"It Is As It Was"
By Tom Barrett (01/21/04)
"It is as it was." With those five short words, totaling only eleven letters, Pope John Paul II said all that really needs to be said about Mel Gibson's movie, "The Passion of Christ." Then why am I writing an article about it? Because that's what writers do. And because of all the controversy swirling around this important project.
Dr. James Dobson's website (www.Family.org) introduces its discussion of the film this way: "'The Passion of the Christ' is arguably the most controversial movie that almost no one has actually seen. A number of religious leaders have enthusiastically endorsed it; others condemn it as a tool to promote anti-Semitic violence and revisionist history. What's the real story behind action star Mel Gibson's production?"
Last weekend at the annual meeting of the Gospel Crusade Ministerial Fellowship (www.GCMF.org) I had the privilege of meeting Danny Gonzalez, who has seen the movie, which will be released February 25, six weeks before Easter. In his role as the Youth Pastor of the Christian Retreat Family Church (www.ChristianRetreat.org) in Bradenton, Florida, Danny had attended a youth ministers' convention at which Mel Gibson's people showed the movie. Danny described it at a dinner, and showed a brief excerpt from the movie. We were deeply moved, and everyone I spoke to afterward said they "must" see the film.
Originally it was to be called simply "The Passion", but when Gibson found out that Miramax pictures had a movie in the works with that name, he changed the title to "The Passion of Christ." Gibson, a devout Catholic who is part of a very conservative sect of the Catholic Church, spent $30 Million of his own money to produce the movie, which accurately depicts the last twelve hours of Jesus' life, including His Crucifixion.
At first it seemed that enemies of the project, including Jewish organizations, some liberal Catholic scholars, and the usual collection of Hollywood God-haters would succeed in keeping the movie from ever being seen in a theater. Even though Gibson was willing to risk his own money to produce the movie, without a distributor it is almost impossible to get movies seen. Through a combination of misinformation, distortion of the movie's intent, and outright lies, the project's enemies were able to intimidate all the major movie distributors into refusing to carry the movie.
Because he believed so strongly in the importance of the movie, Gibson was willing to try to self-distribute. Then a small distribution company called New Market Films agreed to be the film's distributor. But because the distributor is small, there is a good chance the film will not be in a theater near you, unless you live in a big city. If you want to help spread the word and make sure everyone in the country has the opportunity to see this important film, see SPREAD THE WORD in the Internet links below. After you read the rest of this article, I believe you will want take part in helping America see this life-changing film.
The main false accusations thrown at Mel Gibson concerning "The Passion of Christ" are that it is historically inaccurate and that it is anti-Semitic. Billy Graham, Dr. James Dobson, the National Association of Evangelicals, and the Pope beg to differ on both scores.
Ted Haggard is the President of the National Association of Evangelicals, the largest evangelical group in the United States. He has staunchly defended the film in the media since he Gibson gave him a private screening. In interviews on TV and radio Haggard has described it as "A beautiful, wonderful account of the last twelve hours of the life of Jesus Christ. It is consistent with Matthew, Mark, Luke and John."
Both the Wall Street Journal and Reuters News Agency have reported that Pope John Paul has seen Mel Gibson's film about Christ's final hours and was moved by it, according to a Vatican source. He said the pope saw the film with his long-time Polish secretary, Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz in early December, 2003. The source also confirmed reports that the pope told his secretary after viewing the film: "It is as it was," meaning he considered it an authentic portrayal of Gospel accounts of the last hours in Christ's life. Archbishop Dziwisz said the pope found it very powerful, and approved of it.
Officially the Vatican has avoided formal comment on the film. Author Peggy Noonan reports in the Wall Street Journal, "I spoke to an important American cardinal about the controversy and urged him to see the film and come to his own honest conclusions. He blinked anxiously behind thick glasses. No, he said, he shouldn't, the movie is a matter of 'dispute.'" She went on to say that, "This summer a group of scholars associated with the U.S. Bishops Council obtained an apparently stolen copy of an early draft of the script and came forward to denounce it as scripturally incorrect and potentially injurious of Christian-Jewish relations. Mr. Gibson protested, and the bishops more or less fled the scene, but the damage was done."
The Jewish Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has protested what it considered negative stereotypes of Jews and "obvious historical mistakes". But after hearing the pope's comments, they said they would respect the Pope's positive reaction to the movie. "The Pope has a record and history of sensitivity to the Jewish community and has a clear moral voice and understanding when it comes to anti-Semitism," said Abraham H. Foxman, U.S. director of the watchdog group. Gibson has repeatedly dismissed criticism that the film is intended to be anti-Semitic, saying it was meant "to inspire, not offend."
Some might find it odd for Billy Graham, the most influential Protestant minister in the world, and the Pope to agree on anything. But Graham has the same opinion of "The Passion of Christ" as does John Paul. Graham gives a glowing review of Mel Gibson's movie:
"I have often wondered what it must have been like to be a bystander during those last hours before Jesus' death. After watching 'The Passion of the Christ,' I feel as if I have actually been there. I was moved to tears. I doubt if there has ever been a more graphic and moving presentation of Jesus' death and resurrection - which Christians believe are the most important events in human history. The film is faithful to the Bible's teaching that we are all responsible for Jesus' death, because we have all sinned. It is our sins that caused His death, not any particular group. No one who views this film's compelling imagery will ever be the same."
Dr. James Dobson saw the film with his daughter, Danae, and gave it high praise. "It is deeply moving, powerful, and disturbing. A film that must be seen." Danae Dobson described the film in greater detail than I have seen anywhere:
"Many of you have probably heard about this portrayal of the last 12 hours in the earthly life of Jesus Christ. I can say that The Passion is the most beautiful, profound, accurate, disturbing, realistic, and bloody depiction of this story that I have ever seen! It is truly amazing, and it left all of us speechless for a few minutes when it was over.
"The Passion is a work of high art and great storytelling. It contains graphic scenes, including the seemingly endless scourging of Jesus. The crucifixion scene is long, bloody and painful to watch. It's very disturbing, but it's also moving at the same time. While I was taking all of this in, I was thinking, "Christ did this for ME, and he would have gone through it if I was the only one in all the world!
"The dialogue is in Aramaic and Latin. English subtitles are provided, and they are very helpful in following the story line. In The Passion, few liberties are taken with the Gospel account. It uses unknown actors, which keeps the focus on the message. Mr. Gibson, a devout Roman Catholic, does not elevate Mary beyond what Scripture says of her, which will broaden the film's appeal to Protestants.
"The Passion is a soul-stirring film that deserves wide distribution and viewing. Its message is not just for Christians, but for everyone. I hope you all will support Mel Gibson's bold and courageous effort to portray the sacrifice that our Lord made for us. Yes, it is a disturbing film, but every person should see this realistic depiction of what Christ did for them!"
Members of the media have also screened the film. Here are a few of their comments:
"It is an awesome artifact, an overpowering work. The moral of this Christian story - of Mel Gibson's film - is that we all killed Jesus - Jew and Gentile alike - and tortured him, and we do so every day," civil-rights activist David Horowitz wrote on his Website, FrontPageMagazine.com.
"Some of the bad guys are Jewish, some of the really bad guys are Roman, and virtually all of the good guys are Jewish," Jewish film critic Michael Medved told the Los Angeles Times. He hailed The Passion as "the most moving, substantive and artistically successful adaptation biblical material ever attempted by Hollywood."
In an interview on MSNBC in the summer of 2003, Matt Drudge of the Drudge Report, said, "This is the ultimate film. Best picture I have seen in quite some time, and even people like Jack Valenti were in the audience in tears at this screening. It depicts a clash between Jesus and those who crucified him, and speaking as a Jew, I thought it was a magical film. It's a miracle."
"You can quote me: Mel Gibson's The Passion is not anti-Semitic," Hollywood's top lobbyist Jack Valenti, of the Motion Picture Association, told Daily Variety columnist Army Archerd. "I found it genuinely moving, serious, a compelling tale." And while the ADL charges Gibson's film portrays Jews as "enemies of God and the locus of evil," Valenti has a different take: "The villains are the Roman soldiers."
Mel Gibson knows that this film will affect his status in the entertainment industry from here on. He has already been persecuted, and when the movie is released he will be ostracized even more. Having the courage to produce this film could literally cost him tens of millions of dollars in lost income - more than he spent to make it. According to Danae Dobson, when she asked why he made the movie, he said that he had no choice in the matter--he felt called to the assignment, and he was determined to carry it out.
The Focus on the Family link below relates that Gibson believes God called him to make this movie. "This is God's movie," he said after a screening at Focus on the Family in August 2003. "The Holy Ghost was running the show. I was just directing traffic." He hopes the film leads everyone who sees it to a saving faith in Christ. For example, he said that many on the movie set in Italy came to faith during the making of the film. He believes that moviegoers will be forced to make a decision about Christ after they leave the theater; they won't be able to just put it out of their minds.
Some parents have expressed concern about allowing their children to see the film because of the reported violence. I have read interviews of parents who have screened the film who said they would allow their children to see it. An interview with a Catholic priest, Father Di Noia, puts the subject into perspective: "It is not so much violent as it is brutal. Christ is treated brutally, chiefly by the Roman soldiers. But there is no gratuitous violence. Gibson dramatically presents to us the Incarnate Son who is able to bear what an ordinary person could not, both in terms of physical and mental torment."
On a visit to the Holy Land Experience in Orlando (which I highly recommend), my wife Ana and I prayed over whether we should allow our six-year-old daughter, Sarah, to see their dramatic representation of the crucifixion. We had heard from friends that it was very realistic, with blood flowing down Jesus' face and clanging blows from the nails pounded into the actors' hands audible. In the end we felt that it would be good for her, and it was. She cried as Jesus dragged the cross close to us and as he was crucified. But afterward we could tell that she had gained a greater understanding of what the real Jesus had done for her, and she said she was glad she had seen it.
The Passion has come under attack as anti-Semitic for allegedly reviving the notion that Jews were responsible for Christ's death. "Sadly, the film contains many of the dangerous teachings that Christians and Jews have worked for so many years to counter," said the ADL's Rabbi Eugene Korn in a statement.
The movie portrays Biblical and historical accounts accurately. There is no question that Jewish leaders demanded that Jesus be crucified, and even threatened Pontius Pilate if he did not comply. But anyone who reads the Bible knows that neither the Jews nor the Romans killed Jesus. We all did. Sin did. If Jesus' crucifixion and death had not been part of God's plan, there is no power on earth that could have killed Him. He gave His life willingly, because He knew it was the only way sinful man could come to the Father. That is why I see "The Passion of Christ" as a love story. Jesus Christ showed the greatest love mankind has ever seen by allowing Himself to be nailed to the cross.
I will let Peggy Noonan have the last word, because she has seen the film and I have not. "It is a film that leaves the viewer indicting not Jews and not Romans. It leaves you indicting yourself: it leaves you wondering about what your part in that agonizing drama would have been back then, and what your part is today."
INTERNET LINKS:
SPREAD THE WORD
http://www.passion-movie.com/english/support.html
Official Website of "The Passion of Christ" (You can see portions of the film here.)
http://www.thepassionofthechrist.com/splash.htm
Billy Graham Praises Mel Gibson's Movie
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2003/11/26/121628.shtml
Dr. James Dobson's Focus on the Family site describes the film
http://www.family.org/fofmag/cl/a0029428.cfm
National Association of Evangelicals Approves the movie
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2003/7/prweb73806.php
Who was to blame for killing Jesus Christ?
http://www.christianhistoryproject.com/books1_who.html
Yahoo article: "Pope Blesses Mel's Passion"
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/eo/20031219/en_movies_eo/13144
Article in the online version of the London Daily Telegraph Newspaper
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/12/19/wpope19.xml
Article on the Wall Street Journal's OpinionJournal.com
http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/pnoonan/?id=110004442
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