A Review of "The Passion of the Christ"

By Emmett Smith

My wife, 15-year-old daughter and I went to see “The Passion of the Christ” yesterday afternoon. Overall we found it to be a faithful account of the Biblical narratives. It was very moving and I would encourage anyone who is interested to go and see this film.

As always when viewing a movie based on the Bible, I was concerned with the inevitable “creative license” that appears in any such endeavor. I left the theater with an appreciation for Mel Gibson’s faithfulness to the Biblical text. Below are my notes as to some of the more “creative” scenes.

Satan tempts Jesus in the garden as He prays. Luke 22:43 says an angel appeared, strengthening Him, not Satan, tempting Him. However, this sets up the scene where Jesus stomps the serpent’s head, which I thought was powerful. And I don’t suppose the fact that an angel was sent to strengthen Him necessarily precludes Satan’s presence.

Following Peter’s denial of his Lord I kept waiting for the cock to crow. The cock didn’t crow. A very moving scene, nonetheless.

Judas. Well, what can you say about Judas? The evil one is portrayed as harassing Judas to hang himself. We do know that Satan entered Judas (Luke 22:3).

Mary Magdalene is portrayed as the woman taken in adultery. Mark and Luke both tell us Jesus had cast out seven devils from her. Was she also the woman taken in adultery? The Bible doesn’t say so.

Mary mother of Jesus is prominent throughout. Who’s surprised, Gibson is, after all, a Catholic.

Some have said that Pilate is portrayed too flatteringly. I thought the portrayal was precisely as depicted in the Gospels: A typical politician.

The debauchery of Herod’s court was well portrayed.

Claudia, Pilate’s wife, gives cloths to Mary, with which she and Mary Magdala wipe up Christ’s blood after his scourging. I have read from other sources that this scene derives from the Apocrypha.

The scene in which the Jewish woman offers Jesus a drink and He wipes his face with a cloth she offered seems to depict Roman Catholic Saint Veronica (also Apocryphal). The bloody image of his face remains visible on the cloth. A "relic" is born.

I have no reservations about recommending this movie. I’m sure any Christian will be moved by this interpretation of His passion. We did not take our 10-year-old daughter, and in retrospect I’m glad we didn’t. But anyone mature enough to understand the gospels from an adult perspective should be able to appreciate this film.

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