Positive and Negative buzz for Gibson’s ‘THE PASSION’
I found this interesting article on CNN today relating to Mel Gibson’s new film chronicling the death of Jesus Christ called “The Passion”. Very few people have seen it since Gibson is being extremely selective about screening the film. Those who have seen it are saying quite positive things. Most of those who are complaining about the film have yet to see it.

It’s difficult to comment since I have not personally seen the film, but I can’t help but wonder if certain people have a very legitimate reason to be concerned about this film and how it may portray the Jewish people. On the other hand, could this just be a group of Christophobics (bigots who are biased against Christians and Christianity) complaining about the project just due to the fact that it deals with the person of Jesus?

Realistically, all judgment will have to be reserved until the film is released. Personally, even though Gibson is a devote conservative Catholic, I have a hard time believing he would purposefully make a film that directly or intentionally offends people of other religious groups. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. Here’s a portion of the article:

In recent weeks, the actor-director had been building support with invitation-only screenings for film industry insiders, conservative commentators, evangelical Christians and sympathetic Jews.

Trailers of the two-hour movie have turned up on some Web sites. A 4 1/2-minute preview was shown Friday for thousands of people attending a Christian festival at Anaheim, California.

Ted Haggard, president of the National Evangelical Association, saw a screening in late June with about 30 evangelical scholars. The scholars are very strict about adherence to scripture, so Gibson “had no assurances that we would be friendly toward that movie.”

But Haggard loved it. “I thought it was the most authentic portrayal I’ve ever seen.”

Cal Thomas, a conservative syndicated columnist, called the film “the most beautiful, accurate, disturbing, realistic and bloody depiction of this well-known story that has ever been filmed.”

Internet personality Matt Drudge told MSNBC: “It depicts a clash between Jesus and those who crucified him and speaking as a Jew, I thought it was a magical film that showed the perils of life on earth.”

But critics of “The Passion” — who have not seen the film — worry that the popular Hollywood superstar will attract millions to see a violent, bloody recounting of the crucifixion that portrays Jews as a frenzied mob eager to watch Jesus die.

“For too many years, Christians have accused Jews of being Christ-killers and used that charge to rationalize violence,” said Sister Mary C. Boys, a Catholic professor at the Union Theological Seminary who read an early draft of the script. “This is our fear.”

Read the entire article here.