A matter of personal faith

One of the expected pitfalls when a popular cultural medium such as film tackles religious themes, especially the life of Jesus Christ, is that it generates controversy.

Director Mel Gibson’s latest opus, The Passion of the Christ, has been severely criticized by North American and European critics notably for its brutal presentation of the violence that marked Jesus Christ’s last 12 hours. Distributed locally by 20th Century Fox through Warner Brothers, the film has been getting rave reviews from Filipino critics on the other hand.

In an unusual move, officials of the influential Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) recently watched last Monday an advanced screening of the film together with an estimated 150 bishops, superiors of religious congregations, Catholic school leaders, and priests.

Issuing an unprecedented endorsement after watching The Passion, Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Rosales said, "I want every Filipino to watch this film because there is a promise here, there is meaning. Maybe God is trying to tell us something." While the decidedly secular North American and European critics have labeled The Passion as a cinematic portrayal of lurid sadomasochism, festival of torture, and another defamation drive against the Jews, Rosales described the accusations of anti-Semitism as issue-grinding by "those who could not make a distinction that separates the Jews’ political development and personal history.

Strongly extolling Gibson’s personal convictions, CBCP President and Davao Archbishop Fernando Capalla said The Passion "brings you back to the essence of your faith."

Religious faith is key in appreciating The Passion, which is regarded by many as a genuine articulation of Gibson’s beliefs. The tricky issue here is that cultural consumption, in this case going to a theater and seeing The Passion, becomes a very public expression of one’s most private relationship: between a person and God – if he or she is a believer.

The point I am emphasizing here is this: The Passion is about a viewer’s personal faith in God. How a viewer receives the film’s message is a direct function of what he or she takes inside a theater aside from a can of cola and a bag of popcorn, and not how realistic the spilling of the blood and the bashing of the bones are portrayed. A member of the audience is most likely to hinge his or her appreciation of the film on his or her "spirituality" and set of beliefs.

Gibson is not out to convert the non-believers, but he succeeds – through James Caviezel who plays the role of Jesus and Maia Morgenstern as Mary – in rendering Jesus Christ’s last 12 hours which are filled with sufferings, fears, and violence. While any Filipino believer understands and knows the passion of Christ, there is a lack of adequate understanding of the extent of the pain and brutality of how the Roman rulers and soldiers punished their subjects condemned them to death. The penitence and self-flagellation of devotees who go to the extent of literally having themselves nailed on a cross come Good Friday is a walk in the park if we reread carefully the accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Before watching the film, if possible, please take time to study their accounts of Jesus’ journey from the time he prayed at the Garden of Olives (Gethsemane) after the conclusion of the Last Supper, His betrayal by Judas Iscariot and His subsequent arrest, the return to Jerusalem, confrontation with the Pharisees, His audience with Pontius Pilate and King Herod and His sentencing to death, and His dying on the cross.

A believer is bound to acclaim Caviezel’s gripping portrayal of Jesus Christ and his ultimate sacrifice of dying for His convictions and for His believers.

But this is not to say that Gibson’s rendition of brutality in this film is fit for consumption by an unaccompanied minor. Two scenes must be mentioned: the extended whipping of Jesus Christ and His crucifixion.

Just to show how much of blood and other body fluids are spilled, Gibson uses a long-shot of Mary and Mary Magdalene (Monica Bellucci) wiping with white cloths the spot where Jesus is scourged (notice the stark contrast between a wide field of red and a small dot of white) and slowly zooms in on a close-up shot of the white cloths which turn red.

Cinematographer Caleb Deschanel’s technique of deliberately using low-key lighting from the opening scenes at Gethsemane, progressing to high-key lighting during the film’s climax (crucifixion) is a clever way of making a viewer feel the intensity of the conflict.

His effortless use of lap dissolve to bridge the present and the flashing back of the past in Jesus’ mind is superb, with the flash- back scenes done mostly in sepia tones. There are extraordinarily brilliant scenes notably using the point-of-view shots such as when Jesus falls on His knees due to the heavy cross and the people around Him are shown inverted on the screen, and when he uses an aerial shot to reveal to the audience how Jesus, on the throes of death, sees the spectacle of Roman soldiers cheering His eventual death and the suffering crowd.

The makeup special effects by Greg Cannom is a sure nominee in next year’s Oscars. Watch how muscles are shredded, flesh slashed, and gaping wounds drip with blood. Production designer Francesco Frigeri, costume designer Maurizio Millenotti, art director Nazzareno Piana, and set decorator Carlo Gervasi must be commended for their credible recreation of the sets where Jesus spent His last 12 hours.

Among the notable members of the cast are Claudia Gerini (as Claudia Procles), Rosalinda Celentano (Satan), Hristo Jivkov (John), Hristo Shopov (Pontius Pilate), Jarreth Merz (Simon), Luca Lionello (Judas), and Mattia Sbragia (Caiphas).

Bravo to Gibson who is also the screenwriter (together with Ben Fitzgerald) and producer, John Debney for his creepy music compositions and scoring, and Shaila Rubin for assembling such a wonderful cast. Editor John Wright could have cut several of the drawn-out scenes to speed up the pace of the film which uses Aramaic, Latin, and Hebrew for its dialogues.