Mel's Passion

I was inspired by our meeting last Sunday evening at Henry's to dig up some reviews of Mel's $25 million endeavor. I thought I'd share what I found.

David Edelstein review as heard on Fresh Air


From Kenneth Turan's review as heard on Morning Edition:

'What is profoundly disheartening is that men and women of good will will see a different film than I have. They will be as oblivious to what I see as its dangers and drawbacks, as they say that I am to its strengths. Where I see sadistic violence, they see transcendence. Where I see blame, they see truth.'

'...what's immediately evident about the Passion is its complete sincerity. This is Gibson's personal vision, a look inside his heart and soul-- an act of faith-- which makes it even sadder that the Passion of the Christ offers only glimpses into Jesus's whole life and teachings. It creates a one-dimensional view of him as only someone who was willing to absorb unspeakable punishment for our sins.'


From Bob Mondello's review as heard on All Things Considered:

'The director so wants to bring cinematic realism to Christ's suffering that he has filmed what is quite possibly the bloodiest story ever told. I won't be alone in noting a specifically spiritual distance between "bloodiest story" and "greatest story." Screen sadism this relentless is almost inevitably numbing...'

(There's an interesting comparison in this review to A Clockwork Orange.)

'...a sincere, heartfelt attempt to spin a story long regarded as one of sacrifice, compassion, and forgiveness into a story that is largely about enduring cruelty. That, to my mind, is a reduction. Hate the spin, love the spinner.'