Review #514 - The Passion of the Christ (2004)
THE SCOOP
Director: Mel Gibson
Cast: Jim Caviezel, Monica Bellucci, Maia Morgenstern
Plot: A film detailing the final hours and crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
Genre: Drama / History
Awards: Nom. for 3 Oscars - Best Cinematography, Best Makeup, Best Original Score.
Runtime: 127min
Rating: M18 for sequences of graphic violence.
IN RETROSPECT (Spoilers: NO)
After proudly receiving the Oscar for
Best Director and Best Picture for the medieval epic Braveheart (1995), one would be
compelled to predict a fruitful career in filmmaking for Mel Gibson. However, four directed films in thirteen
years means that the popular (and controversial) figure of Hollywood is still
better known for who he is – an actor with good looks and above average acting
skills – than as one of the world’s leading filmmakers.
Gibson returns behind the camera once
again for The Passion of the Christ. As the title suggests, it is a film that deals
with Jesus Christ. To be precise, the
film depicts in excruciating detail the last twelve hours of Jesus’ life. The word “excruciating” is apt because
this is perhaps the most violent and gory picture to receive mainstream distribution
before torture porn (Saw, 2004; Hostel, 2005) become a daily staple
for cinemagoers shortly after.
Jim Caviezel plays Jesus in an inspired
performance that ought to have been rewarded with an acting Oscar nomination. He suffers for his craft, both physically and
mentally, as he painstakingly portrays the Son of God as one who bled for the
sins of humankind. The supporting cast is slightly weak for
a film of this magnitude, theological-wise, resulting in character relations
(such as the Mary/Jesus bond) that are not as emotionally fulfilling as it
should.
It takes about thirty minutes for the
film to assert its potency, beginning with the capture of Jesus and later, his
flogging, and much later and inevitably, his crucifixion. Prior to all that is a quite lethargic
attempt in introducing Jesus and his disciples that ought to be more
tightly-paced. However, the next ninety
minutes jolts us awake as Gibson recreates the unimaginable ordeal that Jesus
suffered at the hands of brutal Roman soldiers.
The uncompromising direction by Gibson
is balanced by the film’s cinematography by Caleb Deschanel, which is authentic
and a beautiful counterpoint to the ugliness as personified by selfish human
beings. The music by John Debney is
rightly low-key with little discernible motifs, using mellow strings and choir
to accentuate the scenes rather than overwhelm them.
There are short flashbacks inserted
during the course and in the context of the film, which either show past events
that draw parallels to present circumstances, or prophesize future occurrences
that are rooted in the holy scripture that is the Bible. These flashbacks come more as a relief to the
bloodletting than as a device to build character development. The Passion of the Christ cannot be described as
skillful filmmaking (there are flaws in pacing and an overuse of the slow-motion
technique) but it remains powerful nevertheless.
GRADE: B
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