The Passion of the Christ
Bottom Line: If you’re a “passionate” Christian, watch it immediately. Otherwise, skip it.
[in Aramaic] “Father, into your hands…I commend my spirit.” –Jim Caviazel as Jesus Christ
Directed by: Mel Gibson
Starring: Jim Caviezel, Maia Morgenstern, Monica Bellucci
This film has left me speechless, unsure of where to begin, so I’ll start off the review by quoting Roger Ebert, perhaps the most respected critic of today’s world. His review contains a postscript, part of which reads: “I said the film is the most violent I have ever seen. … The MPAA’s R rating is definitive proof that the organization either will never give the NC-17 rating for violence alone, or was intimidated by the subject matter.” Never before have I found the words of any film critic more agreeable. The MPAA gave this an R certificate “for sequences of graphic violence.” That alone sounds terribly harsh, but it’s not enough. I can’t picture from any angle why on Earth the MPAA would give this an R rating; it is near-constant torture. My best guess would be because of marketing purposes. Had this been rated NC-17, not nearly as many people would have gone to see it; not nearly as many people would have experienced Mel Gibson’s horrendously poignant film adaptation of the Gospel. Ironically, it is the highest-grossing R-rated film to date.
