If you haven’t had a chance to see any of the BBC’s The Passion, then I recommend checking it out on iplayer. It’s fantastic.
I am a little biased, since I think that the story is potentially life changing (and that might be a slow process) and has unfathomable depth, but even if your view is more reserved it is undoubtedly one of the most influential stories ever; you don’t have to be very interested in stories and in their telling to be interested in this interpretation.
I confess, it took me a moment to accept the English accents in the desert (get behind me, Monty Python) but once over that small hurdle I was drawn in.
The biggest challenge, admirably met, seemed to me to be the portrayal of a man that was (is) followed so passionately – a man whose followers would start the biggest faith movement in the world. We need to believe, through the directing, the acting, and the writing that these people really would give up everything and follow him, many of them to their death.
“follow me and I will lead you to the Kingdom of God”
The disciples walk with Jesus through the desert and through Jerusalem. They are drawn to him and they love him.
Jesus walks among the sick and the prostitutes
“these are your brothers and sisters”
Powerful stuff.
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March 28, 2008 at 12:46 pm
Eamon
I only saw a small bit of it (after the Crucifixion). I though the acting of the disciples was superb – believable.
March 28, 2008 at 9:58 pm
Ben Gibbs
I enjoyed it too. But my niggles were to do with what was missed out.
There was nothing supernatural in the whole story apart from the resurrection – but you couldn’t really edit that part out! There were no miracles, just teaching and they didn’t show the holes in his hands and feet and he didn’t ascend into heaven, he disappeared into a Jerusalem crowd to go and live his life elsewhere presumably, and no angels at the tomb. It was a very humanistic portrayal of Jesus and his message.
This story also missed some deep symbolic parts of the story such as Mary mistaking Jesus as the Gardener and Jesus saying “It is finished” and the crowds mocking him on the cross and the soldiers gambling for his clothes.
That said, I did enjoy watching the story being told in a new way.