Analysis of the Passion

Analysis of the Passion

         There are three guiding directives that must be considered in any evaluation of Mel Gibson’s “Passion of the Christ:”

         1. The Passion of The Christ is ultimately a commercial venture

         2. Passion may be demonstrated in many ways.

         3. Religious emotion must not be confused with theology

The Passion of The Christ is ultimately a commercial venture

         This movie has opened the flood gates of passion to say the least. It is likely that history will establish that the viewing public was not apathetic to this film. Viewers embraced it with passion, either for it or against it. The pre-release promotion has sealed the financial fate of the movie. If there were any doubts about its success they can be set aside. With only four weeks of box-office sales, The Passion of the Christ is occupying the 18th position regarding overall gross sales for all movies, with approximately 295 million dollars received to date. Adjusting for inflation, the leader at the top of the chart is Gone With the Wind, which is estimated to have a total receipts of approximately 1,112 million dollars. Noting that the classic was released in 1939 and has had 65 years of accumulated sales, Mel Gibson’s Passion is well on its way to challenging the ranking of the top earning films of all time.

         The controversy associated with the film has not inhibited its earning power. Whether the popularity can continue with the general populace will be ultimately tested by time. It is too early in the history of the film to determine whether its success is the result of an initial marketing phenomena or if the divine sacrifice it portrays has drawn people to seek an understanding of it’s message that will make it a consistent earner for years to come. It is interesting to note that the current week of receipts was 19 million dollars. This is significantly less than the 84 million dollars which it raked in during its opening week.

Passion may be demonstrated in many ways.

         Regardless of its financial success, there can be no doubt that it has stirred the passions of Christian and non-Christian alike. Pre-release sentiment from the Jewish community typically held the belief that the Passion, while not intended to be caustic to Judaism would inevitably create anti-Semite sentiment and would surely result in possible violent acts against the Jewish population. Reuters (26 March 2004) has even reported an effort of three French attorney brothers who petitioned the French courts to halt the opening of the Passion in France. However, it appears that the Jewish community is not particularly concerned that the movie itself is anti-Semitic as they are concerned that feelings will be awakened in the susceptible individuals who are often influenced by the anti-Semitic prejudices of others.

         Reviewers of the film have been in general agreement that it portrays the Jewish population of Jesus’ time as being generous and benevolent as well as calculating and self-serving. These are characteristics that are present in the general populace of all peoples of all nations and do not evoke any anti-Semitic connotation. In fact, if cruelty and blame were to be assigned to the brutalization of Christ, it would surely fall on the shoulders of the Romans who were occupying Judea at that time. Pontius Pilate was portrayed as a vacillating bureaucrat interested only in his personal political advancement. The soldiers who were under his command were portrayed as being particularly cold, ruthless, and sadistic in their treatment of Christ.

         A superficial examination of the supporters of the film indicates that the passions of Catholic and Evangelical Protestants were united in their zeal to project the message of Gibson’s Passion to the viewing public. This united front is a particularly interesting phenomenon. It is especially significant to note that the Passion was written, directed and performed entirely from the Catholic perspective. This perspective appears to have been totally ignored by the majority of Protestants viewing the film. Protestants, particularly evangelical Protestants, have been adamant in times past to carefully discern the difference between the Catholic and Protestant articles of faith. However, the Passion has been embraced by all Christians while the obvious Catholic dogma has been either ignored on down-played by the supporting evangelicals.

         The promotion of the pre-release film specifically focused on evangelical Protestant denominations. Pre-screenings were provided for ministerial alliances throughout the country. Protestant leaders, including recognized evangelicals such as Billy Graham, were enlisted as supporters for the film and spoke out in opposition to the secular community and the Jewish leaders who railed against the film. The resulting recruitment of the vast silent majority of evangelical Protestants insured the virtual success of the film on opening day.

         Were the evangelical church-goers across America being manipulated unwittingly into support for a Catholic oriented statement of faith? Could they tell the difference? There likely are no simple answers to those questions. From all appearance Mel Gibson has delivered an honest statement of what he believes is an accurate portrayal of Jesus' last twelve hours. The film was not endorsed or sponsored by the Catholic Church. The Passion of the Christ was an effort solely initiated and presented by a devout Catholic, who knew well that he was furthering the dogma of the Catholic Church. And it must be noted that he has every right to do so. It has been the voracious appetite of the evangelical protestant community which has gladly accepted an opportunity to endorse the graphic message and present it as their own. There is no wrong in either position. It represents only a curious alliance between drastically different religious precepts.

Religious emotion must not be confused with theology