What did everyone think of The Passion of The Christ?

[soccercruiser87]

i was just wondering who liked it or didnt like it because i was thinking of buying it when it came on DVD next Tuesday but if its not worth buying i wont buy it. I havent seen it either so if anyone could tell me if its worth buying or if anyone has any opinions just reply back, thank you!

 

[olena]

I can't help you. I haven't seen it either.

 

[kimwim8]

As a Christian, I had a hard time watching it. I felt like I was watching someone close to me be horribly abused. I had my face covered more than I watched. I had nightmares about this movie and was literally upset for at least a week afterwards.

I will not be buying it on DVD. I don't think I could ever watch it again. I know there are a lot of people out there that enjoyed it for entertainment purposes, but for me, I couldn't seperate the two in my mind.

 

[soccercruiser87]

im a christian too and thank you for replying, im not sure if i was going to get it on DVD because i did hear it had a lot of violence and different things. But thank you again.

 

[jacksonsmom]

As a Christian I think I had to watch it. Just my personal decision & I did see it at the movies. It was very powerful!

Well, I buy the DVD? Yes! Because I would like DS to be able to watch it...when he is MUCH older (he is only 5 yrs old)

Although painful to watch at times, I felt it was a very good "movie"

 

[WDWHound]

This is not a movie you watch to enjoy, its something you see to experience. I cant imagine owning on DVD. Seeing it once was enough. It is very hard to watch, but it gives you and idea of what Christ actually enfured for us.

I reccomend the movie, but not for children. Also, be aware that Gibson added some scenes that are interpretations of Old Testement prophecies and some scenes which I have no idea the inspriatation for (notably, children that turn into demons and chase Judas. no mention of that anywhere in the Bible I can find). See it, but dont expect an absolute literal presentation of the Gospels

 

[Saffron]

I saw the movie, and as a Christian, I have a little bit of a different take on it than others.

I knew going into the movie it was going to be brutal, but we know that the last hours of Christ's life were brutal. I felt kind of strong watching the lashing, as if with every lash, I became stronger, knowing why he was going through what he was going through. There were times in the film though, where I almost couldn't take anymore. When he was carrying the cross, at one point I had to squash the urge to stand up and scream, "ENOUGH!!!!!" But, there was something I took away from the movie that I hold near to this day:

Mel Gibson's protrayal of Jesus' mother, Mary. Oh my gosh! Everytime I think of it I smile! It's a smile of love and courage and strength. My heart broke with her, but then I was renewed by her strength and her knowledge of why things were happening to her son.

I would buy the film. The violence is a little hard to take at times, but I got through it with the knowledge of the future.

 

[soccercruiser87]

alright, now i gotta buy it because i know why he died and everything and the pastor at our church wanted us to watch it when it came out but i didnt get the chance and now im going to buy it when it comes out and going to prepare myself for the brutal things that happen in the movie.

 

[kimwim8]

Saffron...I love your interpretation. I really had a hard time with it. Mary was incredible, and you're right, very inspiring as a mother figure (IMHO). She knew that is what he needed to do, and she was there for him.

I did have a positive feeling a while after seeing the movie, once I could get past the violent scenes that stuck in my head.

I admit that I do not know the actual bible version of His last days, so I didn't know at the time what was real and what was enhanced for the big screen. Another good thing about seeing the movie was that it made me want to read about it and learn the truth.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

<font color=navy>I felt that it was a very powerful movie, and I'm not sure that I would want to buy it, but I think that I would want to watch it on Good Friday each year.

The movie may not be exactly true of what happened, but it's close enough to give us Christians a dose of reality.

 

[Aimeedyan]

I think it's good, I won't be buying it... I don't see the need to have it, though I think it's a good movie to have access to - I think most church libraries and such will always have a copy, and I doubt I'll watch it again anytime soon.

I think Gibson did a pretty good rendering of it, though he missed the mark on some parts. But I think he got the most important elements, and since it's pretty impossible to get ALL of it accurate, I can live with the mistakes, LOL =)

I recommend it for all Christians, but just don't let it become "scripture" for you... you know? Remember that it's HIS interpretation of events, and maybe not exactly what happened =)

 

[tar heel]

I saw it and won't be buying it. I am a mainstream Protestant and the details of the passion, stations of the cross, etc., are NOT emphasized in my church. We do not emphasize guilt either. I thought it was interesting and wanted to see it to be part of the discussion, but I do not need to see Mel Gibson's interpretation of Christ's death to believe that it happened. I have no desire to see it again.

I did learn a lot about Catholicism in the discussions surrounding the movie. My dh and I also came home and went through all four gospels, which was an interesting exercise. A couple things we thought were not in the Bible were, but only in John while other scenes from the movie are not in any of the gospels.

My pastor not only didn't recommend it -- he walked out during it.

 

[DukeStreetKing]

I liked The Book better.

 

[Towncrier]

(Donning my flameproof suit)

Do you think that the DVD will have a blooper reel?
Or perhaps an alternate soundtrack in English?

Our church spent most of Lent hawking this film and I, for one, was totally turned off by all the hype about poor old Mel Gibson using his own money to make the film. I for one don't plan to own the movie nor have I any interest in seeing the film. I read the book. I attend a church that (with the exception of this year) celebrates the resurrection of Christ and not one that focus on his crucifiction.

The ironic thing is that I am planning to attend the Candlelight Processional on one of the evenings that Jim Caviezel is narrating.

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

Okay here is my take, as a Protestant who honestly does not really agree with most organized religion, I liked it. I belive in God but do not need someone else to tell me how, when and why to worship. It made my faith even stronger and for some reason it made me feel that the organized religion could be a lot more pure if they just stuck to what the facts are so to speak.
I know it was Mel's interpretation and I know it had a Catholic bent but all in all it made Christ much more real to me. The scene when his mother sees him fall as a child and helps him and then watches him fall as a man carrying the cross but cannot help himcertainly brought home the fact that this man was real with a real family and a real life. I think that is what gets lost in the translation in the chruch. It is much more powerful if I think that this real person suffered and died for me. For me deifying Him, often made me think when I was a child that he was on the same plane as Easter Bunny and Santa, distant untouched and untouchable.

I went just to see what all the hype was about but I left with a renewed faith. Yes I will buy it.

As to the "blooper" reel. They will not have that but they will have a reel on the making of the movie I expect. It was on Pax tv multiple times at Easter and it was very interesting. For example Jim Caveizel was struck by lighting when he was on the cross. There were a bunch of odd things that happened and it was very interesting to watch how it was made.

 

[Lanshark]

I have waited for it to come out on DVD so I could watch it privately or with DH. The emotions I anticipate are not something I wanted to feel in theater I both look forward and dread viewing. As a Christian I know the sacrifices Christ made for me but seeing the brutality of it will be extremely difficult. I do however feel compelled to see it. I believe once will be enough though.

 

[cats7494]

I saw it in the theater....you do not watch it..you experience it. It is so powerful and so deeply reminds you of the sacrifices of Jesus!

I can not even formulate words that could describe my emotions while watching the movie: horror, sadness, grief, love of God, respect, shock.... those words can not even come close to describing my emotions.

I am by nature a very quiet person and I wanted to cry out loud while watching the movie! I wanted to shout STOP, Please Stop! My chest and head ached from crying while watching the movie - trying to keep the sobbing inside of me.

To answer your question, Yes, I will buy the DVD... but I am not sure when I will watch it again.

 

[cati]

It was the most wonderful movie I have ever watched. To think that Jesus loved me enough to go through the torture and pain that he went through just so I could live with him for eternal life!!

Being a mother it also made me realize how much Mary went through to see her son crucified.

I cried alot. I took my DS 10 to see it and he cried, but he understood what Jesus did for him. I will probably buy the DVD when it comes out to save for my DD(4) when she gets older.

 

[legs22]

Originally posted by Saffron
I had to squash the urge to stand up and scream, "ENOUGH!!!!!"

I felt the same way. I thought it was waaaaaaay too much violence. I wouldn't see this movie ever again.
The most heartbreaking parts of the movie was Mary having to watch her son go through this. That's what made me cry. Being a mom myself, I couldn't imagine going through that.

 

[DemonLlama]

You know the last two lines of "The Last Samurai"?

The emperor says, "Tell me how he died."
And the reply is, "I will tell you how he lived."

I think my job as a Christian is to do the latter through my actions, but I think Gibson has made an amazing portrait of the former. While the embellishment of evil is not an artistic choice I would have made, the brutality of the crucifixion is as historically accurate as has ever been portrayed.

I will buy the DVD.