GILROY
– Those who saw the premiere of Mel Gibson’s controversial
”
The Passion of the Christ
”
Wednesday at Platinum Theatres overwhelmingly praised it as a
great film, although many said its graphic violence was hard to sit
through.
GILROY – Those who saw the premiere of Mel Gibson’s controversial “The Passion of the Christ” Wednesday at Platinum Theatres overwhelmingly praised it as a great film, although many said its graphic violence was hard to sit through.
Spontaneous applause broke out in the theater as the closing credits rolled for the nearly two-and-a-half-hour movie, directed by Mel Gibson and starring Jim Caviezel as Jesus.
“We just need to see what it cost (Jesus) to bear the sins of the world,” said Gail West, of Gilroy, after seeing the scenes of torture and crucifixion. “He was mutilated. I don’t think it even shows one quarter of what really happened.”
“It followed the gospels very closely,” said Shiela Walton, 66, of Morgan Hill. “This has been a very emotional, intense movie to see but very, very well done.”
The Rev. Eric Smith, pastor of South Valley Community Church in Gilroy, saw the movie on Monday – a sneak preview before it opened to the public Wednesday. Gibson intentionally released “The Passion” on Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, a Christian season that anticipates Jesus’ execution and resurrection.
“I loved this film,” Smith said in a prepared statement. “Watching Christ suffer so that I could have a new life moved me to tears. … Unlike Hollywood’s gratuitous violence, the brutality in this film is not to titillate or entertain, but to emphasize the reality of the unspeakable suffering that Christ endured on our behalf. For that I am grateful.”
Mixed reactions from clergy
On Wednesday, Smith’s name appeared with those of eight other South Valley pastors – many of whom had not seen the film – in an open letter showing solidarity with the area’s Jewish community in light of “The Passion.” Critics have said the film could reinforce in some Christians an ancient enmity toward Jews by blaming them for Jesus’ death. In the letter, the pastors did not judge whether they thought the film was anti-Semitic but condemned any such reaction to it.
“We all acknowledge our own personal responsibility in the death of Christ,” they wrote. “For this reason, if any negative or illegal action is taken against our Jewish friends as a result of this movie, we will denounce it as a malicious crime.”
Rabbi Yitzhak Miller, of the Morgan Hill-based Congregation Emeth, which serves the entire South Valley, saw the movie Tuesday night and didn’t think it was inherently anti-Semitic.
“This movie, like religion in general, is an extremely powerful tool, which is now placed in the morally-capable hands of humanity,” Miller said in a prepared statement. “Those who choose to search for hatred will find the same invitation to anti-Semitism in this film that the misread Christian Bible has facilitated for millennia. But those who choose to search for kindness and faith will find the same imperative of love and fellowship that true Christianity has engendered for those same millennia.
“I have found nothing but mutual love, respect and common purpose in my relationships with local Christian clergy. I trust them to carry those world-redeeming values from the theater into their own houses of worship and onto their pulpits.”
Asked about the movie’s violence, Miller said, “It certainly well earned its R rating. It’s not my taste, but I’m not sure it was gratuitous.”
The Rev. Bill Clancy, pastor of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Gilroy, is somewhat wary of the film, which he has not yet seen.
“From what I’ve read, … I think it’s two hours of unbelievable violence,” Clancy said. “I think there may be a problem separating fact from fiction. … I asked my director of religious education to make that our Lenten program, have everyone go see it and kick it around afterward, but she wasn’t of that mind.
“The publicity on that thing was incredible, … and free publicity,” Clancy added. “(Gibson) may be a trillionaire by the time this thing is done.”
Area clergy will hold a panel discussion on “The Passion of the Christ” from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. March 21 at the Morgan Hill Community and Cultural Center. Rabbi Miller said Lutheran, Methodist, Catholic and non-denominational Christian clergy have confirmed they will join him on the panel.
Before and after
For Mimi Riffle and Maryanne Ross, both Gilroyans who attend St. Mary Catholic Church, seeing the opening of “The Passion of the Christ” on Ash Wednesday was intended as a sacred experience.
“I’m totally behind Jesus,” Riffle said as she entered the theater before the film, “and I believe that this is the story, the true story of the last few hours of Jesus’ life.”
“I’m going to see it because it’s a reminder that none of us could ever suffer as much as he did,” Ross said.
Upon leaving the theater, Ross said, “That was a great movie. … I applaud Mel Gibson, and I hope he makes more Biblical epics.”
“I really enjoyed it,” Riffle said. “It is violent, but it’s no more violent than any other movie that they make in Hollywood. And it’s true.”
Catharsis for many
Brian Doyle, of Morgan Hill, didn’t think “The Passion” was as great as some other moviegoers did. On a scale of 10, he rated it a six.
“Its downfall was it was in Latin (and Aramaic),” Doyle said. “I felt you spent more time reading the subtitles than actually visualizing on the movie itself. Other than that, it wasn’t as gory as they’ve been making it out to be.”
Many, however, found that the film was quite gory.
“Everything from the part where they sickly beat him all the way to the walk-up when they nailed him (to a cross) was just really hard on me,” said 20-year-old Adam Whitney, of Gilroy.
“I couldn’t see it again,” said Marcella Flores, of Gilroy. “It’s too heartbreaking.”
“I hope it turns the hearts of people,” said Marcia Queen, of Gilroy. “It was hard to watch, but people have to realize what (Jesus) went through for us. … It wasn’t just a casual kind of thing; he went through a lot of pain.”
