Passions surround film
By Colleen Honigsberg
Feb. 24, 2004 9:00 p.m.
In Latin, the word “passion” means suffering.
And in various communities nationwide, including UCLA, the same
word has been evoking a sense of apprehension in recent months.
This anxiety comes from the controversy surrounding Mel
Gibson’s new movie, “The Passion of the Christ,”
which was released today.
The film has already caused concern among Jewish students
on campus who fear the film might bring anti-Semitism sentiment. At
the same time, it has impacted Christian students who have prepared
for a possible onslaught of questions regarding Christianity.
The film is a depiction of the last 12 hours of Jesus
Christ’s life. It includes graphic portrayals of the torture
of Jesus and a scene of a Jewish crowd of observers choosing to
crucify him over another prisoner.
The possibility of a depiction of Jews as being responsible for
the death of Jesus has caused Jewish Student Union President Gideon
Baum a lot of anxiety.
“If you’re a Jewish leader and you’re not
concerned about this movie, I don’t know what to say,”
Baum said.
“I’m afraid the idea of Jews as “˜Christ
killers’Â is coming back, and it’s coming back on
the big screen as a multi-million dollar project,” he said,
adding that he will see the movie as soon as possible so he can
have a better idea of its possible impact.
Baum said his fears are heightened due to Gibson’s
personal religious beliefs.
Gibson adheres to a stricter form of Catholicism than Pope John
Paul II, as a member of a sect of Catholicism that broke off from
the Catholic Church after the Vatican II Council in 1965. Vatican
II decided, in part, officially to clear Jews of the charge of
killing Jesus.
“Since Vatican II, there has been a new paradigm of
understanding amongst Jews and Christians that has been the product
of decades of dialogue,” said UCLA history Professor David
Myers, who concentrates on the history of Judaism. “The movie
threatens to cut against the grain of the new paradigm.”
Gibson’s strong beliefs in Catholicism and his rejection
of the overall Vatican II rulings have contributed to the
controversy surrounding his movie.Â
Gibson has been interviewed extensively, accused of downplaying
or “revising” the Holocaust, and has publicly stated
his fears that his wife might not achieve salvation because she is
an Episcopalian rather than a Catholic. Gibson has also denied
allegations of anti-Semitism.
One cause of misunderstanding between different communities
could come because the film only shows the last 12 hours of
Jesus’ life, said UCLA history Professor Scott Bartchy, who
specializes in the history of Christianity. He is also the director
of the Center for the Study of Religion at UCLA.
“By focusing exclusively on the last 12 hours of the life
of the historical Jesus, the viewer is given no context for
understanding why anyone loved or hated this man, or felt
threatened by him. The film counts on the viewer bringing the
context and the story with them,” Bartchy said.
“Without a plot line, in our culture, I sense it’s
going to be far too easy to regard Jesus as the first Christian,
rather than the Jew that he was,” he said. “This
could exacerbate the sense that Jesus was a good guy and Jews were
the bad guys.”
The omission of the vast majority of Jesus’ life from the
movie is causing some Christian groups on campus to start brushing
up on the parts of his life that are not included in the film.
Jonathan Szeto of Grace on Campus said he is preparing himself
for the possibility of an increased number of students at GOC
events, as students may become curious about Jesus after seeing the
movie.
“I think there’s a potential for more to come to our
events since people will have a lot of questions. They’ll
ask, “˜Did that really happen? Did Christ really have to
die?'” Szeto said.
Rick Holland, a pastor of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley,
the church affiliated with the campus group, wants GOC members to
be ready with a response to any questions the movie provokes.
Having already seen the movie and having called it “two of
the most disturbing hours of my life,” Holland said the movie
will definitely bring about questions and strong emotions.
“As people at your workplaces, campuses, etc. see it, make
no mistake, they will talk about it. Should you talk about
it?” he asked the congregation of thousands during the
Sunday service preceding the movie’s release.
“You won’t have a choice,” he
answered.
Talk show host Dennis Prager was the first Jew invited to see
the movie. After watching, he said he believes the controversy has
arisen because Jews and Christians are seeing different movies, and
neither religious community understands the perception of the
other.
“Christians need to realize that Jews are not paranoid,
and Jews need to realize that today’s Christians are not the
Christians of ancient Europe,” Prager said, adding that he
did not believe the movie was anti-Semitic.
“If you walk in an anti-Semite, your views will be
corroborated. If not, they won’t be created,” he
said.
Holland compared the movie to other films, such as “Saving
Private Ryan” or “D-Day.”
“Did watching “˜Saving Private Ryan’ or
“˜D-Day’ make you hate Germans?” he
asked.
Like Bartchy, he noted that the movie leaves questions
unanswered because it only shows the last 12 hours of
Jesus’Â life. Holland said the reason for
Jesus’Â death is left unclear.
Though the film has created some apprehension, many hope the
lasting results of the film will be positive and bring stronger
bonds between Jewish and Christian students on campus.
“It may serve as a stimulus for Jewish and Christian
students to revisit the difficult job of dialogue,” Myers
said.Â
