I don’t generally go to theaters any more. I find them too loud, too expensive, and too cramped for me to watch a movie comfortably. Today, I made an exception.
I wanted to see this movie in a theater to get the full effect. Because I went in the afternoon, it wasn’t crowded, although I had my doubts when I pulled into the parking lot–it was full. Completely. And I had a hard time finding a place to stick my truck. I guess Starsky & Hutch was packing them in. Or, the other screen showing this movie.
I didn’t buy popcorn or a soda because I’d been told by others who have seen it that they didn’t eat anything while the movie was playing. So, I got some chocolate raisins (one of my favorites) and finished them off before show time.
I’m still a bit confused by my emotions. It was a powerful movie, but I saw things others apparently didn’t. I thought the role of Mary (Maia Morgenstern) was very well done. I could feel a mother’s pain as she watched her son tortured and killed. And the actor playing Jesus (James Caviezel) did a superb job.
Two characters that really struck me though were Pilate and Caiphus. They reminded me of a post I wrote earlier about people who are committed or conflicted.
Caiphus is committed. He knows he is absolutely right and everyone else is absolutely wrong. He is the archetypical religious leader, whether it be the Archbishop of Boston, the Ayatollas, or Jimmy Swaggart. I guess that’s why the Jewish Defense League and other groups were concerned about anti-Semitism resulting from this film. If I had tended that direction, I might have walked out of the theater looking for some kike to kill (is that the correct slander word?). He is precisely why I no longer attend church. There are too many like him in the world. And they aren’t all religious by any stretch. Marxists are no different.
Pilate, on the other hand, is very conflicted. He and his wife discuss “truth,” and he claims to no longer know what that is. He wants to do right, but circumstance, in his view, won’t allow it. I left the movie sympathizing with him, something a good Christian isn’t supposed to do. But the conflict in his heart got to me. It is something I often feel, so I related.
I no longer go to church, but I am still religious. I dislike the “social” aspects of belonging to an organized religion. This movie didn’t give me any urge to return to the fold. Perhaps that’s because my faith is strong, even if my commitment to a congregation isn’t. But I would recommend the movie.
Just don’t buy popcorn.