The Passion of the Christ

Betrayed by Judas Iscariot (Lionello) into the hands of High Priest Caiphas of the Pharisees (Sbragia), Jesus of Nazareth (Caviezel) is charged with blasphemy. Taken before Pontius Pilate (Shopov), the Roman Governor in Jerusalem, Pilate gives the priests and the crowd the choice between freeing Jesus or the murderer Barabbas. The crowd chooses the criminal and demands Jesus' death. Fearing a revolt Pilate reluctantly agrees, sentencing Jesus to be flagellated then crucified.

Any film that portrays religious text from any set of beliefs is bound to cause controversy but the mêlée that The Passion of the Christ has created is like nothing before in movie history.

When an Oscar winning director decides to recreate the last twelve hours of Jesus' life in all its harrowing, graphic detail, interest rockets skywards. Controversy about blame and how the adaptation of the gospels was handled gathered headlines all over the world. This review is not going to address any of those arguments but just concentrate on the movie itself by judging if it is a good piece of cinema.

The answer is yes for the most part. Dramatising the last twelve hours of Jesus' life wasn't going to be the easiest thing to put to film but when Mel Gibson decides to have his actors speak in Latin, Hebrew, and the dead language Aramaic, you have to applaud the dedication of the filmmakers behind the project. The same can be said of the look of the movie, as the cinematography, locations and costumes are superb, transporting you back to ancient Jerusalem.

The aspect of the film that people have found the most disturbing is the graphic, no holds barred depiction of the suffering that Jesus went through before finally dying on the cross. From his public beating, whipping and flagellating to his crucifixion, the film shows everything in extreme detail to create some of the most harrowing scenes ever put to film. While people may argue that the filmmakers didn't have to make these scenes so realistic, you have to understand that this was a brutal age of cruelty, were the condemned didn't have any rights and capital punishment was a display of power as well as a deterrent. The violence is used to show that even under great pain and suffering you can still forgive, understanding and not succumb to temptation.

The outstanding look of the film is complemented by the performances of the actors. Bearing in mind that none of them will probably speak the ancient languages used in the movie, to give performances with such passion and vigour is extremely commendable. James Caviezel's performance as Jesus is central to the power of the film. While in truth he doesn't have that many lines for a lead actor, this role is all about reaction and expression. He makes you believe in the sheer pain and anguish that his character is going through and can portray more emotion in just a look than many actors take a whole page of dialogue to convey. This is a career defining performance from Caviezel.

The lead actor is supported by outstanding performances. Maia Morgenstern is riveting as Mary. The look on her face just tells you that she is going through everything that her son is suffering, with the scene where her mothering instinct completely takes over, being one of the most heart wrenching in the entire film. Hristo Naumov Shopov is good as the under pressure Roman governor Pontius Pilate, who has to make a choice when politics takes over from compassion. Mattia Sbragia is also good as Caiphas.

Unfortunately even though the film is filled with all these positives it also has a major negative. The filmmakers assume that you know every aspect of the story. The film just goes straight into the story with no set up, introduction to characters or anything. There are a few short flashback sequences scattered throughout the movie but these are not substantial enough for those of us that are not privy to the events in the bible to know exactly what preceded this. You are expected to know why the people and priests would turn on him so. Also many of the characters are not introduced or even have their names spoken. For example, it is assumed that you know that Monica Belluci is Mary Magdalene, Hristo Naumov Shopov is Pontius Pilate and Rosalinda Celentano is Satan, so you spend most of your time trying to figure out who they are, when you should be concentrating on the film.

Even with all the controversy, 'The Passion of the Christ' is still a good piece of cinema. You have to applaud the dedication of Mel Gibson and his cast and crew as they have made a movie that looks amazing, is brilliantly acted and can't fail to steer up emotions. The complete lack of backstory and the assumption that you know everything are its major failings however because the film creates more questions than it does answers but this shouldn't put you off seeing it.

PICTURE & SOUND

Presented in 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen with a choice of Dolby Digital 5.1 and dts surround soundtracks, this is a first rate transfer. The picture quality is absolutely superb and extremely sharp throughout. Mel Gibson's recreation of ancient Jerusalem is displayed in all its glory with brilliant exuberant colours. There is no pixelation at all, even during the more energetic scenes. The sound is also of a very high standard. The Latin, Hebrew and Aramaic dialogue is extremely clear and the surround sound comes into its own during the crowd sequences and the storm driven climax. The DVD gives you the option of watching the movie without the subtitles, as the director intended and there is also an audio description track for visually impaired.

OVERALL

Some may argue that this film doesn't really need bonus features as it says all it needs to say in the movie itself but from a film aficionado's point of view it should. While the usual promotional material associated with many DVD releases wouldn't have been appropiate for a movie like this, there could have still been some insights into how the picture was made. You could have had cast interviews, taken you behind the scenes to show you how they recreated ancient Jerusalem and shown you the cast learning to speak the languages used in the film. An interview with director Mel Gibson would have given an insight into his reasons for making the movie and given him a chance to respond to the controversy it created. Any of these would not have taken anything away from impact of the movie. This aside the transfer is extremely good and the inclusion of a dts track is always a welcome addition. The lack of extras should not put you off seeing the movie in the slightest however, it is just a shame that a film that has touched so many people didn't get the DVD treatment it deserved.

DVD

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2004