Kim Gentes

Perfect story telling of the perfect story

Mel Gibson's version of the last 12 hours of Jesus on earth is a mesmerizing and detailed vision of Christ's trail, crucifixion and death. While Gibson retains his clearly Catholic heritage in telling the passion story, by drawing from the extra-biblical sources he used as plot line details, his rendering is widely held as embracing of most Christian denominations.

The power of this film cannot be overstated. It is truly a violent film, which matches precisely the topic- a crucifixion of a man. No one could honestly believe that a proper rendering would ignore the brutality of the main event itself. Gibson doesn't make the mistake of avoiding this reality, and serves the film and the viewers with the treatment due the story. No child under 13 should see this film due to its intensely violent and graphic scenes. But when a person is old enough to see this, it will surely bring a level of reality and vulnerability to the topic that could scarcely be imagined without this kind of honesty on film.

The sub plots presented are appropriate and flow swiftly, as the movie does, despite its 2 hour, 6 min length. The uncanny performances of James Caviezel (Jesus), Maia Morgenstern (Mary), and Monica Belluci (Mary Magdalene) make the synthesis of characters seem very human, very real, and very accessible. No contrivance or hint of whimsical attitude, the acting here towers high above the need for the dialog to be rendered in the language of the viewer. While it may have disappointed the casual movie-goer to be required to see this film in Aramaic, with English sub-titles, I think its impact clearly solidifies the power of the story and its universal acceptance and clarity.

You may not convert to Christianity simply by watching this film, but make no mistake about it- this is the real story of what the Christian faith is about: the sin of mankind (from past to present) being placed on the shoulders of the Son of God. The picture clearly articulates the Bible story, and conveys the depth of blame for Christ's death profoundly accurately to the Biblical record. This is a burden on all humanity, for sure. But the extrapolation of the story does not shy away from saying what the New Testament says about the Jewish and Roman leaders who are forging forward in killing Jesus.

Exceptional direction, acting and visuals, this is a powerfully violent film that narrates with excellence from the most revered chronicle in human history.

If you haven't seen this film, you can watch it digitally via Amazon or get the DVD:

Amazon Instant Video: http://amzn.to/YJyM3z

Amazon DVD: http://amzn.to/YGZlU2

Review by Kim Gentes