I doubt most of you have heard of the three-hour biblical epic, “The Gospel of John”, which as of this writing, opened in theaters in limited release Sept. 26.
Other than actor Christopher Plummer who narrates the film, “The Gospel of John” features no known Hollywood stars and covers the life of Christ from his birth to the resurrection, all based of course on one of the four gospels, which this film is named after.
“The Gospel of John” is not receiving any harsh criticism from Jewish groups who are concerned the independent production is going to spur anti-Semitism.
If only Academy Award winning actor/director Mel Gibson were so lucky.
I am willing to bet by now, some, if not all of you have heard of “The Passion of the Christ”, Gibson's upcoming movie about the Son of God. The picture is drawing as much negative criticism from groups like the Anti-Defamation League as it is getting endorsements from Vatican officials and even the president of the Motion Picture Association of America.
Like “The Gospel of John”, “The Passion of the Christ” features a cast of unknowns, except for two stars you may have heard of. Jim Caviezel, who starred in the World War II film, The Thin Red Line (1998), plays Jesus and Monica Bellucci, who was most recently seen in “The Matrix Reloaded” (2003), portrays Mary Magdelene.
Gibson's version, which has the characters speaking in Latin and Aramaic tongues, will cover the last 12 hours of Christ's life that include, now that the trailer is reportedly in theaters and on the Internet, graphic scenes of his crucifixion.
"This film is for everyone. For believers and nonbelievers, Jesus Christ is undoubtedly one of the most important historical figures of all time," Gibson is quoted saying on www.passion-movie.com, a website promoting the film. "Name one person who has had a greater impact on the course of history."
Those last 12 hours, however, are what has groups like Abraham Foxman, executive director for the Anti-Defamation League concerned about the picture's material, according to an Aug. 14, 2003 article on CNN.
"We were troubled ... that it portrayed the Jews, the Jewish community, in a manner that we have experienced historically," Foxman told CNN in the article. "Seeing passion plays used to incite not only a passion of love in terms of Christianity, but at the same time, to instill and incite a hatred of the Jews because of deicide"
"There's so much violence that was part of the script ... there was a fixation on the suffering, the torture, the brutality done to Jesus," said Sister Mary C. Boys of the Union Theological Seminary, according to the same column and yet another religious official opposed to the film.
"Mel abhors anti-Semitism.," said Paul Lauer, spokesman for Gibson's Icon Productions who is also quoted on www.passion-movie.com. "In no way does his faith endorse hatred or bigotry or anti-Semitism or blame the Jews for the death of Christ."
He isn't the only one who agrees.
"The contention that the film 'will spur anti-Semitic fervor' is nonsense," said Jack Valenti, president of the Motion Picture Association of America according to a Sept. 3, 2003 article on newsmax.com. "You can quote me - Mel Gibson's 'The Passion' is not anti-Semitic. I did not see any anti-Semitism in it."
The same goes for some Vatican officials.
"Anti-Semitism, like all forms of racism, distorts the truth by putting an entire race in a bad light," said Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos who was quoted in a Sept. 19, 2003 article by the Associated Press. "This film does nothing of the kind."
According to the column, Hoyos, who saw an unfinished version of the film added he "felt moments of deep spiritual intimacy with Jesus Christ."
Watching such biblical movies about the life of Christ like “Jesus of Nazareth” (1977), “The Greatest Story Ever Told” (1965) and “King of Kings: (1961) when I was a kid, I saw those films as educational entertainment. Not once did it enter my mind that it was the Jews who murdered Christ. The way I saw it, everyone was responsible, and it wasn't just one race.
The fact is, when it comes to thinking a movie will incite hatred against one group of people is downright ludicrous.
When “Schindler's List” (1993) came out years ago, did the Germans speak out about how director Steven Spielberg portrayed them in the film? If there was, I didn't hear about it.
Did anyone of Japanese descent speak out against Pearl Harbor when it came out the summer of 2001? Honestly when it comes to history, the only thing filmmakers Jerry Bruckheimer and Michael Bay got right was the vivid attack itself.
Spike Lee's “Malcolm X” (1992) opens with the infamous Rodney King video with the voice of the Muslim leader inciting war against the white race. Most of the people who sat in that audience when I saw it were African American and I assure you, when the film ended, no one got up and started chanting "Death to whites!"
In less than three months, “The Alamo” will be released in theaters. Most everyone familiar with Texas history knows how the story ends. I haven't heard any Hispanic groups voice concerns over how they will be depicted in the film.
I am not so sure where the entertainment value is when an entire movie is devoted to covering Jesus' last hours watching someone being horrifically tortured and executed on the cross when Gibson’s “Passion” opens in theaters next spring.
According to the Aug. 14, 2003 article on CNN, Gibson said his film is meant "to inspire, not offend" and wants "to create a lasting work of art and engender serious thought among audiences of diverse faith backgrounds (or none) who have varying familiarity with this story."
Perhaps a movie graphically showing what Christ went through for us will do some good. Maybe it will make people stop and think about how they've been living their lives.
The only time I hear of individuals making a life change is after they see something tragic on the news. Or if something bad happens to them and even then, that life changing attitude lasts half as long, if that much, as it takes to get over the death of a loved one.
©10/1/03
Other than actor Christopher Plummer who narrates the film, “The Gospel of John” features no known Hollywood stars and covers the life of Christ from his birth to the resurrection, all based of course on one of the four gospels, which this film is named after.
If only Academy Award winning actor/director Mel Gibson were so lucky.
I am willing to bet by now, some, if not all of you have heard of “The Passion of the Christ”, Gibson's upcoming movie about the Son of God. The picture is drawing as much negative criticism from groups like the Anti-Defamation League as it is getting endorsements from Vatican officials and even the president of the Motion Picture Association of America.
Like “The Gospel of John”, “The Passion of the Christ” features a cast of unknowns, except for two stars you may have heard of. Jim Caviezel, who starred in the World War II film, The Thin Red Line (1998), plays Jesus and Monica Bellucci, who was most recently seen in “The Matrix Reloaded” (2003), portrays Mary Magdelene.
Gibson's version, which has the characters speaking in Latin and Aramaic tongues, will cover the last 12 hours of Christ's life that include, now that the trailer is reportedly in theaters and on the Internet, graphic scenes of his crucifixion.
"This film is for everyone. For believers and nonbelievers, Jesus Christ is undoubtedly one of the most important historical figures of all time," Gibson is quoted saying on www.passion-movie.com, a website promoting the film. "Name one person who has had a greater impact on the course of history."
"We were troubled ... that it portrayed the Jews, the Jewish community, in a manner that we have experienced historically," Foxman told CNN in the article. "Seeing passion plays used to incite not only a passion of love in terms of Christianity, but at the same time, to instill and incite a hatred of the Jews because of deicide"
"There's so much violence that was part of the script ... there was a fixation on the suffering, the torture, the brutality done to Jesus," said Sister Mary C. Boys of the Union Theological Seminary, according to the same column and yet another religious official opposed to the film.
"Mel abhors anti-Semitism.," said Paul Lauer, spokesman for Gibson's Icon Productions who is also quoted on www.passion-movie.com. "In no way does his faith endorse hatred or bigotry or anti-Semitism or blame the Jews for the death of Christ."
He isn't the only one who agrees.
"The contention that the film 'will spur anti-Semitic fervor' is nonsense," said Jack Valenti, president of the Motion Picture Association of America according to a Sept. 3, 2003 article on newsmax.com. "You can quote me - Mel Gibson's 'The Passion' is not anti-Semitic. I did not see any anti-Semitism in it."
The same goes for some Vatican officials.
"Anti-Semitism, like all forms of racism, distorts the truth by putting an entire race in a bad light," said Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos who was quoted in a Sept. 19, 2003 article by the Associated Press. "This film does nothing of the kind."
According to the column, Hoyos, who saw an unfinished version of the film added he "felt moments of deep spiritual intimacy with Jesus Christ."
I will not dispute there are people out there who could spur anti-Semitic viewpoints, or any kind of negative stereotype for that matter towards one race. The aftermath immediately following the 9/11 attacks demonstrated that fully with the murders of convenience store clerks killed solely based on their nationality and reports of religious mosques being vandalized.Those acts, however, were committed by sick twisted individuals who just wanted to use a national tragedy as a reason to strike back against those who had nothing to do with what happened, much less agree with the terrorists’ beliefs. Just because one or a few people act that way, doesn't mean an entire race endorses it.
Watching such biblical movies about the life of Christ like “Jesus of Nazareth” (1977), “The Greatest Story Ever Told” (1965) and “King of Kings: (1961) when I was a kid, I saw those films as educational entertainment. Not once did it enter my mind that it was the Jews who murdered Christ. The way I saw it, everyone was responsible, and it wasn't just one race.
The fact is, when it comes to thinking a movie will incite hatred against one group of people is downright ludicrous.
When “Schindler's List” (1993) came out years ago, did the Germans speak out about how director Steven Spielberg portrayed them in the film? If there was, I didn't hear about it.
Did anyone of Japanese descent speak out against Pearl Harbor when it came out the summer of 2001? Honestly when it comes to history, the only thing filmmakers Jerry Bruckheimer and Michael Bay got right was the vivid attack itself.
Spike Lee's “Malcolm X” (1992) opens with the infamous Rodney King video with the voice of the Muslim leader inciting war against the white race. Most of the people who sat in that audience when I saw it were African American and I assure you, when the film ended, no one got up and started chanting "Death to whites!"
In less than three months, “The Alamo” will be released in theaters. Most everyone familiar with Texas history knows how the story ends. I haven't heard any Hispanic groups voice concerns over how they will be depicted in the film.
“The Passion of the Christ” is not just a movie, but an artist's viewpoint of how events in the Bible occurred, the way Martin Scorsese's 1988 film, “The Last Temptation of Christ”, tackled the notion of Jesus as a flawed human being, even if it wasn't necessarily based on the Gospels.I won't deny I would much rather see a film about Jesus Christ the way “The Gospel of John” was done, or for that matter, see liberal Hollywood make a $50 million plus production with a great number of highly paid stars attached to it.
I am not so sure where the entertainment value is when an entire movie is devoted to covering Jesus' last hours watching someone being horrifically tortured and executed on the cross when Gibson’s “Passion” opens in theaters next spring.
According to the Aug. 14, 2003 article on CNN, Gibson said his film is meant "to inspire, not offend" and wants "to create a lasting work of art and engender serious thought among audiences of diverse faith backgrounds (or none) who have varying familiarity with this story."
Perhaps a movie graphically showing what Christ went through for us will do some good. Maybe it will make people stop and think about how they've been living their lives.
The only time I hear of individuals making a life change is after they see something tragic on the news. Or if something bad happens to them and even then, that life changing attitude lasts half as long, if that much, as it takes to get over the death of a loved one.
©10/1/03
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