moving movies

"Schindler's List" is one of those movies that I strongly believe every person should see during the course of his / her lifetime. "The Passion of the Christ" is the second--and only other--movie I feel that strongly about. Dustin and I rented "The Passion" this weekend, but did not get to actually sit down and watch it until Sunday night.

I thought the film was fabulous. Honestly, I don't even know where to start when describing it or how I feel about it. This is THE MOST powerful and moving movie I have seen since "Schindler's List"--and movies like this don't come around all that often. Mel Gibson got a lot of flack that this movie was "anti-semitic" in nature; I didn't see it or think so. I think he did a fine job of portraying how things happened--go read your Bibles. And the critics that said it was "too gruesome" or "too violent and bloody"? Think about it. Jesus was arrested in the middle of the night while he was praying, dragged in front of the high priests and then Pilate; he was beaten, battered, whipped, chained, wore a cross made out of thorns, and forced to carry a cross for miles through Jerusalem. Then, finally, he was nailed--NAILED--to a cross and left there to die. Do you honestly think it would NOT have been gruesome? In those times, it's not like they merely pushed him, or threw pillows and sponges at him. In all reality, they beat the hell out of him--kicks, punches, whips, reeds, etc. Of course it would have been as violent and bloody as this film portrays it as.

James Caviezel is Jesus in the film. There are so many scenes throughout the movie when so much is said without speaking a word...just through his eyes. Glances, looks, and stares he shares with Mary, John, Peter, and others are so powerful it's like you are reading his soul. This man had to prepare physically, emotionally, and spiritually to undertake this role--not only did he have to be 'just another actor learning lines for a movie', he had to learn them in HEBREW and ARAMAIC. (The whole film is in sub-titles.) Amazing. I don't know if I could do all that.

To get all Catholic on y'all, Jesus was love. I am not as devout of a Catholic as I used to be, nor do I practice as much as I used to. But I do still have my faith, and I do still believe what I've been raised to believe. (For the most part, but that's a whole other entry...) This man that died for our sins did it without a second thought, without a moment's hesitation. If someone would walk up to you right now--right this very second--and ask, "Would you die for me?", you would have to think about it. "Well, I've got this to do....this person to see....this business to attend to....etc." Jesus did it without any of those hesitations and second thoughts. This man went through hell and back, giving his life for us so that we may live better lives and go to heaven when we die. Can you imagine that kind of sacrifice? Unconditional, true, pure sacrifice and love. True, we can love our families, spouses, children, friends, etc. unconditionally and with all our hearts, but we can never even begin to fathom what role Jesus took on, and the extent of his love for ALL OF US. (So I sound like an overzealous Catholic, I know, but this film really moved me--to tears throughout much of it.)