So it was thought there was nothing more to be written or said about Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ. Wrong. The controversial motion picture The Passion of the Christ has been at the height of discussion since first word of its inception. Throughout history both Christians and Jews have been at odds and many have taken their passions, perceptions, and perversions of the Cross of Christ to the extreme. The core issue is that the Jews have been blamed for the death of Jesus Christ. The movie Passion of the Christ portrayed the last twelve hours of Christ's life before and up to the crucifixion. Religious leaders around the world where petrified that this re-enactment on the big screen would fuel the fire of hatred towards altering religions. The belief was that there would be an uproar of Christians putting forth anger towards the Jewish communities. The movie The Passion of the Christ did not by any means portray Anti-Semitism, nor was this re-enactment too violent or unscriptural.
The Passion of the Christ revealed to us the death of Jesus Christ, but nowhere did it show us that the Jews alone where to blame. Jewish leaders call the Passion of the Christ anti-Semitic claiming that it will cause violence between religions (Assist News Service 2003). There's no doubt that the Bible says who is responsible for Jesus' death. God ordered the crucifixion as part of his plan for humanity's salvation, and Jesus allowed it to happen. The chairman of the Christian Broadcasting Network, John Maxwell said, "Anyone who sees this film and thinks that the Romans and Jews killed Jesus missed the point" (Assist News Service 2003). Those of us who are believers in and followers of Jesus Christ must always be very attentive a...
... middle of paper ...
...racticing Semitism, but to educate in the life, the death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The violence in the Passion was merely an interpretation of what the scriptures tell us, but it was a day that is unbelievably unimaginable to re-enact the torture that Jesus was held too. This film was just an image of what took place on that day. Gibson held the script of the Passion as close to the teachings by the four Gospels as anyone has ever done trying to recreate the Passion. It is true to believe that in this day and age that mankind that is so desperately falling into darkness and has the utter most difficulty excepting the truth, gets satisfaction from criticism. The Passion of the Christ is the most spirit moving, factual, eye opening, life changing depiction of the life, the death, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ ever conceived by man.
...ude the controversial issues about Jesus. Andreas seemed to have been on the border line with following Jesus and believing he was some guy that was telling lies around the cities. It’s not until Jesus is up for execution when he becomes a follower of Christ. Once Andreas returns, he learns that Barabbas and two zealots were arrested. Barabbas is Andreas’ friend, so he decides to propose ways of rebellion to the Romans. Pilate decides to have a meeting with Andreas about his proposal leads. Pilate manipulates Andreas’s proposal by giving the people of Jerusalem the decision which criminal to keep from execution: Barabbas or Jesus. In the end the people chose Barabbas which meant Jesus, including two other criminals, was sent to be crucified. The story concludes with Andreas recognizing Jesus’ power after so many of the people in his life have been changed by Jesus.
In Conclusion, Elia Kazan’s portrayal of a young savior attempting to bring justice to those that oppress and give a better life to those around him was done superbly. From a series of complex conflicts that broadened to much more than a mere death, to the sheer feelings he evokes through the use of characters and plot; Kazan created a critically acclaimed piece of art that tells a dark tale of one rising against a monopoly for the sake of those around him. This film shows his artistic prowess, and helps inspire new film makers daily: creating storytellers that can spin tales that hypnotize audiences for generations to come.
There are certain groups of people that cause these events to happen. Because of them there are people living in denial and people that are being ostracized every day. They do this because they are afraid that if they do not go along with what the majority does their will be reprisal. Everyone wants to believe that people are basically good in nature. But with the events that occurred in the film it is easy to see that people are easily influenced and would rather go along with the group then stand out and make a difference. Most people think that one person cannot make a difference. If more people would have taken a stand, then quite possibly more Jewish people would have been saved. One person does make a difference, Oskar Schindler proved that.
...s problems in the past. Many religions would have fallen and ceased to exist under this kind of persecution. To the Jewish believer this is perhaps because they are the ‘chosen people.’ This religion continues to prove its strength and resilience even today and will continue to do so.
“One is astonished in the study of history at the recurrence of the idea that evil must be forgotten, distorted, skimmed over. The difficulty, of course, with this philosophy is that history loses its value as an incentive and example; it paints perfect men and noble nations, but it does not tell the truth.”
When Arthur Miller published “The Crucible” in 1953, the play’s audience was a nation of Americans seized in the grip of McCarthyism. The Communist “witch hunt” has long since ended, but the public’s fascination with this shameful piece of American history has not. The original play unfolded over the course of 4 acts that mainly consisted of dialogue. As a result, the creators of the 1996 movie adaptation had an ample degree of creative latitude to update the narrative for a modern audience. Director Nicholas Hytner utilized a host of cinematic techniques that enabled the moving images to tug the heartstrings of the audience just as effectively as the book had done before. Given the temporal limitations of a film, several scenes were rewritten in order to facilitate an easier delineation of the plot line. The director also used different camera techniques to control the pace of the movie, making it easier to tell which parts were important. Overall, Hytner’s scene modifications and unique camera shots resulted in an emotionally compelling film.
Over the past few days, the class and I have watched a film titled One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Throughout the film, you began to see some parallels to the main character, McMurphy, and that of Jesus Christ. There are many references to the Christian religion within the film.
Marendy goes on to discuss more persecution of Jews by Christians up to the Holocaust. Once he reaches this point in history he begins to explain how Christian views seem to change and even ask forgiveness from the Jewish community for the atrocities done to them over the centuries. One figure the essay focuses on is Pope John Paul II. Marendy describes the Pope’s efforts as, “trying to build a fundamentally new and enduring relationship between the Catholic Church and Jews” pg. 18. Marendy
...ctual roles, or adding in exciting events that revise the storyline. These changes are beneficial to producers because they engage a large audience and generate massive profits. In contrast, they do not always have a positive effect on viewers. Although they are entertaining which is an important aspect of theatre culture, they also are often misguiding. Many spectators take movies at face value, without considering that they may not exactly qualify as primary source material. Even when an historical event is fabricated to teach or enhance a moral message, it still doesn’t compensate for bending the truth. Moviegoer’s may have a positive experience and gain some skewed historical perspective, perhaps better than what they knew before the movie, but they loose out on the truth and therefore, a genuine understanding of the historical event, and its significance.
The rise of Christianity in the ancient world created many problems for leaders at the time. Alexandria had the largest population of Jews. There was a lot of social conflict between the Jews, Christians, and Pagans in the city. The movie shows scenes of mobs of Christians rioting in the streets of
"The Passion of the Christ" by Mel Gibson, recounts the last twelve hours of the life of Jesus of Nazareth, portraying his arrest, trial, crucifixion and death. One of the most popular religious movies in modern times, it therefore becomes susceptible to criticism. Although the film is based upon the stories within the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, there are many exaggerations and non-biblical elements present in the movie. This is not unexpected, since it is a movie, but the vivid detail of the brutality in the movie as well as the Anti-Semitic theme are the most publicly criticized elements of the movie. The Passion emphasizes the brutality Jesus endured to give himself for his people, but at the same time in the movie the Jews are the ones that cry for his death. During several scenes of The Passion of the Christ, there are elements such as characters, themes, and motifs that are not found within the gospels, but are in the movie to add more dramatic elements.
Anti-Semitism, a hatred of Jews, has been present for centuries in many places. However, the term ‘Anti-Semitism’ itself only came into use in the nineteenth century, and along with it came an ideology which fuelled this deep psychological hatred to develop into a political movement which culminated in Nazism. Throughout history, the reasons for Anti-Semitism have differed and in Imperial Germany, it was a combination of religious, racial and political factors which led to such hostility toward Jews. However, the economic state of the nation is often thought to be the main reason behind the way in which Jews were treated during this period.
The Passion of the Christ was directed by Mel Gibson and released in 2004. Briefly, the movie follows the last 12 hours in the life of Jesus of Nazareth who has proclaimed himself as the Son of God. In the movie, Jesus is condemned for spreading his monotheistic beliefs in the Roman Empire of 33 A.D. The Passion of the Christ shows many aspects of Roman civilization throughout the movie including roman government at the time, how large a role religion plays in the civilization, and class distinctions among the people. The film attempts to follow the writings of the New Testament and aside from exaggerations and fictional representations of the devil, I felt it does so accurately. The basis of the movie is the extreme suffering that Jesus is put through and the movie does so well with very visual, graphic, and intense scenes that help the audience to connect with and feel sorrow for Jesus. Through this extreme suffering The Passion of the Christ is saying to the contemporary world that many Christians today need to be reminded of the basis of their religion, that even today Christians are being persecuted in the world outside of America and need help, that in these persecutions today people can be just as vicious as they were in the past towards people of different beliefs, and that we all need to strive to be more like the person Jesus exemplifies in the movie.
Love/hatred, redemption/forgiveness, power/faith are only examples of what the film represents. It shows that religion and politics definitely do not mix what so ever. Both can either empower or bring doom to a country and its people. The film kept me on my toes for which the Portuguese and the Spanish viewed the natives as “animals” and as slaves while the Jesuits didn’t. The Jesuits viewed the natives for what they are, humans. Since both views of both parties did not correlate, there was a lot of tension that kept me intrigued with the film. Another aspect that made the film interesting is the fact that the Jesuits live for love and peace while the Portuguese live for power and wealth no matter the cost. Even in our own current time, nothing has changed when it comes to that. I’m very glad to have had the chance to watch the film and get a glimpse into
Before seeing The Passion of the Christ I hadn't heard much about it except that it was very violent and politically incorrect. In fact I hadn't seen or heard a review that said if it was good or bad or if it was well acted or if it was worth the watch. Everyone just seemed to be interested in saying that it is too violent, the movie should not have been made and Mel Gibson shouldn't be making money from a story about Jesus. (It made $212m in its second weekend in the US)