"The Passion" (Mel Gibson)

[Symphony]

Lady in Wichita this afternoon collapsed while at a showing.  Nurses in the audience tried to help; death of apparent heart attack.  

Talk radio alluding to it frequently throughout the day today.  Rush Limbaugh, esp. during his first hour--the whole hour--that and gay marriage.


Interesting to me that as gay marriage is hitting our nation full bore, now, heading up to a big election, this movie is also coming out, same time...

Heard homeschooling families saying yesterday, on radio, they were taking their children also, to see the movie(youngest, age eleven).

[new_self]

This is coming from a thirteen year old girl who just seen The Passion of the Christ and I cried through the whole movie. Now i've only been going to church for a few years now and it just struck me how much people take for granted including me! I feel that now I need to open up my eyes and to look around the world and to see what it has become. I really recommend this movie to any one over the age of 12.


The above post is by my 13 year old daughter(bless her little heart)                                        

                                                   new_self    

[Symphony]

Thank you, new_self..

[Paul2]

      I've just come back from "experiencing" the movie "The Passion of the Christ.

      When I say "experiencing" thats what this was for me, an experience. I wanted to go and experience not only the movie itself but the atmostphere and the crowd responces. Allow me to relate my experience to you.

     The Passion was showing at a theater near by at 3:30 p.m. Seeing that its Ash Wednesday for Catholics I thought the movie might be sold out so I went early. I got to the theater at 2:45, 45 minutes early. I got a ticket and went to get a seat at 3:00.

      I've seen many movies at this theater before, and there is always an advertisement playing on the screen, with trivia, and local advertising but not today.

   I entered into the theater and when the door closed behind me it was pitch black. I couldn't see my hand in front of my face until my eyes slowly started to focus in. As I made my way around from the enterance to the isle I saw the over head lights were turned off. On both sides of the theater the wall lights were on but dim as candles. The center of the theater was in complete darkness. I walked about half way down the isle and strained my eye to see if there was anybody sitting in the row I was at, in the middle section which was pitch black. I couldn't tell if anybody was sitting in the row or not so I slowly side-stepped my way to the center of the row in darkness. I sat down and after some people used their phones to light up the center section as they looked for seats I was able to see that I was alone in the row.

    I assumed the room was dark and had no advertising playing because it was Ash Wednesday, and perhaps they wanted a quite somber atmostphere in the theater.

      I sat there in darkness and began to take in the atmostphere. I could see black outlines of people walking down the rows back lit by the dim wall lights. Shadowy figures moving slowly by . As I sat in darkness I started to really listen to the sounds of the people in the darkness with me. Some people whispered back and forth. You could have people laughing softly as they talked. I heard many people "munching" on popcorn, I heard the plastic wrappers of candy being crinckled all around the theater. An elderly couple began sidestepping toward me in my row, they couldn't see me so I had to make myself known before I caused them to trip over me so I softly said, "its hard to see where your going isn't it?" The elderly woman leading her husband towards me was startled to hear my voice and sat down right next to me. I listened to the crowd in darkness for a long time it seemed. Some people where going for refills of their popcorn and drinks. They were wasting their time getting more popcorn. I don't think anybody ate any popcorn once the movie started.

     After about 30 minutes of reflecting on the atmostphere of the theater in darkness the previews came on. This broke the very somber mood that had developed as we sat in the darkness.

     After the previews the movie began. If I had to sum up the movie with just one word I'd have to say it was "Intense". If I had to describe it in two words I'd say "Unimaginably Intense." This was not a "good" movie or an "entertaining" movie, it is an "incredibly emotional" movie. You will experience emotions in waves. You will not "like" this movie, you will experience emotions beyond words. Your heart will become heavy, any sense of happiness will be stripped away replaced by emotions beyond any description. You'll clench your fist at times, you'll wince and physically respond at times. My hands kept going over my mouth involauntarilly, as my emotions ran wild.

     After all the hype about the Anti-Jewish responce I was surprised to find that I thought the Romans came off looking far worse. To see the glee and joy the Romans took in torturing God the Son was hard to take. My fist were clenched and my knuckles white with anger as I watched the flogging scene. Unlike stupid film critics, I didn't blame the Romans or the Jews but my sin which was the cause of all the real Jesus suffered.

    I know this was just a movie but its based on what the real Jesus Christ, God the Son went through to save sinners like me.

    Was the movie accurate? Yes and no. I'll explain: The movie did record the events of the 4 Gospels very accurately, which is why I would say it is accurate. It accurately depicts the events recorded in the Gospels. The movie has taken liberty and added in some scenes not recorded in the Gospels. There are a few scenes I would have deleted myself. There is a scene with demons that torment Judas, which I would have left out personally. The things that were added to the Gospel account I would have left out, but they also served a purpose to me in a strange way. Had the movie followed the Gospels to the exact letter, the film would have overwhelmed me. I could distance myself just enough by realizing this was a movie, based on the real Jesus but with artistic liberty added for the presentation of What the Passion could have been like for the real Jesus. Any closer to the Gospels would have made the film to real for me.

    Its hard for me to describe it. I would have left out a few scenes myself to go for Gospel accuracy but that could be to real for some, to close to comprehend.

    In the middle of the movie there are some silent scenes, where there is no sound heard at all for brief moments. During these silent scenes I strained to hear the sounds of the crowd. All I could hear was people sniffing. No munching of popcorn, no crinkling of candy wrappers, just sniffing as that sat in silence with tears streaming down their faces. If you can watch this film and not shed a tear, your heart is hard as a rock or your dead.

    The movie ended way to early for me personally. I wish there was more to the story than where it ended. It ends very abruptly and the lights came on way to early. One girl clapped, everyone sat in silence wiping their eyes trying to compose themselves now that the lights were on. People got up in silence and patiently waited in silence for the rows to clear out. When I stepped into the hallway outside the theater, I heard the first people very softly speak. I couldn't hear their words but the tone was very somber. As we made our way to the lobby 3 teenagers came storming out of the theater and quickly made their way through the mostly silent crowd who were patiently making their way to the lobby. The 3 teenagers were loud as they laughed and joked as they past by me. To them this was just a movie, no different than Braveheart.They showed no sign that the film caused them any emotions at all.

        To be continued on next post             Paul2

[Paul2]

    ( Continued from last post)

     I'm somber right now. My mind is weary, my heart is heavy, and I have a deeper understanding of what the price of my Salvation must have been. I knew it would be graphic, and bloody, and I thought I could imagine how graphic it was going to be. I was wrong.

    I for one will use this movie as a witnessing tool. It should have a powerful effect on all who see it, Believer and non-Believer alike. Do I wish I could change a few things? Yes I do but I can live with the artistic license the film takes because it doesn't alter the story. I wish some special supernatural effects had been done differently. Theres a scene with Judas that was powerful and haunting because of "something" in the background that you will see and recognize what it is and what it means, and the scene is intense in a way but this becomes over shadowed by demons I wish had been left out.

    The film is not going to be perfect to anyone, everybody will have an opinion as to what would make it better. But remember, this film will be seen around the world also. Arabs will hear the film in their own dialect. The film is less than perfect but more than just a movie. the emotions that this film will trigger in you will be overpowering at times, but worth staying to see just the same. We will never truely know if the real Jesus suffered as badly or perhaps worse as "the Passions" version of Jesus but I'll bet it maybe closer than we think.

     If Jesus went through even a fraction of the suffering in this film it staggers the mind to comprehend how much love He had for us to allow this to happen to Himself. It also explains for me the wrath of God. To imagine God the Father watching His Son endure that treatment. Yikes!

     And to think, this was only the Human suffering of Christ. No man will ever know just what went on between God the Father and God the Son, during His last 3 hours. The torment  Jesus soul went through when the sins of the world were placed on Him is not addressed in this film, which is good because that would have been 100% speculation anyways. Just seeing the physical side and emotional side of the last 12 hours was plenty powerful without even dealing with the spiritual side, which I feel was good to leave out, less we end up with another "Last Temptation of Christ" which destroyed the Gospel message to me.

    This movie is an experience worth undertaking but be prepared to shed a tear if your human. I will take as many people to see this as possible. I'll buy the D.V.D. when it comes out and this film will become one of the tools I use to witness to people.

    I might even edite my own version on to vhs and delete the scenes which I wish where left out but I'm being very critical just because I wish it went by the Gospel accounts 100% without artistic license. But I'm a Believer so of course I'm ultra critical. Non-Believers will see this film and be moved to tears.

    I wasn't disappointed, the film did what it was meant to do to me. I'm dwelling on the price paid for my Salvation by my Lord and Savior the Real Jesus Christ. The actor who played Jesus just helped me to visualize the events words can not describe deep enough.

                                                          Paul2

[Paul2]

    I totally forgot to mention one thing in my last 2 posts and wouldn't have remember at all, except I was reading another post which reminded me.

    Sub-Titles. The movie has sub-titles. I totally forgot about the movie being in sub-Titles when I typed you the last two posts. This should give you some idea of the effect they had on watching the movie, no negative effect at all, in fact it was powerful to hear the film in the language of the time of Jesus.

    If you think sub-titles will take away from the film, don't worry about them. I completely forgot to even mention them while I was recounting my experience seeing the film. If anything I think the sub-titles make the movie more realistic.

    Don't let me or anyone else sway your opinion negatively, Go see this movie. Don't be afraid to be emotional, all but the hardest of hearts will shed tears with you.

                                                              Paul2

[NateyCakes]

Paul,
Thank you for that wonderful insight/review! That was great.
I too went & saw the movie last night with my Mom, Husband & sister. I certainly was NOT expecting it to have the immense impact that it did on me!

I am not sure how to describe the movie or what words would be correct. It was so much more & deep then just to say "good". It was troublesome, I left disturbed & a heavy heart! But I NEEDED that & praise the Lord for it!

I went home & I told my husband that I just need to pray with him RIGHT NOW! I needed to just pour my heart out to the Lord and I asked the Lord if this was just Emotions running high from the movie, then lets stop the prayer. I couldnt stop praying & just telling the Lord everyhing with tears running down my face!

Even this morning, I am still feeling "weird" about it all. I mean its a good feeling, but I am just still so consumed by it all & in aw. To be honest, I just cannot believe He did this for us! For all of the people who hate Him and laugh at him, for all the ppl who will denounce Him until they die He did that for US?!
That just blows me away!!

It was pure conviction for me & I am so thankful. I want EVERYONE to see it. I am willing to pay for friends & family to see it. I want every single person to just experience it. Because it was definately more then just watching some movie, a true experience that I know is etched in my heart & mind!

Honestly, my life has been hell and I have been living pretty shabby, this movie just opened my eyes and boy whata jump start to my heart!! Thank You Jesus!!

(Im crying now, so I have to go! Im sorry this wasn't as deep as other responses, but I just wanted to say what I thought and I hope to hear other peoples thoughts! If this movie doesnt make you love Christ more or want to know Christ More, I seriously DO NOT KNOW what would!...Praise You JESUS!!)

xoxox ~NateyCakes

[Corpus]

Intense is the right word. Having spent a day since seeing it however, I would also add thought-provoking. Just to give everyone a feel for the potential impact of this film...

I took yesterday off from work to see it. Most people I work with knew I was doing this. This morning I come into work, and four people approach me about the film before 10:00, wanting to know how it was. The conversations we had were wonderful. They were open and frank discussions about Christianity, faith and personal spiritual journeys with people I never even knew were living the faith or curious about developing it.

Another story...
A friend of mine tells me he has two young fellas working for him who've had no real interest in anything remotely Christian (their living the good life, right?). Thanks to the publicity over this film, he tells me these guys are talking not only about seeing the film, but even having conversations about their faith.

We might not see the impact today, but God does and will do things in His own time.

Go see it...

[cris]

God still has a plan, doesn't He?

I saw the movie too, and have mixed emotions about it.  Of course, how I really feel doesn't matter-------God has a plan.
It was intense.  It was thought provoking.  It was sad.  It was violent.  It was bloody.  It made me sad.  It made me mad.  I had to close my eyes many times because I couldn't stand to look at the brutality.  How could they do to Jesus what they did and laugh doing it?  I also felt hatred toward the Romans (so much for loving thy neighbor).  Well, I wonder, is the Roman my neighbor?  What's a neighbor?  Who's a neighbor?  Jesus did ask the Father to forgive them because they didn't know what they were doing but we don't know if the Father ever forgave them, do we?  We can only speculate.

Some 6000 years ago the door to heaven was locked because of sin ( e-u-g-h----hate it). We were homeless!  Then 2000 years ago Jesus Christ unlocked that door and gave us directions on how to get there.  It killed Him.  He died so that we might have hope--------awesome isn't the word for it.  It's as close as we can get, but inadequate.

[Paul2]

    Let me tell you that just seeing this movie is having a profound effect on me. I've been dwelling on Christ all the time since I left the movie. The Christ I'm dwelling on is the REAL JESUS CHRIST, not the movie version.

    I've always perceived Jesus as more God than man if you can understand that. I know he was 100% Human while retaining His 100% Deity. Thats not how I thought of Him though. To me He was God on earth, which He was but I couldn't see the humanity as clearly as His Deity.

    From John's Gospel, Jesus was presented as God, and when reading the of the garden betrayal, I saw Jesus as God only. I pictured Him being bold, confident, commanding, totally in charge of the events. That seemed to be the picture John paintied with words for me anyways. I liked "my" version of Jesus being very God-like, and less Man-like. I never really SAW His humanity, I knew He was Human, but only in the Flesh I imagined. I never pictured Jesus had ever fallen down. I guess I just assumed that as a baby, He got up and from then on walked perfectly. I never pictured Jesus being cut and bleeding before the final hours of His life before the cross. I guess I assumed He was different, without sin, never considering that Jesus, God the Son, was also Jesus, adopted Son of a carpenter. I never thought that Jesus got a splinter, I couldn't image the Son of God, smashing His finger with a hammer, things which have happened to me my whole life. I was convinced Jesus was different. I couldn't imagine Jesus in pain of any kind before the Garden betrayal or what is now being called the Passion by everybody, not just Catholics anymore, thanks to this movie. I could never have imagined Jesus getting a deep splinter of wood in the palm of His hand and the splinter breaking off with blood from the Son of God running down and falling on the dirt. I could never have imagined His Mother or Father taking a knife and cutting His flesh to remove a splinter as Jesus grits his teeth in pain, just like you and I do when somebodies digging a splinter out of our flesh. That was not possible in my mind for MY Jesus.

     I was arrogant enough to truely believe that the in the Garden Jesus wasn't afraid to suffer and die. I truely believed that the Cup He feared was the Wrath of God that was to be placed on Him and His fear was the FEAR of being Seperated from God the Father, for the first time in eternity. I was sure that was what His fear was. Deity Fear, not Human Fear. I was convinced that Jesus' fear was something not human. Jesus wasn't affraid of men, Jesus was affraid to carry the sins of the world, and experience the Wrath of God being Seperated from the Father who can not look upon sin, therefore must break the special link Jesus has always had to the Father. That was what I thought Jesus was affraid of.

     Seeing this movie portrayal of Jesus, has opened my mind up to the Humanity of the Real Jesus. I'm now thinking not only did Jesus have to deal with the Wrath of God, but He had to deal with being truely Human also. I never considered that side of His Humanity before. I was wrong in my perception, There was just way more to it than that. The way I saw it, Jesus very commandingly went through the beatings, the trails, the cross, with no fear. I knew it wasn't pleasant by anymeans but I saw Him as God, His humanity was only flesh to me, I never considered His Human emotions.

     I remember thinking when the first scene began, I looked at the movie Jesus and thought, "This is not what I expected at all, why didn't Gibson have him be bold and Godlike the way John described him. I don't know if I'm gonna like this movie."

     I got over my fear quick, but I had my doubts in the first minute or so. This movie has opened my mind to the Humanity of the Real Jesus Christ, He was more than just God clothed in Flesh, more than just God the Son, wearing fleshly humanity, He was also truely Human. He wasn't different because he was without sin, somehow immune from everyday trials that we face. I could never have pictured a bug biting Jesus, I could picture the disciples being swammed and bitten by mosquitos but I would have pictured Jesus like some guy in a "OFF" commercal with bugs flying all around him but none landing to bite him.

   I couldn't picture Jesus as really Human because I though being sinless must come with exemptions we lost during the fall. Could you ever Imagining Jesus being sick, falling down, skinning a knee, getting a splinter, getting bit by an insect? I couldn't until now. I finally see the Humanity of Christ, not just flesh but emotions that are also part of being Human.

    Thanks Mel Gibson, you managed to get me to open my eyes to the Humanity of the Real Jesus Christ, and to realize I was missing out on Seeing the real Jesus Christ for who He is and not what I thought He should be.

    I can't come close to explaining the profound effect this is having on me. It truely has changed my life. I'm changed in my thinking, for some reason it took a movie to do it, but my eyes are now open to the Humanity of Christ. Now I know why people say they will never be the same, If your like me you won't be.

     I knew it cost Jesus alot to pay of our Salvation, I just have no idea how much. To add the fear of the Wrath of God on top of His true Humanity with the Human emotions that go along with being human, MY GOD, MY LORD! I NOW SEE WHAT YOU PAID FOR ME! I KNEW I WAS EXPENSIVE, BUT NOW I KNOW I'M PRICELESS! A PRICE ONLY THE GOD/MAN JESUS CHRIST COULD PAY! I WASN'T JUST EXPENSIVE, I WAS PRICELESS! A PRICE TO HIGH FOR ANYONE OTHER THAN JESUS CHRIST! THANK YOU JESUS, THANK YOU!

    Emotional overload, if only my words could come close to describing my emotions. Be prepared for an emotional Rollercoaster, you'll go down and be sad, and then you'll soar toward the sky, you'll drop back down and then soar upward. Its incredible how a movie can trigger so many different thoughts, reflections, emotions...Words fail to describe it. Nothing I type comes even close, you may get the idea, but the feelings words can't touch. I just looked down to see my hands shaking, this effects you physically as well as emotionally. I feel profoundly different this morning. Its AWESOME in a profound way. See words don't describe it.

     What was unfathomable yesturday, is consuming my mind today! Unbelievable it took a Mel Gibson movie to trigger this!

                                                         Paul2

[Paul2]

     I hope everybody gets a fraction of the result seeing this movie has awakened me to. I'm seeing new things for the first time. Things I'd missed over and over become new and awesome. Words can't describe... Its amazing to me!

     If you haven't seen my last couple posts on this thread, read them and you will begin to understand what I mean.


                                                             Paul2

[Reba]

As to not repete Paul2 i will just say i mostly agree... I saw the movie last nite.

It was done with the class i would expect from Mel Gibson.

Judas's torment was well displayed.

The colours were 'muted' or softened it added something.

The setting was stark very stark.

I did not like the way Mary was played. Most of the part was too RCC for my taste.  I did 'feel' the part where He was stumbling under the cross she went to comfort Him , remembering comforting Him when He was a small child.

[Corpus]

Two days later and I'm still thinking about it...

A good friend of mine called me yesterday and said the movie has had a dramatic effect on her life. She said her entire outlook has changed on so many things she previously considered nominal or mundane.

Some other comments on the film...

Satan is ever-present and superbly cast as this androgynous and downright scary figure. The beauty of including him at various points serves as a reminder that what is being borne is more than a physical burden, but an infinitely greater spiritual one as well. The scourging and crucufixion are almost unbearable to watch at times, but I found the most moving scenes were the ones including his mother. You'd need a heart of stone to not feel anything at certain points of the film.

On a different tack, I will say that it filled me with a certain sense of pride. That something so integral to my faith could be made so well into film, to the point of moving people to tears and filling them with resolve, is just a wonderful testament to the amazing work of God. If one trusts Gibson's comment that the Holy Spirit made this film, what you then view as you sit in that theater becomes all the more amazing an event. It is in fact something crafted by the Holy Spirit and really causes one to wonder in awe at what they're witnessing and experiencing.

Finally...

See it now, while it's in theaters. Don't wait for the DVD. It ought to be seen in a venue without distractions where you can't pause, stop, rewind or fast-forward. it ought to be seen in a place where you HAVE to sit through it. There's something to be said for forcing yourself to watch many of the scenes you'd rather not. It made me think back to the disciples who abandoned Him, partly out of fear and partly (I suspect) out of not wanting to see what happened to him. My wife commented on just that point afterward, saying there were times when she just wanted to close her eyes, but forced herself not to. There's merit in that.

[Jabez]

It was GREAT!

[dale001]

Glad I found this forum...

I will be seeing it soon.  I was curious to what those of you who have seen it noticed was going on around you:  Did anyone have to leave the theater?  Did you hear people crying?  When it was over, was everyone stunned silent or were there shouts of praising God.  While waiting to enter the theater what did the outgoing crowd look like?  Waiting for the projector to start, was there a tension in the air.  My guess is there was and I'll discover these answers myself soon enough.We have all seen movies in a theater where you can tell it was "working" with an audience or not.  What can you report?  My father recently passed away and I'm anxious to reinforce my faith and see--visually--what Christ did for us so that my father and all of us believers can go Home some day.

--Dale