DVD Review

The Passion of the Christ

Directed by Mel Gibson

First off, the DVD we get in Canada has an opening screen with the Canadian motion picture ratings system symbol on it which in and of itself does not bother me. However I think it’s insulting that the French language version is on the top, and thus the first thing your eyes go to which insults 91% of the population while satiating the remaining 9%, but that’s what Canada is all about I guess. DOWN WITH THE CRTC!!!

Now that my public service rant is over, on with the review.

What can I say about this flick that hasn’t already been said? Plenty. It’s not a bad looking film, the colour pallet is pleasing and appropriate. I enjoyed a couple of shots in particular that I will call the “Jesus POV” shots, and the shot near the end of the raindrop, or “teardrop of God” if you will, but unfortunately there isn’t enough of these in the film. Also, what is the deal with portraying Satan as a woman? And why do we even need Satan taking human form in the film? I think it would be more effective had they chose to use just a voice. And after we see Satan, why do we also need to see a snake? Come on Mel, we already know who the girl in the dark cloak is! Stop hitting us over the head with meaningless symbolism. The over use of slow-mo and other modern camera tricks is a mistake as well, as it does nothing besides taking the audience out of the story. The film was also over scored at times. Another thing that bugs me is that most of the time what the Romans say goes unsubtitled, as if Gibson is trying to downplay their importance, as if (with the obvious exception of the guards that whip and torture Jesus) they are no more worse than that asshole jock who snapped your ass with a towel in the gym locker room back in the eighth grade. Under Mel Gibson’s direction, the Romans come off in most scenes as no more than innocent bystanders who do nothing but observe what the Jews are doing to one of their own people. I have to admit that during certain scenes I could not help but think of parallel scenes from Monty Python’s The Life of Brain. “Welease Woderwick.” Is one that comes immediately to mind.

I will not go any further into the choices Gibson makes with the stories he choose to adapt from the New Testament, or the liberties he takes with them as a filmmaker because you could write a whole book about that, but I will say I was surprised to learn that Jesus invented the Bjursta Dining table from page 188 of the Ikea 2005 catalogue. Where Jesus got that wood planer is another question altogether.

In a film called “The Passion” I really expected more, I don’t know, PASSION! Maia Morgenstern who plays Jesus’ mom shows little to no emotion until near the very end of the film. Could this be a fault of having to learn all their lines in Aramaic? Perhaps. Monica Bellucci is competent enough as Jesus’ main squeeze Mary Magdelen, and Hristo Naumov Shopov (say that name ten times fast) puts forth a decent performance as Pontius Pilate, but Jim Caviezel’s Jesus really delivers, and his performance is head and tails above the other main characters. But it should be right? After all he is the main character.

Okay okay, enough yakking! Should you see this MOVIE? I emphasize the word only to make sure some people realize that contrary to what the Pope says, this is NOT A “HISTORICAL DOCUMENTARY” but a piece of fiction based on a piece of fiction that was LOOSELY based on the last twelve hours of a person’s life. A person who may or may not have existed mind you.

The answer to the question is yes, you should see it if for no other reason than to be another person who has an opinion about the flick. Is it as “great” or as “powerfully moving,” or “epic” as some other reviewers have said? No, not particularly, but it’s an okay film as long as you don’t take it for anything more than what it is: a movie.

A good idea would be to watch Passion and The Life of Brian back to back if for no other reason but to be reminded to “always look on the bright side of life.”

The DVD includes a sharp widescreen transfer, enhanced for 16x9 televisions, a fantastic DTS sound option that has a richness and depth that just isn't there on the Dolby Digital 5.1 track.