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Wilderness Woman
Watcher of the Wood
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
November 27 2002
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 Posted - March 24 2004 : 12:24:36 PM
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| No problem, Lainey! I'll look forward to your review. |
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richfed
Sachem
USA
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May 13 2002
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Posted - March 29 2004 : 6:56:45 PM
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I finally saw this ...
It's a hard movie to review - in the manner of most movies. All I care to say about it at this time is that I cried, or was on the verge, through practically the entire film. It is awesomely powerful stuff. Made me tremble ... |
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Lainey
TGAT
USA
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May 18 2002
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Posted - April 03 2004 : 02:51:30 AM
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The Passion of the Christ ... 'review' it? It's a film, of course, but it's not really something that is viewed. It's experienced.
Beautiful photography ... beautiful music ... very, very artistic production that remains the Gospel Truth. The violence was never gratuitous & graphically brutal as it was, it could not have been less so. Christ's actual suffering was still greater than what we see.
To hear Aramaic & Latin spoken was sweetly musical. The film could never have been as powerful without these languages [even the 'low Latin' spoken by the Roman soldiers was perfect in its coarseness]. The subtitles were necessary - if only to engage in the fullness of every moment. The conversation between Pontius Pilate & his wife Claudia on veritas ... it was too rich & too important to just hope an audience would understand Pilate's turmoil & almost painful vexation over 'what is truth?' & 'can you know it if you don't hear it?' - & Claudia's reply. [This is taken from an extra-scriptural source ... Anne Catherine Emmerich's writings, and I think it is one of the finest scenes in the film.]
Or when Mary, Christ's Mother, & Mary Magdelene awake with a jolt and say in turn ... 'Why is this night different from any other? Because we were slaves and are slaves no longer.' ... it is part of the spoken rites of the Jewish Pasch. It is a very beautiful way of reminding us that this was the night of Passover & connecting the ancient Paschal celebration to the Paschal Lamb who was now being sacrificed. It was done with great poignancy.
Hearing the words of Christ that are familiar to so many spoken in the tongue with which He actually spoke them was moving.
Mary, played by Maia Morgenstern ... this is the most incredible perfect portrayal of the Mother of Christ I have ever seen. She [Maia] captured the essence of The Virgin in every way - very beautiful to see this as it does introduce Mary to so many who have not yet really known her despite her pivotal & clear presence in Scripture - and of course, her uniquely special relationship to Christ & her role in salvation. This is not a timid Mary, but a very strong woman who has clearly united her will perfectly to God's. It is not a passively weeping, broken Mary, but a Mother whose sorrows are so deep & so painful her every tear evokes its own great passion. Where we usually see Madonna portrayals that are bordering on Bible cut-outs, [Olivia Hussey's portrayal was beautiful, too, but Maia Morgenstern has fully, fully captured the qualities of Christ's Mother] here we have the most compassionate Mother reaching out & comforting all around her who are overcome with grief while her own heart is so wounded. There is a particular look she gives to Claudia that really is the look of the consoling Madonna. Always knowing what her son, Jesus Christ, was born to do, we see her almost unable to bear her Son's pain but bearing it all the way to Calvary anyway. She walks the Via Dolorosa with her Son, giving Him strength & consolation to finish what He came to do - urging Him on really while she weeps. Ready to collapse at one point she sees Her son as a little child falling, she runs to Him to comfort Him. This incredible tender hearted memory gives her the strength to pick herself up & run to Christ who has fallen with His cross. Calling to Him, "Y'shua! I'm here!" ... she falls down to Him & He says, "Look, Mother, I make all things new again." The look between them ... this scene is the most strikingly beautiful, heart wrenching moment in the film I think. If this doesn't bring a deep, deep, deep cry to your heart I don't know that anything will. It is unforgettable ... haunting. He is all her in His humanity - 'Flesh of her Flesh, Heart of her Heart.' Gibson's "Passion" is really a contemplation of the Passion of Christ experienced through His Mother & in her eyes & heart & sorrow.
Maia Morgenstern deserves accolades, awards, & respect for what s |
"Fides et Ratio" |
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richfed
Sachem
USA
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May 13 2002
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Posted - April 03 2004 : 05:38:06 AM
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I agree with your "review" on all counts. Splendidly done, all around.
Lainey, the only thing that perplexed me, if you care to explain, was the presence of the Devil. Particularly, the scene where he was holding that "baby" ... can you educate me on this?
Oh, one other thing. When Christ was first taken, a couple of the Disciples struggle mightily. This is a different portrayal of the scene than any other I recall. What is that based upon? |
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Lainey
TGAT
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
May 18 2002
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Posted - April 03 2004 : 2:23:38 PM
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quote:
I agree with your "review" on all counts. Splendidly done, all around.
Lainey, the only thing that perplexed me, if you care to explain, was the presence of the Devil. Particularly, the scene where he was holding that "baby" ... can you educate me on this?
Oh, one other thing. When Christ was first taken, a couple of the Disciples struggle mightily. This is a different portrayal of the scene than any other I recall. What is that based upon?
The way Satan was presented [an androgynous being - the maggot crawling from the nose to show the interior decay or rottenness] & portrayed by Rosalinda Celentano was yet another triumphal aspect of Gibson's vision. Always present [& unseen save by Christ & Mary] & tempting even Christ, who was True Man as well as True God. The temptations, though vain, were made against the Son of Man in futile hope He'd turn away from His suffering & death so that all would be lost. Christ was tempted & taunted during His 40 days in the desert, too, according to the Gospels.
The grotesque demonic 'baby' was particularly noteworthy since Satan seduces & tempts with that which appeals to us, or seems beautiful. What he ultimately does, though, is to mock the Divine. Always - his is a perverse imitation of what is good & holy. With the 'baby' he was mocking the Madonna & Christ Child.
The Garden of Gethsemane - where the Temple guards came with Judas to seize Christ - this too is a Gospel account of the arrest. Christ's disciples, including His twelve Apostles, did not yet understand why or what was actually going to happen in terms of the Kingdom of God which Christ preached. The Apostles who were with Christ the night He was betrayed had not yet understood that He was to become the Sacrificial Lamb ... that He had to die. They fought & were enraged. Peter cut off a Temple guard's ear. Christ stopped him from further struggle & then healed the severed ear.
What a film it is ... |
"Fides et Ratio" |
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Wilderness Woman
Watcher of the Wood
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
November 27 2002
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Posted - April 03 2004 : 5:08:15 PM
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quote:
With the 'baby' he was mocking the Madonna & Christ Child.
Yes, and to take your analysis a little farther, a friend of mine from work, who saw the movie, said that he felt Satan was taunting God. By caressing and showing tenderness to the "baby" he was in essence saying to God: See how kind and loving I am to my child? See? I would never do to my child what you are doing to yours.
Thank you, Lainey. That was beautiful.
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securemann
Deerslayer
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
July 08 2002
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Posted - April 03 2004 : 11:06:04 PM
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| Satan enjoys mocking God every chance he gets.One example would be the Black Mass which is Satanic and is a blasphemous parody of the Holy Mass instituted by Christ.The Eucharist is desecrated during this evil service along with other blasphemous rituals right out of Hell. |
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Mel Gibson's "The Passion"
