“The Passion” draws audiences for Easter

“The Passion of The Christ” began stirring up the media months before its February 25 release. Now that the film has hit the box office, it has more than just the media talking.
“The Passion of The Christ,” directed by Mel Gibson and starring Jim Caviezel, tells the story of the last 12 hours of Jesus’ life. Beginning with Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, Gibson’s film sticks closely to Biblical scriptures in portraying the events up to the resurrection. The story is familiar to anyone who was raised in a Christian church. The film shows the hours leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion, the crucifixion itself and a brief moment of the resurrection. Intermingled within the film are a number of flashbacks from Jesus’ life, including Jesus as a little boy, the Last Supper and many others.
Though the film had particular areas of concern, such as the debate over whether or not it was anti-Semitic, the extensive violence and the fact that the actors in the film speak not in English but in two dead languages, Latin and Aramaic, the movie has continued to be a success at the box office throughout the past month.
Thus far, the film has earned more than $330,856,971 in the U.S.
The film has touched Milledgeville audiences in the past month, and Georgia College & State University students are no exception.
For many students, the film’s content influenced their decisions to refocus their lives.
“I walked out of the theater extremely moved,” Beth Bowers, junior psychology major, said. “I decided right then and there that I had to get my priorities straight. I knew I had to stop trying to do things my way in life and start trying harder to follow the plan that God has for me.”
“To actually see the brutality and pain that Jesus went through, it pretty much knocked me on my butt,” Matt Brisendine, freshmen undecided major, said. “It helped me see the things that were unimportant in my life and what really mattered.”
The violence proved to be more than many students were expecting. Yet, despite the brutal violence depicted in the film, students still were moved by the overall message of the movie.
“I knew the film would be graphic, but I don’t think I was prepared for the goriness of the film,” Leigh Cheek, senior mass communication major, said. “I kept my eyes shut during many scenes in the movie. I left the theater speechless and with a greater sense of appreciation for what Jesus had done for each and every one of us.”
No matter what a person’s religious affiliation is, many GC&SU students recommend Christians and non-Christians to see the film.
“I thought that ‘The Passion of The Christ’ was a great movie for both Christians and non-Christians,” Megan Cearns, sophomore education major, said. “Even though I’ve grown up hearing the stories of Christ’s life and trials, the movie still brought me to tears to actually see what kind of suffering Christ went through for us.”
“The Passion of The Christ” appears to be increasing a passion for spiritual awakening across the world. Whether a person has seen the film or not, no one can deny the fact that it has made a tremendous impact on today’s society.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Apr 9 2004. Filed under Other. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry