hmm...just noticed I didn't post that in this thread.
let me find it...
ah...
Just a quick summary of the events in the film. If you don't know what a Passion Play is or know anything about the life and crucifixion of Jesus, well, can't help ya! The movie starts with Jesus in the garden, praying to God for guidance during his last night on Earth. Judas is working his deal for pieces of silver for betraying the location of Jesus. Jesus is taken into custody by some Jewish high priests and quickly determined to be a blasphemer who must be punished, severely. They parade Jesus in front Pilate and the head high priest trumps up the charges against Jesus and wants him condemned to death (something Jewish law prohibits him from doing.) A couple of high priests attempt to stop the "trial" but are quickly dismissed and forced out by the high priests' key followers. Pilate declares this to be a matter for Herod. They trudge Jesus over to Herod who finds no law has been wronged and sends him back to Pilate. Pilate washes his hands of Jesus's blood after offering up a horrendous murderer or Jesus as part of a yearly pardon and the high priests (and the crowd...now approaching mob status) declare Barabbas (bar abbas...essentially...an equivalent to today's John Doe nomenclature) to be freed instead of Jesus. The head high priest calls emphatically for Jesus to be crucified.
It is that scene, I'm sure, that has certain people all up in arms claiming the movie is anti-semitic (all the while forgetting the earlier priests who tried to stop the proceedings). There is NO anti-semitism. NONE! I can't say it enough. Jesus was crucified as part of a political move by the high priest to maintain his power over the people of Jerusalem. Jesus was a threat to his power by preaching a new philosophy...a new religion. The high priest's ego would have none of that!
Pilate, wanting to somehow placate the angry mob without bloodshed lest Caesar come in and remove him, orders Jesus to be punished severely but not to let them (the high priests and the crowd) kill him. Pilate is shown as a Roman placed on the outskirts of Roman civilization and just living his life and trying to maintain order, while secretly wishing to leave the place and return to the glory of Rome. Jesus is placed in cuffs and stripped of his robe and the flogging with sticks begins. A bit of graphic imagery here but nothing too bad. Jesus withstands the initial punishment and the guards resort to more severe means. He is beaten with whips that contain pointy bits of metal at the end that sink into the flesh and tear it to shreds when the guards pull back on the whip. This scene goes on for quite some time until Pilate's lead guard comes in to stop matters.
Jesus is then forced on the long and arduous walk to Golgotha. He must carry his cross (both post and cross-beam) and a disinterested person from the crowd is forced to help Jesus. This man quickly bonds with Jesus and you sense he feels his pain. They reach the top of the hill and Jesus's arms are tied to the cross beam and nails are driven thru his palms. His feet are nailed to the post. The entire cross is then flipped over and the nails bent back with hammers to keep them from coming out and the cross is flipped back over and righted. The excruciating pain is obvious throughout the whole process.
Jesus prays out "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" and "Forgive them, for they know not what they do." At the latter, one of the high priests shows a look of guilt on his face and one of the other crucifixon victims prays to Jesus to have mercy on him and tells the high priest that even now, Jesus prays for him. A storm starts brewing and the guards break the knees of the other criminals and they soon die. Jesus is last to die and a guard pierces his side and is showered in blood and water and instantly has faith that Jesus was God. The Earth rumbles from a great earthquake and the temple is shown being torn in two (along with the tapestries). The high priests begin to wail at their now obvious guilt.
Mary and James go to bring Jesus's body off the cross. The last scene is of a slow pan into a dark cave with a large boulder being rolled away and Jesus's bedclothes deflate and we're left seeing the risen Christ, free of scars and wounds, save the holes in his hands.
Le Fin
Now, Mel Gibson placed several pieces of melodrama throughout the movie. The repeated scenes of the devil at times of Jesus's worst suffering, giving Jesus the apparent out of using his power to stop the suffering. Mary struggles thru the crowd to get closer to her son and just happens to see Jesus fall under the weight of the cross. I could have done w/o the soundtrack, too. Just let the story tell itself. And, of course, the very final shot of a healthy-looking Jesus with only holes in his hands.
Overall, I thought the movie was rather good, though. 1/2 the audience left in tears and it felt as if I was leaving the funeral of a well-loved stranger. I wasn't really moved as most were but, then again, I was going into this as almost a documentary or interpreted historical piece given my stance toward God and religion.
That said, there was one moment that pretty much solidified my current beliefs. It was pretty much like being slapped in the face it all made sense so much! I saw Jesus as merely another preacher. "I will destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days." The number three is symbolic in Hebrew...meaning, simiIar to 40, as a time of trial or testing. Peter was told he would deny Jesus three times (Meaning, Peter would be tested and accused of being a disciple of Jesus and would deny it to save himself from persecution). Jesus did not mean he would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, physically or literally. He meant that existing religious laws and beliefs would be replaced by a new one, one teaching forgiveness and love of all mankind. One of eschewing worldly goals for the world of the afterlife in Heaven. It makes so much sense now! The Bible is NOT a literal work! I realized that all of the talk of Son of God, and God as man, and Jesus as the Word are all symbolic. Jesus was preaching a new philosophy. Love not only thy neighbor but thy enemy, as well. To love only those who love you offers no great reward. In other words, live a life of goodness and practice forgiveness. When he said to eat the bread and drink the wine to take of his body and blood, he meant to use that action to instill his beliefs in his disciples. Jesus was telling them to go forth and keep his word true as if it were part of themselves. "Do this in memory of me." Break bread and drink wine with people who do not know the true way to live and let the words from your mouth be that of Jesus. He didn't mean to literally take the bread and wine to be his body and blood. People in that time spoke constantly in symbolism. Almost poetically. From a viewpoint distanced from religion, the symbolism is glaringly obvious. I see all of the literal intepretations of his words and the words in the Bible as distorting the true meaning of the teachings.