ok, my sister rented Passion of the Christ.... should I watch it?

[WMliberal]

I'm already half-drunk. I'm atheist. And I've recently re-read the "things not to say" thread. Those are the pros.

Cons: It's Passion of the Christ.

[GRLMGC]

1. Sure

I watched it because I was curious. I'm also an athiest. I was completely revolted by it. Watch for yourself, that's what I always say.

[jonnyblitz]

2. I would watch it if i never saw it!

I am an atheist and saw it when it came out at the theater! I thought it was a bit much but then I don't (ahem) "get it" anyway. :shrug:

[WMliberal]

5. that's pretty much what I'm thinking going into it.

I think a more significant Christ-worshipper movie would be "The Beattitudes." As someone with a passion (pun intended) for history, I'm going to see the hyperbolic beatings and say to myself: "others have endured more for more and less just causes."

If it comes to that, I'll just drink more and make jokes out loud to myself!

[jonnyblitz]

12. the beating and whipping NEVER stops it seems.

I am glad I saw it even if I thought it a bit much.I certainly didnt know what to think of the people around me in the theater sobbing their eyes out.

[Sanity Claws]

3. Sure

If you don't like it, you can say exactly why. That's much better than those RW nuts who want to ban a book even though they never read it.

edited for grammar

[stepnw1f]

4. More Like: Passion of the Krack!

[WMliberal]

9. did you see the national lampoon dvd versions?

HILARIOUS!!!

Basically, they show promos for three other versions with more beatings of Jesus. The more beatings included, the more devout christian you are for ordering it.

[stepnw1f]

18. Christian.... More Like Satanic

Instead of focusing on His pain, agony and torture, they could have tried to understand what he did during His life. These people are pure perverts of everything they encounter. They are the complete opposite of Christ. They even "cherry pick" their Faith!

They are useless, dangerous and pure evil. Morals my ASS!

On edit: Watch it anyway. If anyone turns into a purple frog, let me know.
:P

[tuvor]

6. You cannot dis if you know not of what you dis.

So if you wish to be able to dis, you must watch it.

[lenidog]

15. I agree totally

How can you dis it or argue with someone against it if you haven't ever watched it.

[RevolutionaryActs]

7. I myself am boycotting it, for many reason, but its your choice.

And hey, wheres the "things not to say" thread? That sounds like it could be funny. :D

[WMliberal]

11. I can't find it. The advanced search is offline right now. I'll edit when

I can find it. It's one of the DU all time top 5 threads.

[Skittles]

8. I hear it is pretty sickening, a real gore fest

nt

[jellybelly]

10. I watched it

I liked it somewhat, Mel left out a few parts:
When Jesus entered Jerusalem (before being crucified)the movie should've shown all the jews greeting Jesus with "King Of Israel" and "Son of David". That's how it went in the New Testament. It would've stopped critics from calling the movie anti-semitic.

[WMliberal]

13. oooh, but then we can talk about Mel's intentions

Did he leave it out on purpose or not? Does he or doesn't he care about being labeled anti-semitic?

That's the Literary and Culture Studies side of me that wants to see it.

[jellybelly]

16. See it

and read the New Testament before you do. If that movie was produced and directed correctly, there's absolutely no way it could be labeled as anti-semitic. Mel Gibson probably isn't an anti-semite, he's just good at knowing how to create controversy.

[WMliberal]

19. read the New Testament?! I'm half- drunk!

Then again, that might make the prose bearable.

[tjdee]

17. They mentioned it though...

they did mention it.

[jellybelly]

21. no...

they showed people throwing palms as he rode by on a donkey. There were loud groups calling him "King of Israel" in the New Testament. I'm not talking about the two or so jews who refered to Jesus as "King" or "Son of David". The movie portrayed the average jewish citizen as wanting Jesus to be crucified.

[tjdee]

32. Pilate said "three days ago you welcomed him...."

so they did, mention it...maybe I'm confused as to what we're comparing...

The movie didn't say "hey, these people here, they're JEWS!!" It portrayed the people THERE as wanting Jesus to be crucified. And that's the way it went down, if you believe that stuff. Even if you don't, somebody had to want him dead to move the story along, and it was going to be the Pharisees. The Romans were also beating/whipping/laughing...most people in his part of the world wanted him dead. Particularly in the film it was more about Jesus claiming to be God rather than his not being a Jew, breaking with Jewish tradition,etc. Had Mel showed a bunch of Jews spitting on him because he wasn't a Jew, that would have been something else.

I'm a (very very liberal, very very loose constructionist of the bible) Christian, btw.

[lenidog]

14. I am not an atheist

but then again I am not a Christian. Lets say at the moment I would describe myself as a deist. That will give you something to judge my opinion by. I say watch it even if its just to see what the big fuss was about and to see if its anti-semitic. Its not going to change your mind and its not going to kill you so why not.

[tjdee]

20. Other than three scenes, it was pretty one dimensional--bad directing choi

ces.

He should have inserted more Jesus 'happy times' flashbacks. The one with Mary was my favorite scene in the whole thing, even if it was made up (as an atheist, you prolly won't care about that!).

My other favorite scenes involved the weird devil lady. She rocked as a character, and Mel only used her a few times. She gave the film some antagonism.

Other than that, it was pretty much, gee, he gets beat. Gee he gets put on the cross. Downer downer downer. It didn't even give Jim Caviezel much to do except lie there, essentially. It is very, very bloody.

I don't think it was anti-semitic in the least, in the way I don't feel Nazi films are anti-Germans. Maybe I'll get a flame or two over that, but I really don't see it and can appreciate that others disagree.

[WMliberal]

23. very good analogy of Nazis and Germans.

I'll have to use that when I'm watching. But what I understand, it's as much what he omitted as what he inserted.

[noshenanigans]

22. I saw it and laughed inappropriately..

I couldn't help it, though! Honestly! The entire theatre was *so* somber and *so* mournful, and near the end after what felt like 20 hours of whipping, it finally *finally* seems to be wrapping up. And I couldn't help it. The tenseness of the room just got to me, and I got caught in a giggle fit.

If I believed in Hell, that would have earned my place, probably. Unintentional as it was, boy howdy there were some dirty looks thrown.

[RevolutionaryActs]

25. Thats the best story I've heard in a while! Too funny

[nicolemrw]

24. my minister said he wouldn't watch it.

which made me glad, cause i wouldn't either.

[UTUSN]

26. As O'REILLY Said, It Won't Change Anybody, Whether Atheist or Fundie

I went through a three week see-it/not- thing at the height of its release fever. The pros-cons were endless. What works most for me is the keep-friends-close-enemies-closer argument, so I was leaning towards seeing it. What clinched it were two people: O'REILLY and my rock-ribbed traditionalist sister, both of whom saw it and said the same thing, that it was nothing new, nothing that they didn't know from their Cath indoctrination. O'REILLY went on to say that it didn't CHANGE him one bit. Knowing what we know now about his loofah thing, it would have been a selling point if it DID change him.

Anyway, I saw it to know what everybody was taling about and what it was was "a torture flick". There was no development. It was one dimensional, nothing of the benevolent teachings, nothing of personal conflict, just the whippings and beatings. Just the other day "Midnight Express" was shown on cable, and even in this edited-down version, the prison beatings were more jarring somehow.

So I'd say, see it just so that you'd know what to think when somebody else is spewing b.s. about it.

[mitchum]

27. Ruin the ending for her...he dies

[WMliberal]

28. I heard he make s acomeback in the sequel

[mitchum]

31. But he's holding out for a percentage of the gross

[fujiyama]

29. AKA "The Jesus Chainsaw Massacre"

Hey it was even more awkward for me. I saw it in the theatre because my mom wanted to see it and I end up stuck next to some woman that's weeping during the entire film.

[NMDemDist2]

30. hey what's a snuff film between siblings? n/t