Jews, Christians, and ‘The Passion’

Date

2004-05

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

American Jewish Committee

YU Faculty Profile

Abstract

Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ opened on February 25, Ash Wednesday. I planned to catch a noon showing that Friday, and I was a nervous wreck. Even setting aside the question of anti-Semitism, reviewers had depicted a movie so horrific, with clawed whips sending chunks of bloodied flesh flying across the screen, that I was not sure I could endure the experience. (In the aftermath of childhood nightmares, I have assiduously avoided fictional horror and cinematic gore alike.) But one can hardly undertake to write about a film whose controversial nature rests in part on its violence and close one's eyes when the going gets tough. And so I entered the theater in fear and trembling. (from Introduction)

Description

Magazine article / Film review

Keywords

The Passion of Christ, anti-Semitism in film, Jewish-Catholic relations, The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Mel Gibson, the Vatican Council, Gospel narratives, Jesus --Crucifixion.

Citation

Berger, D. (May 2004). Jews, Christians, and ‘The Passion’. Commentary Magazine, 117(5), 23-31.