Hey folks, Harry here... I love this movie. I've decided to hold off writing a review till I see the final version, simply because we have so many of these other "rough cut" reviews that have come in. I'd rather write a review that talks about the differences between the cut I saw at BNAT5 and the release version. I'm curious what, if any, cuts are made to the film, what the final score does to it and ultimately the visual effects that Mel intends for the film. Here's Wahoo Rob with a look at the film, as of a week ago...
Harry,
I'm a long-time visitor to your site and have a great appreciation for the movie info I find here. I've been a movie fan since my youth, catching double-features like those old Steve Reeves Hercules movies and Sir Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes for 25 cents (yep, that oughta date me). Doesn't matter if it's comic book or indie art, I love it. Usually I keep my opinions to myself when it comes to the web...but I've simply got to weigh in on The Passion.
I was lucky enough to see a rough cut at a Young Life (Christian ministry to teens) staff conference last Sunday in Orlando, Florida. Jim Caviezel showed up for the screening and spoke afterwards about the demanding physical aspects of the role. The whole experience was remarkable.
Now granted, my Christian beliefs definitely color my response to this movie...but I've seen pretty much every "Jesus" movie ever made and this one's different. Gibson's offering resonates in a way that I can't explain. It's been 7 days since I've seen the movie and I can't get it out of my mind.
I had some concerns when I heard Caviezel was playing Jesus, that he was too "pretty" to play an man Isaiah called "a man of sorrows" and who had "no beauty or to attract us to him." Those concerns were easily resolved. His performance is powerful and rich.
Maia Morganstern is transcendant as Jesus' mother, Mary. She somehow manages to balance the despair of watching her son tortured and killed with an other-wordly awareness that he is fulfilling his purpose and mission on earth. The exchange between Mary and Jesus on the Via de la Rosa after he stumbles beneath the weight of the Cross is at the same time heart-rending and uplifting.
The rest of the cast is excellent. From a conflicted Pilate and a debauched Herod to the gender-ambiguous Satan, Gibson has drawn exactly what he needed from each member of the cast.
Is it anti-Semitic? I'm not Jewish, so obviously I can't speak from that point of view...but I wonder how a movie whose hero is Jewish (along with his mother and friends). Caiphas and the other Jewish leaders who sought the death of Jesus seem more politically and theologically calculating than thirsty for blood. And there are plenty of other positive Jewish portrayals throughout the film, from the dissenting priests at Jesus' trial to Simon who, when pulled from the crowd to help carry the cross, goes from worried that he might be identified to closely with Jesus to a man who sees that there's something different about this suffering "criminal."
This movie is hard to watch. The cut we saw was so very close to NC-17. It was brutal. But it was necessary. One of your early reviewers said something like "we have to see this." He/she is right. It's critical that we know, really know. The audience, made up of Young Life staffers from around the world, didn't just cry...they sobbed.
If there was ever a movie that should be deemed "must see", this has to be it.
Keep up the great web site!
If you use this, just call me...
WahooRob
