I’ve been incited to write something, here at least, based on an email conversation with a friend who sent me a review of Mel Gibson’s The Passion of The Christ, by Jodi Dean, a journalist.

Here are a few excerpts from the review that struck me as being more or less universal in a “the more things change the more they stay the same” sort of way. (Humans are just as violent now as we were 2000 years ago. But we as individual “consumers of other people’s cruelty” fail to recognize our part in the suffering of the innocent. Or we justify it.):

“…nothing I could have read, seen, heard, thought, or known — that could have prepared me for what I saw on screen last night. This is not a movie that anyone will ‘like.’ I don’t think it’s a movie anyone will ‘love.’ It certainly doesn’t ‘entertain.’ There isn’t even the sense that one has just watched a movie. What it is, is an experience -on a level of primary emotion that is scarcely comprehensible. Every shred of human preconception or predisposition is utterly stripped away. No one will eat popcorn during this film. Some may not eat for days after they’ve seen it. Quite honestly, I wanted to vomit. It hits that hard…. What it is, is entirely shattering. There are no ‘winners.’…
“…Heaven sheds a single, mighty tear — and as blood and water spew from His side, the complacency of all creation is eternally shattered. The film grabs you in the first five seconds, and never lets go. The brutality, humiliation, and gore is almost inconceivable — and still probably doesn’t go far enough. The scourging alone seems to never end, and you cringe at the sound and splatter of every blow — no matter how steely your nerves…. The idea that anyone could or would have gone through such punishment is unthinkable — but this Man was completely innocent, completely holy — and paying the price for others. He screams as He is laid upon the cross, ‘Father, they don’t know. They don’t know…’
“…There is no escape. It’s a punch to the gut that puts you on the canvas, and you don’t get up. You are simply confronted by the horror of what was done — what had to be done — and why. Throughout the entire film, I found myself apologizing. What you’ve heard about how audiences have reacted is true. There was no sound after the film’s conclusion. No noise at all. No one got up. No one moved. The only sound one could hear was sobbing. In all my years of public life, I have never heard anything like that….
“… There is no way to negotiate the meaning out of it. It simply asks, ‘Now, what will you do?’ I’ll leave the details to you, in the hope that you will see the film….
“Go see this movie….
“Be watching for this movie in your area !!!!”

Comparing this to what it must be like to visit a slaughterhouse, these excerpts from the review are what caused me reply to my friend (in part):

It seems to me that if so many people want to watch this, they should be able to stomach documentaries like “Meet Your Meat”.

…If it has a positive effect of knocking people out of complacency and/or self-righteousness, that’s good. But I wonder what the aftermath will be….

“Now what is it moves our very hearts and sickens us so much at cruelty to poor brutes?… There is something so very dreadful, so satanic in tormenting those who have never harmed us, and who cannot defend themselves, who are utterly in our power, who have neither weapons of offence nor defence, that none but very hardened persons can endure the thought of it…. Think then, my brethren, of your feelings at cruelty practised on brute animals, and you will gain one sort of feeling which the history of Christís Cross and Passion ought to excite within you.”
– from a Good Friday sermon by Cardinal Newman

She answered (in part):

“… THIS IS BRILLIANT! DO follow up on that — it’s absolutely the perfect response from us….”

And she encouraged me to challenge anyone who is so inclined to watch the suffering of Jesus on the big screen to not be any more fearful or appalled by the thought of watching documentaries or videos that depict the suffering humans inflict on animals in the course of everyday life. I doubt that any of them are as graphic as The Passion of The Christ, or as totally focused on the violence. But they are factual and important to witness, because people just don’t know how bad it is. And if people don’t know, they can’t (or aren’t emotionally motivated) do anything to change things. There are many good ones out there. Don’t turn your backs or close your eyes. Allow yourselves to be witnesses, as much as you are able. Don’t fail the animals the way Jesus’ friends and others failed him. But let something deep inside become transformed.

One really tastefully done documentary, which isn’t “in your face”, is Tribe of Heart’s The Witness. There is enough humor and hope weaved throughout this film to counteract the uncomfortable clips. (And the uncomfortable clips are shots of a TV monitor or posters. So even the most reticent viewer should come away with a positive reaction without being emotionally damaged.) Their second documentary, which should be at least as excellent is Peaceable Kingdom

Here is information about the premier screenings coming soon to New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. If you live in any of those areas, please go to see Peaceable Kingdom! (Of course, both films can be purchased from Tribe of Heart. And people are encouraged to hold their own screenings.)

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Tags: Lent

This entry was posted on Saturday, February 21st, 2004 at 6:58 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.