Whether you are a casual member of the Easter Lily and Poinsettia crowd, participate in another faith, or you are a follower of Christ, you know when spring comes, Easter can’t be far behind. Some of you may even remember getting new Easter clothes every year so you could look your very best at church with your family on Easter Sunday. While many “Easter-named” events have been traded in for the likes of Spring Break, Egg Hunts, or Brunch, the event that spurred the holiday is still imbedded in most of us.
The Passion of the Christ. This movie was released on Ash Wednesday 2004 among huge hubbub. Mel Gibson created an impassioned (pardon the pun) view of the last twelve hours of the life of Jesus of Nazareth. Actor, director and producer, par excellence, Gibson, in my estimation created a masterpiece. The Passion is a composite account assembled from the four Biblical Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John of the final hours of the life of Christ. When this amazing film was released, many shows were sold out in advance by whole churches experiencing this film together.
Filmed entirely in Italy, the outdoor scenes were shot in Matera. The rest was filmed at Cinecitta Studios outside Rome. Forty percent of it was shot at night or indoors under wraps in order to get an effect of light fighting its way out of darkness, according to Gibson. His beautiful film had a budget of $30 million and a box office of $611.9 million. Viewers obviously wanted to see it even if it didn’t win any of the three Oscars for which it was nominated. But, don’t get me started on that subject!
The costumes were meticulously researched and hand-crafted by award-winning designer Maurizio Millenotti to enhance the overall visual design Gibson wanted for the film with shades of brown, black and beige. All the characters in the film are heard speaking the languages they would actually have spoken at the time. This means Aramaic for the Jewish characters including Christ and His disciples, and “street Latin” for the Romans. Greek, which was commonly spoken among the intellectuals of the period, was not quite as relevant to the story. Most of the cast were hired locally or in Europe except Washington-born, James Caviezel, who was cast as Jesus. Chosen for the role because he was willing to commit to this unique project wholeheartedly, the talented Caviezel spent several months preparing himself physically, spiritually and emotionally for the most demanding role of his career. It was a daily struggle learning Aramaic and during production he endured full-body make-up sessions that sometimes dragged on for ten hours. He spent entire shooting days exposed on the cross in freezing temperatures and during the grueling scourging scene one of his shoulders was dislocated. He was even struck by lightning while hanging on the cross and walked away unharmed. Maia Morgenstern, cast as Mary, is a famous Romanian theater actress.
As a Christian, I saw it with my church, and must admit it, it was a bit more comfortable bawling my eyes out amongst friends. I have watched it nearly every Easter since as my way of remembering. I invite you to experience this amazing film. Its breathtaking images, incredible acting and truly inspired directing makes it a top pick of mine. So, whatever your religious views happen to be, this slice of history is definitely worth viewing. Caution: rated R and not suitable for younger viewers. As always, I welcome your comments at Carolyn@carolynhastings.com.
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