the passion of.. shut the hell up!

[amezri]

I'm not cutting.. because I don't feel like it. No spoilers because I haven't seen it. Although... how do you spoil a plot that's been around for over a thousand years? Moving on...

So all this drama over The Passion. Meh. It's a movie. Yeah, I know it's about a very heavy religious topic, and it's super bloody, and some Jews think the movie was made to destroy them!!!11!! Liekomg. And Christians are all "If you love Jesus, you will make Mel Gibson more money go see it!" See it, don't see it. I don't friggin care. Don't go and bitch about how intense it was and how it's inappropriate because your Bible has white-washed everything. Hello, people, use some logic. It's a Mel Gibson film (Braveheart, anyone?), it's about the death of Jesus at the hands of the Romans, and it's been marketed as a realistic, violent, bloody film. The Romans weren't exactly a friendly bunch, especially if they were going to put you to death. Crucifixion wasn't a special thing they developed for the Son of God, you know - it was a pretty normal event. Like hangings.

[Edit: I just wanted to make a correction to the statement I made above about the white-washing of the Bible. The Bible itself is filled with many violent stories. I should have specified that I meant the crucification of Jesus.

From a reply I left below: Jesus' torment is described very briefly (Matthew 27:26-44; Mark 15:17-37; Luke 23:26-43; John 19:17-27) and in rather vague detail (IMO). Obviously, I don't know if they were purposely edited or if the original writers wanted to spare their readers the graphic nature of the subject. Then again, it's possible that they didn't need to describe it as crucifixions were a common enough spectacle that people knew what happened. In any case, I apologize for my blanket statement. /edit]

People are coming out of the theaters shaken and disturbed. Good. I mean, don't go on a violent killing spree or anything, but good! Maybe it will make you think, make you question. Maybe you'll really think about Jesus' message and not the garbage that the Church wants you spreading around to "save the heathens!" Jesus was all for the love, acceptance, and forgiveness - not religious brainwashing. Afterall, he and his apostles were a rogue religious faction - the Hebrews didn't like Jesus and his followers because... they had different religious beliefs. Liekomg!! They questioned the religious leaders of the time. How dare they!

I heard on the news this morning that a woman collapsed towards the end of the movie and later died in the hospital. If she died of a heartattack, do you think they'll pull the film or rate it an NC-17? I mean, "Young Adam"'s getting an NC-17 and that was just for flashing Ewan's penis for however many seconds. You would think brutal, bloody, realistic torture and execution would rate higher than an R, but what do I know?

Having babbled all of that, I haven't seen the film yet. I probably will, but I don't know if my mother will want to go. My father.... hey, I would take him if he'd have a heartattack at the end too.. oh that was mean but he'd either be really confused, fall asleep, miss the point entirely, or worse, become a raging born-again. Maybe I'll go with my brother while my mom's in Arizona. Why am I going? Certainly not because I'm supporting psycho-Christians or Mel Gibson or because I hate Jews. I'm going because it looks like an interesting, bloody, violent movie... and it's in a foreign language. I'm easy, really.

+ NYU student Spencer Somer's trailer satire: Kill Christ
+ from Wired News: The Passion Inflames the Web

De-friend, flame, comment, link, whatever.

Comments

[dumdeedum.livejournal.com]

make Mel Gibson more money

Can I suck your dick? lol! Seriously. you asre so fucking right on.

[amezri.livejournal.com]

LOL!! Erm.. I don't have one, so I'd have to order one for you XD Did I just say that?

[dumdeedum.livejournal.com]

Can you like, grow one for me? lol! :P

[amezri.livejournal.com]

I'll have to get back to you on that.

[dumdeedum.livejournal.com]

hahaha!! All right. *waits not sopatiently*

[urbanfae.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much.

I can't understand the people who are so shocked and appalled at the blood and gore. Yes, because the Romans would have calmly discussed their problems with you and you would have all gone on your way. They wouldn't have tortured someone who threatened the empire brutally before crucifying them. Who would think something silly like that?

[amezri.livejournal.com]

You're welcome. This has been bugging me all week and hearing it on the radio this morning set me off.

People just aren't used to the realistic application of blood and gore. It's different when there's buckets of it in a fantasy/sci-fi/horror movie because, unless you're really ill, you know it's fake. So silly, modern people have no concept of the horror of a real, live, bloody crucifixion. This movie is just TMI for them

[buhfly.livejournal.com]

*MWAH* You're awesome.

[amezri.livejournal.com]

Awww, shucks. Naw. Your post about it was just as good if not better. And bible slash is wrong in that mentally disturbing way XD

[xpashax.livejournal.com]

Saving Private Ryan must have bugged the hell out of you. ;-)

[amezri.livejournal.com]

Hah. I never payed much attention to the Saving Private Ryan hoopla. Was there a hoopla? When I finally did see it, I thought it was a very realistic depiction of th violence of war and that every idiot (read: politician) who is gungho about sending children (not their own, of course) off to fight a battle should see it and understand that these are human beings that will suffer and die.

Erm.. I'm sure that sounded a lot more bitter than I mean. ^_^* Sorry.

[xpashax.livejournal.com]

It's the same exact hoopla, minus religon.

People came out of that movie horrified about how violent it was, some claiming to have been traumatised by the gory scenes like the D-Day invasion. Just as it is with The Passion. Not because they didn't know these very bloody things happened, but because they'd never been confronted with them visually.

Movies in the past about both events had always glossed over the violence and the gore. In the case of Christianity, people want to focus on the happy parts of religion, and try not to think about the unpleasent aspects. I think the shock and horror is a good thing.

What's going to give you non-Christians a field day is the merchandising. For example, pewter nail on a necklace, only $16.99 ;-)

[amezri.livejournal.com]

Shock and horror is definitely good. There should be more. Maybe the next film should be a historical look at the Spanish Inquisition... just saying ^__^

[xpashax.livejournal.com]

Yeah but, who's numbers are we going to use?
The last book I read on it claimed we killed enough people to have done Europe almost twice over. Not that I'm contesting those numbers, I just think it's obvious it was a miracle. >;-)

[amezri.livejournal.com]

Hmm.. considering this is Hollywood, probably the largest figure? XD It'll be nice and bloody then. Big controversy=big box office. Heh.

[superswank.livejournal.com]

Don't go and bitch about how intense it was and how it's inappropriate because your Bible has white-washed everything.

What version of the Bible is that, exactly? 'Cuz I've read both the King James and the NIV and I can't seem to find any white-washing anywhere.

[amezri.livejournal.com]

I've read the King James, NIV, and New American versions throughout school and in my mythology class at University.

Perhaps white-washed isn't the right word - Jesus' torment is described very briefly (Matthew 27:26-44; Mark 15:17-37; Luke 23:26-43; John 19:17-27) and in rather vague detail (IMO). Obviously, I don't know if they were purposely edited or if the original writers wanted to spare their readers the graphic nature of the subject. Then again, it's possible that they didn't need to describe it as crucifixions were a common enough spectacle that people knew what happened. In any case, I apologize for my blanket statement.

Maybe I'm not reading the correct passages (the ones I noted above), but the severity of his beating is not detailed in the Bible. The degree of violence illustrated in this film, while fabulously exploited by Hollywood, is still much closer to the reality of what happened - which is why people are so shocked. It seems to me that people have a preconcieved notion of how violent a crucifixion could be, when really they have no idea as art & modern film have pointedly avoided it in order to keep the focus on the spiritual message.

I suppose it's like the "Saving Private Ryan" comparison. We all know that war is traumatic and violent, but we have no idea how traumatic and violent until we are right there in an uncensored situation. "Saving Private Ryan" sort of put us in that unfiltered situation.

I'm sorry this reply was so long and I hope I haven't offended you. My outbursts do that. I hope you understand that I do respect you and your right to practice whatever religion you choose. The fact that I didn't even know you were Christian speaks volumes - I have a much greater respect for those who keep their beliefs private rather than running around shoving it in people's faces.

[superswank.livejournal.com]

Then again, it's possible that they didn't need to describe it as crucifixions were a common enough spectacle that people knew what happened

From what I understand of the time, this is a logical explanation for why the Bible seems to be vague on the details of the scourging and crucifixion. It may also be because the Biblical writers wanted the readers to focus more on the spiritual implications of what was accomplished on the cross and not so much the physical details.

I hope I haven't offended you.

I could not possibly be offended by someone expressing their honest opinion in such a thoughtful and reasonable manner. What does offend me is the generalized use of insults like "Bible beater", "Jesus freak" or, on the opposite end of the spectrum, "godless heathen". So far I've not encountered this on LJ; I hope I never do.

[amezri.livejournal.com]

Heh. I have never called someone a "Bible beater" or a "Jesus freak." Erm, you might occasionally see me use the term "psycho-Christian," but that refers to the religious extremeists - the ones who cry because you haven't been "saved" and are doomed to go to Hell if you don't trustinGODrightnow! They scare me. One of my roommates was like that.

I could not possibly be offended by someone expressing their honest opinion in such a thoughtful and reasonable manner.

Thanks. It's nice to be able to have a nice, non-inflammatory conversation with someone whose opinions differ so greatly from mine.

I'm not going. . .

[spdrwmn.livejournal.com]

for the same reason I didn't go to Titanic. It's sad, and I know the ending. He dies.

Re: I'm not going. . .

[amezri.livejournal.com]

You're no fun. That is such a rational decision. ;) Where's the yelling and the outrage? *hee*

Re: I'm not going. . .

[spdrwmn.livejournal.com]

I think one has to have ambition and energy to feel outrage. Check with me again in the spring.