Thursday, September 8, 2011

The Passion of the Christ Review

Films on Christian themes have been around for a long time. Some of them like Jesus of Nazareth have made pretty good impressions and still stand out as classics. But who would have thought that a movie shot in a completely foreign language (mostly Aramaic with only English subtitles) on a relatively short budget would go on to be the highest grossing foreign film ever, the second being
Jet Li's epic action drama Hero.
Few would have dared this risky attempt. But Hollywood action star and Academy award winner Mel Gibson was nevertheless determined to do what  he had set his mind on, a detailed account of the sufferings and final hours of Christ starting with His prayer at Gethsemane and culminating with the crucifixion and final resurrection scene. So whats so special that made this movie highly successful? Was it the effect of the highly dramatized scenes of a story that took place 2000 years ago or something else that elevated people to a higher spiritual plane? That's left for the viewers to decide. Mel Gibson is a wonderful story teller and has used his creative abilities to give a visually stunning treat for his audiences. Based on the 4 gospels and other devotional writings, the Passion narrates the sufferings of Christ and gives a very different perspective in understanding what the Son of God in flesh had to go through to accomplish his mission in fulfilling Gods plan. 
Many of the scenes are symbolic like the scene where Christ crushes the serpent with his feet(a verse from the book of Genesis) and are beautifully played out. Jim Caviziel excels in his unique portrayal of Christ and is quite convincing in radiating the love and compassion of Christ and lives up to expectations. The inclusion of flashbacks into the life of Christ like the Sermon on the mount and the Passover meal with the disciples were interesting and their timings are perfect. This is a serious and good attempt in telling a real story and gives believers a chance to look at their faith from another vantage point.

Related links:
lessons-from-the -three-temptations

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