I felt as though I was being punished for all my sins (although if that were true it would be a much longer movie) but not in the way Mel intended.
I had no emotinal reaction...the film didn't let me...and I learned nothing about Jesus.

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 2/29/04 at 4:12pm

your fabulous oscar party? *looking around for my invite* sheesh, i didn't think you took the whole demurring on the protest marriage so hard! just for that i'm not going to send you "shroud of caveziel" as they're calling the loin-cloth he wore on the cross.