# Is Passion of the Christ worth watching? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 7, 2005, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-passion-of-the-christ-worth-watching/334547 "2005-12-07T19:25:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-passion-of-the-christ-worth-watching/334547/21 "2005-12-07T21:46:58Z")
**Broken Wind** , from what I understand, impalement was not always fatal. Sometimes the victim would crawl around for days like that. But I believe it almost always caused some permanent damage. ---
**Author:** ![snorlax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@snorlax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snorlax)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-passion-of-the-christ-worth-watching/334547/22 "2005-12-07T22:06:08Z")
> [@Broken Wind](#): > > Bah. Give me crucifixion over [impalement](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impalement) any day. (Spoiler boxed due to extremely graphic and gruesome description) Bleurgh! Thank goodness Jesus didn’t go that way. That would be one movie I would _not_ want to see. And imagine what Christians would wear around their necks… ---
**Author:** ![Wolfian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Wolfian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfian)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-passion-of-the-christ-worth-watching/334547/23 "2005-12-07T22:21:56Z")
> [@Baldwin](#): > > Instead we get this bullshit resurrection that somehow makes everything all right. Everything’s alright. Yes, everything’s fine… Oh. Wrong Jesus movie. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-passion-of-the-christ-worth-watching/334547/24 "2005-12-07T22:33:31Z")
I was very, very disappointed in this movie. I usually like MG’s films, but this one was just gore and nothing more. It didn’t add **anything** to the tale. A much better film is _The Last Temptation of Christ_. Oh, in case you don’t see it but are curious about the ending: Jesus dies. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-passion-of-the-christ-worth-watching/334547/25 "2005-12-07T22:52:38Z")
I’d say watch the movie, if only to know what everyone is talking about. I’m Christian(Episcopalian). Once has so far been enough for me with this film. But as another poster has said, it put him in mind of what Christ did go through for us. I liked the flashbacks, such as Mary’s memories of Jesus as a little boy, or when he was adult and building a table. But watch out for the flashbacks, because after each one the violence seems to ratchet up again. The different languages were cool. I did notice when Mary was calling for Peter it sounded like\* KAY\*-fa, which was Aramaic I suppose for Cephas, one of Peter’s original names. The scene where Pilate’s wife brings fine linen cloth to Mary, and the looks in the eyes of both women , was quite moving, no words necessary. It’s a disturbing film I grant you. When I saw it it was with a large group of people from my church. We weren’t the whole theater, but maybe at least a third of it. Next Sunday all anyone could talk about when first discussing the film was when we left the theater. There had been a heavy rainstorm(we hadn’t heard it) and in the east there was one of the most brilliant, vivid rainbows I have ever seen. It kind of lifted our spirits. ---
**Author:** ![Rhinocerous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f14d63/32.png) [@Rhinocerous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhinocerous)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-passion-of-the-christ-worth-watching/334547/26 "2005-12-07T22:55:04Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > Jesus dies. Jesus may have died in the movie . . . . . . but he’s alive in my heart. I’m totally being sarcastic! (in case you were wondering) ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-passion-of-the-christ-worth-watching/334547/27 "2005-12-07T23:13:35Z")
> [@Baldwin](#): > > Personally, I would have liked it if the last scene had shown the tomb being opened several weeks later – to reveal Jesus’ rotting corpse. Instead we get **this bullshit resurrection that somehow makes everything all right**. You might disagree with the story, but that’s how it goes (I’m not saying whether the story is true or not, I’m simply saying that is how the _story_ ends). ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-passion-of-the-christ-worth-watching/334547/28 "2005-12-08T00:25:34Z")
> [@Rhinocerous](#): > > I’m totally being sarcastic! (in case you were wondering) Well, there are those on this board who wouldn’t have been. Not that there’s anything wrong with that! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-passion-of-the-christ-worth-watching/334547/29 "2005-12-08T00:30:51Z")
> [@Rhinocerous](#): > > Jesus may have died in the movie . . . > > . . . but he’s alive in my heart. You can get an operation to fix that, you know. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-passion-of-the-christ-worth-watching/334547/30 "2005-12-08T00:37:18Z")
That movie was so good, someone should have wrote a book about it. ---
**Author:** ![ltfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@ltfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ltfire)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-passion-of-the-christ-worth-watching/334547/31 "2005-12-08T01:16:11Z")
Just to bring my youthful Catholic upbringing into synch with todays world, I watched the crucifixion scene with tears in my eyes. The camera panned down to the ‘Crown of Thorns’ lying in the dirt. The camera held that shot for more than a few seconds. To prove that I am definitely going straight to Hell…I was thinking…E-Bay! ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-passion-of-the-christ-worth-watching/334547/32 "2005-12-08T01:40:23Z")
Good thing I had it as a free rental, because I wound up fast-forwarding all the really rough parts, which left me watching approximately 15 to 20 minutes of the film. ---
**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-passion-of-the-christ-worth-watching/334547/33 "2005-12-08T02:36:58Z")
I’m the most die-hard atheist around, but a big chunk of my diss dealt with the Passion as a subject in art and drama in the late Middle Ages so I excused myself for a moment and watched it. It’s a very good modern version of a Passion play, with all that entails (cough cough violenceandjewbaiting cough). For what its worth, it has little to do with the Bible (what is Biblical is clearly John, with all that that entails. . .) and much to do with medieval and post-medieval legend and popular belief. It’s a well-done, visually striking movie, and I can see why a lot of Christians like it very very much. But it is TOTALLY 15th-century-- relates very very closely to German Passion tracts. It’s worth seeing. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-passion-of-the-christ-worth-watching/334547/34 "2005-12-08T04:16:36Z")
> [@PeterWiggen](#): > > I don’t want to jump ship here, but I think it’s worth watching. Not because of the message, or the story or anything - it’s basically a snuff film. > > But because of [Monica Bellucci](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000899/). > > Oh man. > > - Peter Wiggen In my original [review](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=247711&highlight=pizzle) of this movie, I called it a snuff film too. Anyone who comes away from the message of Jesus of Nazareth as angry as Mel Gibson apparently is has issues beyond the scope of Cinema. I recommend you watch it if you feel a commitment to Modern Cinema. Otherwise, I recommend you avoid it. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-passion-of-the-christ-worth-watching/334547/35 "2005-12-08T04:18:11Z")
I think Passion was a disgusting, masturbatory blood-feast. I don’t think it is worth seeing in any way, and I’m appalled that it was so popular and that busloads of church congregations went to go see it just because it was a movie about Jesus. ---
**Author:** ![Israfel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/87869e/32.png) [@Israfel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Israfel)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-passion-of-the-christ-worth-watching/334547/36 "2005-12-08T06:14:37Z")
I guess I’m in the minority: I really liked it- and not because of it’s religious message; I simply thought it was a good film. I loved the languages, costumes, sets- just fun stuff all around. And the Satan character looked really nifty, too. But then, I didn’t really think the film was all that gory either, so there ya go. ---
**Author:** ![BlackKnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb8c5e/32.png) [@BlackKnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackKnight)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-passion-of-the-christ-worth-watching/334547/37 "2005-12-08T07:35:25Z")
> [@Argent Towers](#): > > I think Passion was a disgusting, masturbatory blood-feast. If I hadn’t already seen it, I’d have been sold on it right there. 😃 I’m an atheist, and I enjoyed the film. It has its flaws, certainly, but I don’t see what all the fuss is about. It’s gory, but not _that_ gory. The major problem I had while seeing this in the theatre was that I was surrounded by old people. The smell of Ben-Gay was alarmingly thick. I was the only one in the theatre who didn’t remember the Eisenhower administration, I think. (Well, ok, most of them probably didn’t remember it either. But I mean that I was the only one now _alive_ then.) Plus, they never shut up. Seriously. It was almost, but not quite, as bad as being surrounded by 14-year-old girls. Except without the cellphones and omigods. It was always, “Oh dear, me. He really suffered!” Or, “Is that one Judas? I think that one’s Judas. But the other guy, he might be Judas. Which one is Judas?” And there was crying. Er, sorry. Got off track there. But yeah, I think it’s worth watching. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-passion-of-the-christ-worth-watching/334547/38 "2005-12-08T09:04:38Z")
> [@Argent Towers](#): > > I think Passion was a disgusting, masturbatory blood-feast. I don’t think it is worth seeing in any way, and I’m appalled that it was so popular and that busloads of church congregations went to go see it just because it was a movie about Jesus. I was subjected to considerable peer-pressure by folks in my church, which is deeply ironice, since peer pressure (and violence in movies) is something they would normally strenuously oppose. I still haven’t seen it and I don’t intend to. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-passion-of-the-christ-worth-watching/334547/39 "2005-12-08T14:32:21Z")
**Argent Towers** is spot on, IMO. If you’re concerned about the violence and think you’ll just close your eyes during those parts, you’ll have them closed for nearly all of the movie. It’s far more violent than _Braveheart_ ever thought about being. And it’s of a different quality: with _Braveheart_, there were men fighting other men for ideas they believed in. With PotC, the violence goes on for so long, and is so lovingly filmed, if you lose sight of the Christian meanings that the story is trying to portray, you really start to wonder about the sadism of the director. And for me, the violence was too much - it made me mose sight of the Christian meaning I was supposed to get. I realize I’m a PollyAnna and perhaps put too much stock in the idea that people are basically good, but I have a hard time believing that Roman executioners and torturers would be so sadistic. It’s one of the only movies I really regret seeing. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-passion-of-the-christ-worth-watching/334547/40 "2005-12-08T15:01:36Z")
If you do wind up watching it, keep an eye out for Big Gay Herod. If you think the violence is over the top and cartoonish, you don’t remember this character. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-passion-of-the-christ-worth-watching/334547.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-passion-of-the-christ-worth-watching/334547.md?page=3)