Monica Bellucci, Maia Morgenstern and Christo Jivkov
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LOVEFiLM Review
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By Tom Charity from LOVEFiLMDirected by Mel Gibson, this film was about as controversial as they come.
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Most helpful review
Distasteful, distorting, disgusting
By Aman1 from Middlesex , 10 Aug 2004[Highly rated reviewer]
Whatever your religious stance, it is hard to deny how brilliant and powerful the story of Christ's crucifixion is. Therefore despite the cloud of controversy surrounding the film, I was excited to see Gibson's take on the story.
I walked out of the movie with a slight distaste in my mouth, and a profound sense of disappointment. In many ways, the movie's was morality was far too simple. For example, the Jews are condemned as simple antagonists, when the situation was far more complex (It doesn't need a historian to work that out).
The violence of the movie is almost sadomasochistic in nature. Although some may argue this works to show just how much Christ suffered, I feel it gives a film a far too unbalanced take on Christ and his life. The interludes into his past always comes as relief, and are always far too brief.
The film, and this story's pivotal moment is the crucifixion itself, and this is the biggest letdown of the film. Both emotively, and as a symbolic device, it fails completely in the movie. The problem is that we have been shown so much violence, the viewer becomes almost numb to any violence after Jesus begins carrying the crucifix.
I had recently read a famous Old English poem called The Dream Of The Rood, and must say it moved me far, far more than anything in this film did. Both politically, and as a movie, this film fails miserably.- Was this review helpful to you?
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(696)Mel Gibson is a crazy man
By a customer , 22 Apr 2013Total rubbish. Unnecessary gore interspersed with cheesy interludes. I didn't make it to the crucifixion. I'd much rather watch Life of Brian.- Was this review helpful to you?
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The film like the person of Christ invites a reaction and a decision
By PaulHappy (144 reviews) , 10 Apr 2013I have seen this film a number of times and it does not cease to make a real impression. Over the years there have been several films on Jesus Christ, but the reason that this one is so powerful is that it looks at a real historical event that was the crucifixion and does not attempt to dilute the barbaric reality of it - it really was inhuman, cruel and provided the greatest possible pain to the crucified person. This film also depicts the ridicule, extreme punishment and pure evil that Christ had to confront even before being crucified - the fact that he did not deserve it and that he willingly went through it all for us makes it even more moving and amazing. If it really is true that God became man and died for our wrong-doings then it is the most important event in history. It is a matter of historic record that he was buried a bloodied and seemingly failed Messiah and then 3 days later he rose from the dead, leaving behind an empty tomb and then appeared to his disciples alive with a body that could be seen and touched and he did so on a number of occasions - to grasp the reality of all this is mind-blowing - even more so that to this day no one has been able to refute the evidence for the Resurrection! Anybody who looks at this evidence (and there's a lot of it) without prejudice, will conclude that this really did happen - and if it did - then with the crucifixion nothing else in history compares to it. We then must ask what does it mean to me and what should I do? The film is graphic but superbly made and tries to show the reality of those events 2,000 years ago. There are good perfomances from the actors who play Jesus, Pilate and Mary - Jesus' mother. This is a film that can be watched at anytime of the year, but especially poignant on Good Friday. Watch it and then reflect what it all means - perhaps pick up a bible and read the Gospel of John (an eye-witness) and decide for yourself what it all means and what if anything God invites you to do.- Was this review helpful to you?
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Sadomasochist it isn't.
By Bapibhaina (2 reviews) , 16 Dec 2012There is no denying that Jesus Christ lived in violent times and that he would have met with exemplary torture for defying the established religion and Rome at the same time. This movie keeps its eye firmly on the violence while giving the viewer to make an interpretation of it. I imagine if I lived in those ages the savagery would have been commonplace to me, I would have only marvelled at Christ's compassion. This movie was destined to be controversial like any other movie about religion. It has achieved more controversy by being brutal in its honesty.- Was this review helpful to you?
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Jesus Christ, this is awful!
By Thunderdragon from Bath , 15 Mar 2012Christianity has a lot to answer for, and this appalling film now adds to that. Truly awful.- Was this review helpful to you?
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Shameful and Disgusting
By a customer , 08 Feb 2012Clearly Mel Gibson used a passionate story to sell a film that was made up of unnecessary and uncalled for violence. The film should have focused more on the passion and the fact that he died on the cross for us sinners and not just about the imagined brutality. The film is shameful and absolutely disgusting.- Was this review helpful to you?
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