The Passion of the Christ

[Adam]

Never seen this film. I've always heard of it, but have always had a sense of dread regarding actually seeing it. I suppose the brutality of it all keeps me from wanting to watch it. But, now, I recently saw parts of it put together with Tim Hughes - Here I Am To Worship, and now I really want to see it. If you have seen it, what did you think of it? Did it strengthen your relationship with Jesus? Had no effect? Would be interested in your opinion. Thanks.

[Dedicated Mind]

I thought it was an awful movie. The brutality of Christ's whipping was exagerated. I don't think there is any proof that his beating was that brutal. Mel Gibson also depicted the jews as cursed people with satan appearing among the jewish crowd. I thought the film had anti-jewish bias.

[sandie]

Originally Posted by Dedicated Mind

I thought it was an awful movie. The brutality of Christ's whipping was exagerated. I don't think there is any proof that his beating was that brutal. Mel Gibson also depicted the jews as cursed people with satan appearing among the jewish crowd. I thought the film had anti-jewish bias.

As a Jew I find your last sentence ridiculous.

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by Dedicated Mind

I thought it was an awful movie. The brutality of Christ's whipping was exagerated. I don't think there is any proof that his beating was that brutal. Mel Gibson also depicted the jews as cursed people with satan appearing among the jewish crowd. I thought the film had anti-jewish bias.

http://www.bible-history.com/past/flagrum.html

This sketch depicts a Roman Flagrum which was designed to quickly remove the flesh from the body of a victim.
The Romans would, according to custom, scourge a condemned criminal before he was put to death. The Roman scourge, also called the "flagrum" or "flagellum" was a short whip made of two or three leather (ox-hide) thongs or ropes connected to a handle as in the sketch above. The leather thongs were knotted with a number of small pieces of metal, usually zinc and iron, attached at various intervals. Scourging would quickly remove the skin. According to history the punishment of a slave was particularly dreadful. The leather was knotted with bones, or heavy indented pieces of bronze.

Sometimes the Roman scourge contained a hook at the end and was given the terrifying name "scorpion." The criminal was made to stoop which would make deeper lashes from the shoulders to the waist. According to Jewish law (discipline of the synagogue) the number of stripes was forty less one (Deut. 25:3) and the rabbis reckoned 168 actions to be punished by scourging before the judges. Nevertheless, scourging among the Romans was a more severe form of punishment and there was no legal limit to the number of blows, as with the Jews. Deep lacerations, torn flesh, exposed muscles and excessive bleeding would leave the criminal "half-dead." Death was often the result of this cruel form of punishment though it was necessary to keep the criminal alive to be brought to public subjugation on the cross. The Centurion in charge would order the "lictors" to halt the flogging when the criminal was near death.

[MissBrattified]

I think it's a "must-see" movie, although I'd hesitate to call it "good." There are glaring inaccuracies and the obvious slant toward Roman Catholic folklore.

Originally Posted by Dedicated Mind

I thought it was an awful movie. The brutality of Christ's whipping was exagerated. I don't think there is any proof that his beating was that brutal. Mel Gibson also depicted the jews as cursed people with satan appearing among the jewish crowd. I thought the film had anti-jewish bias.

It may have been exaggerated; I don't really know. However, I appreciate that it wasn't made to look "pretty" and overly palatable like many of the other movies about Christ's crucifixion. I would lean toward the violent brutality over a polite little trickle of blood running down His cheek.

[sandie]

Originally Posted by Adam

Never seen this film. I've always heard of it, but have always had a sense of dread regarding actually seeing it. I suppose the brutality of it all keeps me from wanting to watch it. But, now, I recently saw parts of it put together with Tim Hughes - Here I Am To Worship, and now I really want to see it. If you have seen it, what did you think of it? Did it strengthen your relationship with Jesus? Had no effect? Would be interested in your opinion. Thanks.

It was a very moving movie. I saw it three times.
Actually from what I understand the Scriptures to say, there was nothing exagerated about what happened to Jesus.
The Scriptures say He was beaten so badly he was not reconizable as a human being.
It is brutal, but what He did for us is astounding.
I still remember one line of the movie even though it was spoken in the same language Jesus spoke. I'm going to say this as it sounds, probably no where near how it is actually spelled: "heave-a-la-comb", it means, "love one another".
If you have a desire to see it, then do so. It's not your let's get the popcorn, soda and comfy blankies kind of night at the movies....but, it was amazing.

[Hoovie]

Originally Posted by Adam

Never seen this film. I've always heard of it, but have always had a sense of dread regarding actually seeing it. I suppose the brutality of it all keeps me from wanting to watch it. But, now, I recently saw parts of it put together with Tim Hughes - Here I Am To Worship, and now I really want to see it. If you have seen it, what did you think of it? Did it strengthen your relationship with Jesus? Had no effect? Would be interested in your opinion. Thanks.

Saw it at the theater when it opened. I loved it even though I had tears in many scenes. Yes it strengthened my relationship with Him.

[MissBrattified]

Originally Posted by Hoovie

Saw it at the theater when it opened. I loved it even though I had tears in many scenes. Yes it strengthened my relationship with Him.

If you can let go of the analytical side and just let yourself be moved by the story, it's worth seeing.

As for being anti-semitic; if you read the Bible in a straight forward fashion, the Jews come off as being directly responsible for His death (obviously we're all responsible from a philosophical POV). Antisemitism forgets to acknowledge that Jesus forgave the Jews for what they did; an accurate telling of the story requires that they be shown as culpable, and that it be also shown that Christ was only concerned with their forgiveness.

[notofworks]

Never watched, have no intention to. I'm a bit of an old curmudgeon with this kind of thing. I wish it didn't take theatrics like this to move us. That being said, it moved many so I suppose I'm thankful for that.

However, the greatness of the story is the resurrection, without which the death is meaningless. I don't believe the movie featured much, if any, of that.

[sandie]

Originally Posted by notofworks

Never watched, have no intention to. I'm a bit of an old curmudgeon with this kind of thing. I wish it didn't take theatrics like this to move us. That being said, it moved many so I suppose I'm thankful for that.

However, the greatness of the story is the resurrection, without which the death is meaningless. I don't believe the movie featured much, if any, of that.

It showed the resurrection at the end, it was really well done.
Jim Cavezel did an excellent job. His father was a customer of my husbands.