We went to see "The Passion" at the movie theatre in town last night. Yes, the same movie theatre that doubles as a Catholic church, at least while the new church is getting built on the north end of town.
I thought it was apalling. I'd heard that this movie was such a literal interpretation of the events that took place in the Bible, and I'm sorry to say that Mel Gibson totally, totally over-did the dramatization. I'm not just talking about the gore, though I do think that was overdone. I'm talking about some of the symbolism--things that never were recorded as having happened in the Bible. A crow lands on the cross of one of the thieves Jesus was crucified next to and picks out the thief's eyeballs. The devil stalks through the crowd, suckling a mutant baby. An earthquake knocks down the temple of the Jews. Children turn into demons and chase Judas Iscariot into the mountains, which causes him to hang himself.
I just think Gibson took way too much artistic license, and the problem that I have is that I don't think people are looking at the movie with any kind of skepticism whatsoever. They might as well just add the Book of Mel right somewhere between Matthew and Mark.
Oh, and we were invited to attend a Bible study afterwards. I gave the lady the same look I would give a person who showed up on my doorstep and said, "I made you a jello salad! Its got shredded carrots and raisins in it!" It sort of was an "Aren't you just precious, but I'd rather jam a fork in my eye and twist it, thank you anyway," kind of look.