Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" Revisited

Regardless of my opinion of Mel Gibson's personality quirks, I have to admit I find his film The Passion Of The Christ which was released into theaters in 2004, intriguing, thought provoking and inspirational.

Many who have seen this film have expressed various opinions. In my case, however, I came away from the theater a bit shocked but thoroughly edified. I have read several reviews, both pro and con, on Mr Gibson's liberal use of physical violence and visual gore. My own feelings on this matter warranted some research on the procedure of Roman crucifixion. Death by crucifixion was no walk in the park.

Whether you agree with capital punishment or not in today's day and age, the process of execution of modern prisoners is much more humane, clean and almost antiseptic in comparison to Roman crucifixion. Modern times have made even the process of caring for the dead a sort of show of ritual rather than the truth of death. Today, it is practically unheard of that an un-embalmed body lay in state in a family living room even overnight. No, we pack our dead off to funeral homes and all the dirty work of caring for the dead is entrusted to the funeral home staff. By the time we see uncle Harry or aunt Maude, they are cosmetically treated and dressed in their Sunday best. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard the statement, "Doesn't he/she look grand?" Come on! They're dead.

In the time of the Romans, when a person was dead; you knew it. Death was accepted as a part of life and dealt with in like manner. Even if a person died a violent death, the most that was done was to wash the body, treat the body and rap it up for burial: No cosmetics and no embalming. The body was treated with respect and then laid to rest. That was that. Mummification or preservation of any kind was not practiced by the Jewish people except for simple in tincture with herbs, spices and oil.

Getting back to the death of Christ and Roman crucifixion, I believe that Mr Gibson's depiction of Christ suffering in death was spot on. His suffering before the crucifixion was indeed brutal and inhumane. I found myself looking away many times and often forcing myself to look through the tears I was shedding at the pain portrayed.

Several people I have known simply said that they could not view this film because it was too graphically violent and too gory. For these folks, I say the truth is often hard to bare and this film tells the truth in all it's brutality whether we chose to believe it or not. We are simply too use to cleaning up violence in religion. Another words, the religious viewpoint on violence and the crucifixion.

Growing up Roman Catholic, I have seen many crucifixes that have beautifully depicted gold and silver bodies of Jesus. These crucifixes look almost photographically pleasing with only the crown of thorns and the nails to remind people of His suffering. They look as if He was merely sleeping while hanging on the cross. Only one crucifix that I can remember came even close to displaying the agonizing suffering and death of Jesus. I can also remember someone stating that the crucifix was too horrible to look at.

It was this film that made me truly rethink my debt to our Lord Jesus and through my tears, say thank you.

In summary, there is no doubt that Mel Gibson's 'The Passion Of The Christ, was both brutal and gory. But in my opinion, it is the most accurate representation of the death and suffering of Jesus ever presented on film.