Jews, Christians, and ‘The Passion’
Date
2004-05
Authors
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.