I remember when my girlfriend at Tufts moved out. I went home for the weekend so I wouldn't have to be around. Not sure if that was better (didn't have to be there) or worse (had to return to an empty room). Still, even as I felt bitter and wanted her back, there was something exciting about getting to rebuild my "home" around me instead of us.
--Max Tue Mar 2 11:07:53 2004
My aunt offered a refuge, but I didn't think it'd be too helpful. And like I said, I think that's still the case, it was just the hugging that got to me for some reason...
--Kirk Tue Mar 2 11:51:31 2004
So the butt-whippers think the crucifixion was little more than a high-production BDSM session? Hey, I've got a great idea. Let's crucify them and then we'll see how they feel about it.
Bleeping morons.
--Dubious D Tue Mar 2 14:48:30 2004
No, they think Mel Gibson's portrayal of the crucifixion was that...not to underplay the suffering, but frankly, this movie overplays.
I personally agree that it might be a mistake to fixate so much (and exagerate) and in this particular gruesome way on this one aspect of Jesus's life, death, and teaching, even if you think it's the most important part of his existence.
--Kirk Tue Mar 2 15:57:19 2004
As I understand it (having decided not to subject myself to this film), the violence was exaggerated to the degree that it became pornographic. The fact that that kind of pornography hasn't bothered any of the legions of churchgoers who dragged their children to see thing is appalling. Who decided that seeing such things are any less harmful to children than seeing nudity or sex ?
--John S. Tue Mar 2 16:16:04 2004
when you say "I feel a bit like a loser," I wonder if you are feeling that shame I always feel when I am left -- like the leaver has stamped "inadequate" across my forehead for all the world to pretend to ignore. if so, I feel you. but I don't think you're any kind of loser. and if anyone does, they're stupid and I'll kick them. I'm always "around" if you want to talk.
--Brooke Tue Mar 2 17:29:57 2004
First of all ... my thoughts and prayers to Kirk (brother Butch) as this was obviously a tough day.
Secondly, I disagree that the movie overplays the crucifixion. In spite of my strong Christian beliefs, I tried to look at the Passion objectively and I can only come to one conclusion ... anybody that was put to death like that went through an amount of suffering none of us can even begin to fathome. It just makes it that much worse that (regardless of your religious beliefs) it happened to an innocent man. There are much more graphic and violent scenes in other films that the general public doesn't think is distateful. People overplay the film simply due to the fact it was about Jesus. Anyway, just my two cents.
--Beau Tue Mar 2 20:30:40 2004
I don't have strong Christian beliefs, but my feelings on the movie parallel those of Beau, it seems. Although I wouldn't use the term suffering, which I usually save for longer-term descriptions. The Jesus depicted put up with a staggering amount of physical abuse, and while he despaired a bit, he didn't renounce his statements.
The pornography charge is a tough call. Ebert sez: "Brendan Gill, the distinguished writer for the New Yorker, offered a definition of pornography that has stood the test of time. A porno movie, he said, is a movie where you become acutely aware that the characters are spending too much time getting in and out of cars and walking in and out of doors." Okay, even compensating for the anachronism, The Passion doesn't meet that criteria. The last sequence, where Jesus is carrying the cross, seems a little episodic (as one would expect with so many Stations of the Cross occurring at such short intervals), but there's still as much attention to character as the events of the movie (all of which passed in 12 hours or so, save for flashbacks) could allow. I'd have to say no, it's not porn like numerous violent movies that get a pass because they're modern action and horror movies instead of polemical period dramas.
--LAN3 Thu Mar 4 13:08:34 2004
I think one interesting point is that Christian's kind of want to believe that the physical suffering of Christ is unique in history, and it just isn't. The uniqueness of Christ's death rests exclusively in the meaning of his life, or possibly you could think his suffering was more acute because of some factor of his divinity. (On the other hand, playing (hopefully not too literally) devil's advocate, would omniscience, and prescience of one's return from death, make the whole suffering and death that much less bad to go through?)
--Kirk Thu Mar 4 14:01:58 2004
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