Friday, April 18, 2025

Why I am not a huge fan of "The Passion of the Christ"

 


As far as 21st century biblical media projects it seems like it’s only “The Chosen” TV series and Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of The Christ” from 2004 that has both the religious reverence and cinematic quality of production to make them popular.   Objectively speaking I know “The Passion of The Christ” is an incredible movie masterpiece.   The cinematography is breathtaking.  The acting performances are incredible which they must be in order to communicate the emotions and feeling of the gospel’s pivotal players while speaking a language [i]   approximately 0.002% of the world’s population understands.    I am not going to deny the fact “The Passion of the Christ” is classic and director Mel Gibson is an artistic genius.  

Having said this Gibson uses that gorgeous cinematography and epic film making techniques to glorify the most bloody, gory, vomit inducing depiction of Christ’s passion ever put on the silver screen.     There are plenty of moments of unnecessary violence that didn’t need to be there.    There was the scene where the temple guards nearly hang Jesus on the way to his Sanhedrin trial.   Gibson’s version of Jesus being scourged at the pilar not only have Roman soldiers whip Jesus with the traditional Roman flagrum[ii], but also had them beat the crap out of Jesus with rods as well.    The people of Jerusalem threw rocks and were spitting on Jesus as he made his way to Golgotha carrying a 100 LB cross.  The Romans flipped the cross upside down with Jesus hanging on it so they could bend the nails on the other side of the cross.   Blood was constantly gushing from Jesus’ crown of thorns.   He had a swollen eye.   After re-watching “The Passion of The Christ” for this blog I’m with that YouTuber who referred to the movie as a splatter film.[iii]  The violence of the film was so overwhelming that Mel Gibson almost killed Jim Caviezel in real life! [iv]    (Although I would say the lightning that struck Jim Caviezel was more God’s doing than Gibson’s).   If any Joe Schmo was being tortured this way the movie would have been X-rated, banned from most movie theaters, and blocked by most v-chips instead of embraced to the point where, as “South Park” creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker implied, Evangelical Christians would have no qualms allowing eight-year-olds to see this bloody nightmare of an R rated film.    [v]  Even Gibson himself admitted “Of course it was too much.  But that was the point of it”[vi] where he was trying to focus on the how much suffering Jesus endured for our salvation because, as Gibson added “If it was easy, it wouldn’t be worth much.”

I know some have lobbed the criticism that “The Passion of the Christ” is antisemitic.[vii]   I took the way Gibson depicted the high priests riding on their donkeys in fancy jewel and gold robes more a commentary on elitism of the Sanhedrin rather than on Jewish people in general but perhaps I am naive of antisemitic stereotypes.  In the version I watched the line from the gospel of Matthew which has historically placed the blame of Jesus’ death on the Jewish people[viii][ix] didn’t appear on screen but I heard a rumor it may be there just not translated into English.  [x]    In fact, the second to the last scene of the movie has Maia Morgenstern [xi] who portrayed the Virgin Mary, stare piercingly into the camera as she becomes the center of Gibson’s bloody pieta.  She states without words to look at what we, the sinful human race, did to her son.   Her stare tells us to look at what her son did for us in the sinful human race.   Gibson talked about this being an experience and yes, it is.   I know many people myself feel greatly disturbed after coming away from it.   I guess the idea is after watching it most people are supposed to realize the great wonder Jesus did to save humanity from its sins.  I, however, have a different reaction.   I view Gibson’s gory way of the cross and fear my going to hell by even thinking about eating a piece of chocolate.   I tend to watch “The Passion of the Christ” and give it the same attitude that I gave the awful frozen fish sticks my mom and dad forced me to eat during Lent as a kid, something I had to do but I’m not meant to enjoy.   Watching “The Passion of the Christ” fills me with guilt and remorse and how I’m not good enough for Heaven and maybe…maybe….we’ll let’s just say there are some dark random thoughts I’d rather keep to myself.  

This is what I, a normal Catholic/Christian woman feels who knows who Jesus Christ is and believes in the saving power of the cross.     In many ways I would say “The Passion of the Christ” is a film that appeals to the Christian choir.  I know those basic Christian tenants the way all Christians know but obviously can’t always comprehend the great act of love Jesus did to save the human race.   Keep in mind the word “excruciating”[xii]   origins are in the practice of crucifixion and Gibson’s “Passion” certainly puts that word on the mind of every Christian who watches.

 

But what if a Christian wasn’t watching the film.

 

Here’s another one of my thought experiments.

 

Say, a bunch of Chinese Christians get their hands on a copy of “The Passion of the Christ’ and swap out the English subtitles with Mandarin or Cantonese subtitles depending upon what part of China those Chinese Christians live in.   Being the good Chinese Christians they are they naturally want to evangelize their fellow Chinese citizens, so they decide to show the Mandarin and or Cantonese subtitled “Passion” for free in a local theater with pop and assorted other snacks being sold for a nominal fee.   A Chinese Buddhist walks by, has nothing better to do that evening and what the heck, the movie is free.   Now, maybe that Buddhist has a vague sense of what Christianity is about the way I have a vague sense of what Buddhism is about.  The Chinese Buddhist goes into the theater, sits down, and wonders why this Jesus is so panic stricken in the garden of Gethsemane, what is this weird being that is stalking Jesus, why did he feel the need to kill a snake, what the heck was this man’s crime that a small brigade of soldiers came to arrest him and why didn’t he want his followers to stop them.   Maybe the Chinese Buddhist is asking to himself Is Jesus a magician?   after he watches Jesus restore the ear of the chief of the temple guard[xiii]  that one of Jesus’ followers cruelly sliced off.  The Buddhist then begins to wonder why on earth this Jesus is being tortured in such a cruel way as the movie progresses.   The accusations the Sanhedrin hurl at Jesus, along with additional blows, seem to come out of nowhere and he can’t understand why they would be so mad at Jesus.   The only apparent crime of Jesus is that he claimed to be a king of some kind and that obviously wasn’t true in 33 AD Palestine.  Still, what prompted this massive beating of this guy?  The Chinese Buddhist would then turn to the Chinese Christians in the audience and ask, “What did Jesus do in his life to deserve this?” and the Chinese Christians would answer “Nothing” leaving the Chinese Buddhist to hope that karma comes back at those Roman soldiers’ big time.  That Chinese Buddhist is still probably confused as to why and how Jesus endured what he endured for the human race and wondering if the resurrection was real long after the film ended.

This confusion is perhaps the ironic tragedy of a film like “The Passion of The Christ” as one YouTube critic I found while researching this blog stated, “A non-Christian going to watch this film is going to be as confused as a non-Marvel fan going to watch ‘Endgame’. It’s going to seem like utter nonsense”[xiv] a video whose thumbnail claimed, “The Passion of the Christ made me An Atheist”.     You must know the story of the passion of the Christ (and I’d dare say the Catholic stations of the cross version of the passion of the Christ) to have any kind of emotional connection to the film   Gibson does not have many tender moments in the film to make one empathize with what Jesus was enduring on the screen.   There was a cutesy scene between Jesus and his mother where the Virgin Mary complained about how Jesus was building a too tall table.   There was a sweet scene between Jesus and Saint John with Jesus passing along words of wisdom as he washed Saint John’s feet.  There were a few brief moments from the Sermon of the Mount, a confusing scene involving Jesus saving Mary Magdaline’s life, but nothing really for any non-Christian to latch onto or care about.  Heck that YouTuber wondered if anyone would accept an authentically middle eastern Jesus in cinema.

“The Chosen: The Last Supper”[xv]  coming in #3 at the box office the weekend of April 4-6th behind the “Minecraft” movie proved that YouTuber wrong.   There is so much “The Chosen” gets right about the life and times of Jesus.  “The Chosen” has a predominantly middle eastern looking cast with Jonathan Roumie being ½ middle eastern himself.[xvi] “The Chosen” has the disciples celebrate Jewish feast days like Shabbat, Hanukkah, the feast of booths and Rosh Hashanah.  In episode two of season 5 they explained how everyone had to ditch their pagan money for temple approved non-graven image shekels with an outrageous exchange rate that people needed to buy the animals to be slaughtered for their sins from temple approved animals stalls and other taxes and how everyone had to be ritually 100% purer than an ivory bar of soap from even entering the interior of the temple.  Heck, Jenkins got the portrayal of Mary Magdaline right for once by showing her as a demonically possessed woman in trouble instead of casting her as either the adulterous woman who washed Jesus’ feet in Luke’s gospel [xvii] or the woman caught in the act of adultery from John’s gospel[xviii].   I love how Jenkins celebrates the Jewishness of Jesus and the disciples and has laid out in five seasons why everyone who knew Jesus loved him and why certain people want to kill him.

So, until “The Chosen” season six which features the crucifixion of Jesus, (Or I suppose if I’m desperate I’ll find Jenkins The Two Thieves https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Io8b9aJiOY0 in which Jenkins takes a “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead”[xix] approach to Jesus’ crucifixion)  I’ll probably force myself as part of my Good Friday penance to endure “The Passion of the Christ” so I can remind myself of the wonders of God’s love for us.

Nah, it’s probably better for me to read the gospel of John’s account of Christ’s passion so I’m not insulting Christ’s passion for us by vomiting out what little food I had on Good Friday by watching Gibson’s the slasher of the Christ movie.


[v] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cP6eDXqLY1g  Season 8 episode 3 “The Passion of the Jew”

[viii] Mt 27: 25- “The people said in reply “Let his blood be on us and on our children”.

[xi] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRpoLJhibV8

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Wednesday, April 16, 2025

Why it's OK to not like "The Chosen"

 

Anyone who has followed my blogpost to some degree know I am a huge “Chosen” fan.  I have referenced the show directly in two blogposts (“Why Dallas Jenkins needs our prayers and especially our money now that he’s gone Hollywood”, July 27th 2023, and “Nothing like Monday morning quarterbacking ‘”The Chosen”’ February 4th, 2024)  and wove “The Chosen” references into other blogpost (“It’s the end of the Hollywood world as we know it part I” August 26th, 2023 or “So you’ve been entertained by drag all your life, why is it a problem now part II” June 28th 2024).  Naturally, this means I enjoyed the new “The Chosen: The Last Supper” film trilogy that is out in theaters now.    I love every part of this show and the behind-the-scenes videos showing the making of it as well as other social media posts from the cast & crew. 

However, I also can understand why it’s Ok for someone to not like “The Chosen”.

There are a few legitimate reasons why I can see someone not liking “The Chosen” and I’m ok with them and their logic.   Many may think “The Chosen” is like most other biblical media that’s been out for the past several decades or so-bad.   On the one hand you have Hollywood movies like the “Noah” 2014 film I referenced in the Jenkins needs money blog where Russel Crowe’s Noah acts contrary to the Genesis account and God’s law.   Also throw in movies like “Exodus: God and Kings”3 , [i]  Martin Scorsese’s “Last Temptation of Christ” even more recent films like “Conclave” where, per Conan O’Brien Hollywood made safe[ii] for them by giving the film a woke ending no virtuous cardinal in his red cassock would ever find acceptable.    On the other hand, you have movies that depict the life and times of Jesus Christ that seem to be meh (See Jeffery Hunter in MGM’s  1961’s “King of Kings” ) or worse (Diogo Morgado in “Son of God”[iii]).  Then you have what I would call the films that are in the same vein (but hopefully slightly better) as the “God Is Not Dead” franchise with its cartoony villains and corny dialogue that’s all about a Christian’s belief in Jesus[iv]  that at times may turn the more casual viewer into an atheist.   Trust me, “The Chosen” is as great as any biblical epic of the past and the dialogue is miles better than “God is Not Dead”.   

Then there are the liberties Jenkins take with the Gospels that I know devout godly people may not appreciate.   For example, Jenkins portrays Saint Peter in season one as a gambler, deep in tax debt to Rome as collected by local tax collector Saint Mathew, and almost betraying fellow fisherman Zebedee and his sons Saint James and Saint John to the Roman authorities for not reporting the fish they caught on the Sabbath on their Roman income taxes to get himself out of debt.  (Hence Saint Peter needing a boatload or two of fish courtesy of Jesus in Lk 5:1-11[v]).   I know Saint Peter wasn’t perfect, but I doubt he would have been that bad of a sinner prior to Jesus getting into his boat and calling him to be an apostle.   Jenkins also assumed that Saint Mathew must have had some type of mental deficiency since Rome was the 1st century equivalent of the Nazis and no Jewish person in their right mind would work for 1st century Nazis. Hence, Jenkins portrays Saint Mathew as an autistic savant of some kind.  Once again, I am not sure Saint Mathew was anywhere on the autism spectrum or was autistic at all.  I know it’s an artistic choice that may not reflect the 1st century reality of Saint Mathew.   Then there are other characters that are not mentioned in the bible-like Saint Thomas’ girlfriend Ramah that Jenkins places among Jesus’ followers.   As a fellow creative person, I feel Jenkins should have just named Ramah Susanna[vi] whose name was mentioned alongside Mary Magdalene and Joanna in Luke’s reference to the women who followed Jesus[vii].  Although if Jenkins named Saint Thomas’ girlfriend Susanna instead of Ramah that would have caused problems with the character arc of Saint Thomas Jenkins is gleaning from what little is known about him from the gospels. 

However, I think the #1 argument of why people hate the show, is they feel Dallas Jenkins is going to Hell for putting words into Jesus’ mouth that Jesus himself did not utter in the gospels like when Jenkin’s Jesus said “I am the Law of Moses” in season three episode 3 that some argued is a reference to the Book of Mormon. [viii]   I personally have no qualms about Jenkins and his writing partners of Ryan Swanson and Tyler Thompson placing non-gospel words into Jesus’ mouth.  This is because I know the following about the gospels: 1. It was the Catholic church and their bishops who figured out which gospels to include in the New Testament in 393 A.D. at the council of Hippo[ix] and which to leave out of the Christian biblical cannon. 2.  There are several Catholic traditions that can be found nowhere in the bible like Saint Veronica[x]  (whom I and several Catholic fans of “The Chosen” are hoping is the same Veronica Jenkins introduced in season three) but us Catholics believe it to be as much a part of the gospels as the gospels themselves. 3. Gospel writers like Saint John didn’t care that Jesus may have asked the maรฎtre d’ where the bathrooms were in Cana’s wedding hall.  Saint John only cared about the fact that Jesus miraculously turned [xi] 120-180 gallons[xii] of H2O to 120-180 gallons of C6H12O6 & 2 C2H5OH & CO2 [xiii]  at that wedding at the request of his mom.   4. Saint Ignatius of Loyola urged Catholics when reading the bible to imagine themselves[xiv] in the center of the biblical scene to contemplate the biblical passage on a deeper level and let’s just say “The Chosen” has made my imagining of certain biblical passages a heck of a lot easier.   5. As I have always said “The Chosen” is akin to Netflix’s “The Crown” where they included actual recent British historical events such as when then Prince Charles promptly stated “Whatever in love means”[xv] at the press conference announcing his engagement to then Lady Diana Spencer and ones that probably never happened like how Chuck & Di  got together[xvi] for dinner after their divorce to figure out why their fairy tale wedding turned into a royal nightmare of a marriage.     “The Chosen” is a TV drama 1st and foremost (and a great one too) and if I want the gospel truth, I’ll crack open my bible and read the actual gospels which I’m sure Jenkins would prefer a viewer of the show do anyway.

There is also the newest reason why someone may now hate “The Chosen.”     I know some fans may be eager to call Jenkins Judas as he recently announced he and Amazon Prime[xvii]have now formed an exclusive partnership. Now most fans must go to Amazon Prime to watch the newest episodes of “The Chosen” or perhaps other biblical projects Jenkins has planned for a greater “Chosen” cinematic biblical universe.   I know on a Facebook group I follow “Catholics who love ‘The Chosen’” decried the fact that Amazon will pay for their employees to travel from states that ban abortion, like “Chosen” home state of Texas, to my home in Illinois where abortions are still legal[xviii].  I’m also not sure if Amazon is treating its employees with Christian values[xix] .

 I understand why Jenkins may have felt pressure to enter a Faustian bargain with the shopping behemoth.   Jenkins, in a livestream, explained that only 5% of the 200 million people who have watched the show [xx] have donated to the Come and See foundation[xxi] which is still the primary way Jenkins is getting his money for his filming.      Jenkins knows everything we pay for is going up because of inflation (including his show), budgets are getting tighter (including mine),  and maybe it’s better to donate to some charity that is feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, taking care of the sick & thirsty, and shows kindness to prisoners and strangers per Mt 25:31-36[xxii]  than to give to some show that just entertains people.  

 However, I believe that Jenkins hasn’t made a Faustian bargain with Amazon Prime, he’s made a Damn Yankees bargain instead[xxiii]. 

This means that if some slimy Amazon Prime executive wants Jenkins to add some sultry sexy nudie scene between Elizabeth Tabish and Jonathan Roumie  รก la “The Last Temptation of Christ”[xxiv] Jenkins can tell that slimy Amazon Prime executive, in as loving and kind of a Christian way as possible, to go to Hell.  Those pornographic blasphemous sex scenes lead those who watch down the primrose path to Hell.  There is no way in hell Jenkins’ wife Amanda wants her husband to see any other woman naked for any reason whatever.  Tabish would probably feel as uncomfortable as Hell itself being naked up on screen for all the world to see.  Plus, Tabish will have the opportunity to see Roumie 90% naked anyway when a fully clothed Mary Magdalene stands at the foot of the cross watching Roumie’s Jesus save humanity from the fires of Hell while enduring hell on earth. I’m also sure Jenkins’ lawyers drafted an iron clad contract that Amazon’s lawyers would have a heck of a time trying to break where they agreed to give Jenkins complete creative control of “The Chosen” or other future 5&2 studios projects. Although Jenkins texted “Me”  a while ago explaining how there is a budget shortfall for season 6 and part of me fears that Amazon may be trying to take back their promise of funding “The Chosen”. 

 So, yes, I understand why some people may not like “The Chosen” for a variety of reasons.    In some ways liking “The Chosen" is akin to my wishy-washy posts (Coke v Pepsi, Starbucks v Dunkin) where its’ just a preference and people obviously have preferences.   I feel whoever invented the Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies should be made a saint and my husband feels whoever invented those Thin Mint cookies should be damned for all eternity.   There are more things more important in life than if one trivial thing is better than another.   So just because someone doesn’t like “The Chosen” doesn’t mean they won’t like other biblical projects or media like those “God is Not Dead.” films.

Because speaking of other biblical media projects, I have a confession to make…



[vii] LK 8: 2-3

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