By Abby Rathburn | Staff Writer
Dark, bloody, evocative.
On Good Friday evening, I sat down to watch “The Passion of the Christ.” I left with my stomach in knots.
Mel Gibson’s 2004 film “The Passion of the Christ” captures the intense 12-hour period leading up to Christ’s death through 127 minutes of graphic content. Even though I went to bed sickly, I still believe every Christian should watch this film at least once in their lives.
Although a central marking point in history, more often than not, it is easy to lessen the gravity of Christ’s crucifixion.
Today, we wear cross chains around our necks, tattoo them to our bodies and frame them in our homes, but for the Romans, the cross was an instrument of torture and shame.
Living in the post-resurrection era makes it a lot easier for us to accept Christ’s death with the knowledge of his miraculous resurrection, so this film serves as a way to remind our hearts of the lengthy, gruesome death Christ had to endure to bear the weight of all of our sins.
However, no one can truly do justice to this event, as no human can fully grasp what Christ endured.
Even so, Jim Caviezel, who plays Jesus, took his role with the utmost respect.
Caviezel reportedly required two heart surgeries from the stress of his role and experienced pneumonia and hypothermia. He was struck down by lightning while on set and lost over 45 pounds.
While the role was excruciating, Caviezel remained committed.
“I didn’t want people to see me,” he said. “I wanted them to see Jesus. Conversions will happen through that.”
According to online reports, several people were baptized on set, including Luca Lionello, who played Judas.
This movie is a sobering reminder of sin’s cost; it refuses to present a softened version of the story. Instead, it forces the viewer to confront the depth of Christ’s suffering in a reverent, realistic way.
For me, I have never fully grasped, nor do I ever think I will, how long it actually took for Christ to carry his cross to Golgotha under such agony.
Though it makes up a small portion of the film, the repeated falls and visible agony he endures give a deliberate emphasis on the persistence of Christ’s suffering.
As the son of God, he could have decided to make his pain stop at any point but chose to continue for the benefit and redemption of his people.
According to Dr. Sparky Matthews, a clinical professor in the Honors Program quoted in a past Lariat article, Jesus was unrecognizable as human while he carried the cross (Psalm 34:20). Matthew’s gospel emphasized Christ’s lack of fractured bone in compliance with Scripture and the unbelievable discomfort he must have experienced.
However, it is important to note that this film is not a historical artifact, but rather a blend of biblical narratives, Catholic theological tradition and artistic invention in order to reflect the brutality of Roman crucifixions.
Take the time to watch. Allow your heart to be softened and eyes to be opened to the weightiness of the cross.
