Celebrating Easter: A Look Back At Mel Gibson's 'The Passion Of The Christ'

This Easter, as we have in the past, my wife and I will again watch Mel Gibson’s The Passion of The Christ after we come home from a family dinner. 

In 2004 I wrote a column about the great film for The Orchard Press Online Mystery Magazine, where my Crime Beat column and my crime fiction appeared.

You can read the column below:

Mel Gibson and The Passion of the Christ 

I recently saw Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ. The film is powerful. I can't think of another film that has so touched me.

Gibson's film, based on the Gospels and history, also offers Gibson's artistic symbolism.

Biblical movies were a part of my growing up in the 1950s and the 1960s, along with westerns, comedies, horror and crime films. I was raised Catholic and the Biblical films, from Ben-Hur to The Greatest Story Ever Told, provided me with far better depictions of my religion than the dry readings I was taught at Catechism.

Later in life, I also very much liked the Franco Zefferilli's TV mini-series Jesus of Nazareth.

Over the years, I've read theology, philosophy, history, novels, and the original source material - The Bible. But the old movies left an indelible mark on my mind and my soul. Film is a powerful medium and Gibson's film will no doubt be with me all of my life.

As widely reported, Gibson sunk $25 million of his own money into his pet project, the portrayal of the last hours of Jesus. Gibson said he wanted to realistically show the brutal torture and murder of Jesus Christ. With the bloody violence, dialogue spoken in the original languages of Latin and Aramaic with subtitles, Gibson took a huge chance on this film.

His gamble - or, one might say, his faith - appears to have paid off. 

The film, which no one in Hollywood originally wanted to touch, was number one at the box office for three weeks running. To date, the film has made $315 million and with Good Friday and Easter coming up, the film is expected to earn much more. The film is expected to become one of the highest grossing films ever.

"This is a story about love, hope, faith and forgiveness," Gibson told reporters. "Jesus died for all mankind, suffered for all of us. It’s time to get back to that basic message."

Adding that he thought the world was going "nuts," Gibson noted that we could all use a little more love, faith and forgiveness. In a time of lessening morals, family ties and personal responsibility, as well as suicidal mass murderers acting in the name of God, I'm inclined to agree with Gibson.

Despite the strong public approval via the box office, there has also been much criticism and controversy surrounding the film, from cries of anti-Semitism to his use of graphic violence. The film is indeed violent, but I didn't see anti-Semitism in the film.

In the film we see Caiaphas and the other Jewish leaders judging Jesus and then taking him to the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. Pilate, as we all know from the Gospels, washed his hands before the Jews and then had Jesus crucified. But Gibson also depicts sympathetic Jews, like Simon and Veronica who came to Jesus's aid. And of course, Mary and Jesus himself were Jews.

As Gibson told ABC News' Diane Sawyer, there were no Norwegians in evidence during Jesus' crucifixion, only Jews and Romans. He also disagreed with the assessment that his film will incite anti-Semitism. After viewing Shindler's List, Gibson told Sawyer, he didn't go out and beat up Germans.

Mankind, Gibson told Sawyer, killed Christ.

The film is truly violent, but I think the violence was necessary. Prior to his crucifixion, Jesus was "scourged" with a particularly nasty weapon called a flagellum, which is a whip with leather throngs holding pieces of metal and bone. In many cases, I've read, the victim died from the scourging and never made it to the crucifixion.

Gibson's film shows us Jesus' strength, authority, and grace. I particularly like the way Gibson portrays Jesus' confrontation with Satan at Gethsemane. Satan, as many critics have noted, resembles the bald, female Irish singer Sinad O'Conner, and he appears on the sidelines throughout the film. 

"The Prince of Darkness," Gibson suggests, is always close at hand.

After praying on his knees for guidance and strength, Jesus stands and forcefully stomps the symbolically evil snake that Satan had released from his cloak. Jesus is no meek hippie in this film.

Jesus also stood strong and dignified when facing the powerful Roman governor. Beaten, bound and bleeding, Jesus tells Pilate, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above."

Jesus changed the course of history. 

Michael Grant, the author of The Twelve Caesars and History of Rome, wrote that millions of men and women have found Jesus' life and teaching overwhelmingly significant and moving.

"The most potent figure, not only in the history of religion, but in world history as a whole, is Jesus Christ: the maker of one of the few revolutions which has lasted," Michael Grant wrote in Jesus: An Historian's Review of the Gospels. 

"His was the most dramatic life ever lived."

Gibson, the director and star of Braveheart, gave us a superb film about Jesus. The Passion of the Christ is a fitting film for our age, I think. With terrorism and crime on the rise worldwide, I believe we need to see, hear, and feel how Jesus suffered and died for our sins.

Widely reported in the press was the case of a couple that fought with each other after seeing Gibson's film. Stating that it was the dumbest thing they've ever done, a Georgia couple admitted that they argued and fought over a theological issue and ended up stabbing and assaulting each other.

The deputy sheriff who arrested the couple told reporters that he thought the couple missed the point of the film.

Millions of us did not.  

Note: Mel Gibson is reportedly making The Passion of the Christ: Resurrection, a sequel to the 2004 film, with Jim Caviezel reprising his role as Jesus. It aims to continue the narrative and explore the three days between Jesus's death and resurrection.

Celebrating Easter: A Look Back At Mel Gibson's 'The Passion Of The Christ'

This Easter, as we have in the past, my wife and I will watch Mel Gibson’s The Passion of The Christ. 

In 2004 I wrote a column about the film for The Orchard Press Online Mystery Magazine, where my Crime Beat column and crime fiction appeared.

You can read the column below:

Mel Gibson and The Passion of the Christ 

I recently saw Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ. The film is powerful. I can't think of another film that has so touched me.

Gibson's film, based on the Gospels and history, also offers Gibson's artistic symbolism.

Biblical movies were a part of my growing up in the 1950s and the 1960s, as were westerns, comedies, horror and crime films. I was raised Catholic and the Biblical films, from Ben-Hur to The Greatest Story Ever Told, provided me with far better depictions of my religion than the dry readings I was taught at Catechism. (Later in life, I also very much liked the Franco Zefferilli's TV mini-series Jesus of Nazareth).

I've read theology, philosophy, history, novels, and the original source material - The Bible. But the old movies left an indelible mark on my mind and my soul. Film is a powerful medium and Gibson's film will no doubt be with me all of my life.

As widely reported, Gibson sunk $25 million of his own money into his pet project, the portrayal of the last hours of Jesus. Gibson said he wanted to realistically show the brutal torture and murder of Jesus Christ. With the bloody violence, dialogue spoken in the original languages of Latin and Aramaic with subtitles, Gibson took a huge chance on this film.

His gamble - or, one might say, his faith - appears to have paid off. 

The film, which no one in Hollywood originally wanted to touch, was number one at the box office for three weeks running. To date, the film has made $315 million and with Good Friday and Easter coming up, the film is expected to earn much more. The film is expected to become one of the highest grossing films ever.

"This is a story about love, hope, faith and forgiveness," Gibson told reporters. "Jesus died for all mankind, suffered for all of us. It’s time to get back to that basic message."

Adding that he thought the world was going "nuts," Gibson noted that we could all use a little more love, faith and forgiveness. In a time of lessening morals, family ties and personal responsibility, as well as suicidal mass murderers acting in the name of God, I'm inclined to agree with Gibson.

Despite the strong public approval via the box office, there has also been much criticism and controversy surrounding the film, from cries of anti-Semitism to his use of graphic violence. The film is indeed violent, but I didn't see anti-Semitism in the film.

In the film we see Caiaphas and the other Jewish leaders judging Jesus and then taking him to the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. Pilate, as we all know from the Gospels, washed his hands before the Jews and then had Jesus crucified. But Gibson also depicts sympathetic Jews, like Simon and Veronica who came to Jesus's aid. And of course, Mary and Jesus himself were Jews.

As Gibson told ABC News' Diane Sawyer, there were no Norwegians in evidence during Jesus' crucifixion, only Jews and Romans. He also disagreed with the assessment that his film will incite anti-Semitism. After viewing Shindler's List, Gibson told Sawyer, he didn't go out and beat up Germans.

Mankind, Gibson told Sawyer, killed Christ.

The film is truly violent, but I think the violence was necessary. Prior to his crucifixion, Jesus was "scourged" with a particularly nasty weapon called a flagellum, which is a whip with leather throngs holding pieces of metal and bone. In many cases, I've read, the victim died from the scourging and never made it to the crucifixion.

Gibson shows us Jesus' strength, authority, and grace. I particularly like the way Gibson portrays Jesus' confrontation with Satan at Gethsemane. Satan, as many critics have noted, resembles the bald, female Irish singer Sinad O'Conner, and he appears on the sidelines throughout the film. 

"The Prince of Darkness," Gibson suggests, is always close at hand.

After praying on his knees for guidance and strength, Jesus stands and forcefully stomps the symbolically evil snake that Satan had released from his cloak. Jesus is no meek hippie in this film.

Jesus also stood strong and dignified when facing the powerful Roman governor. Beaten, bound and bleeding, Jesus tells Pilate, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above."

Jesus changed the course of history. 

Michael Grant, the author of The Twelve Caesars and History of Rome, wrote that millions of men and women have found Jesus' life and teaching overwhelmingly significant and moving.

"The most potent figure, not only in the history of religion, but in world history as a whole, is Jesus Christ: the maker of one of the few revolutions which has lasted," Michael Grant wrote in Jesus: An Historian's Review of the Gospels. 

"His was the most dramatic life ever lived."

Gibson, the director and star of Braveheart, gave us a superb film about Jesus. The Passion of the Christ is a fitting film for our age, I think. With terrorism and crime on the rise worldwide, I believe we need to see, hear, and feel how Jesus suffered and died for our sins.

Widely reported in the press was the case of a couple that fought with each other after seeing Gibson's film. Stating that it was the dumbest thing they've ever done, a Georgia couple admitted that they argued and fought over a theological issue and ended up stabbing and assaulting each other.

The deputy sheriff who arrested the couple told reporters that he thought the couple missed the point of the film.

Millions of us did not. 

Note: I was pleased to read that Mel Gibson was going to make a sequel to his powerful and brilliant film, with Jim Caviezel once again portraying Jesus. 

You can read a Hollywood Reporter piece on the Mel Gibson sequel via the below link:

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/jim-caviezel-talks-play-jesus-mel-gibsons-passion-sequel-1080299

Journalist Joe Galloway, Chronicler Of Vietnam War, Dies

 Journalist and author Joesph L. Galloway, co-author of perhaps the best book on the Vietnam War, We Were Soldiers Once… And Young, has died. He was 79.

The 1992 book, written with the late Lieutenant General Hal Moore (Ret), was made into the 2002 film, We Were Soldiers, which starred Mel Gibson as Moore and Barry Pepper as Joe Galloway.

Directed by Randall Wallace, We Were Soldiers is perhaps the best film on the Vietnam War.

Gibson and Pepper offered fine performances in the film, as did actor Sam Elliot and other supporting actors. Elliot portrayed Sgt. Maj. Basil Plumley, a gruff noncom and true hero. Elliot had the best lines in the film.

The Army Times, an independent newspaper that covers the U.S. Army, offers a piece on Joe Galloway’s life and work.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Longtime American foreign correspondent Joseph L/ Galoway, , best known for his book recounting a pivotal battle in the Vietnam War that was made into a Hollywood movie, has died. He was 79.

A native of Refugio, Texas, Galloway spent 22 years as a war correspondent and bureau chief for United Press International, including serving four tours in Vietnam. He then worked for U.S. News & World Report magazine and Knight Ridder newspapers in a series of overseas roles, including reporting from the Persian Gulf War in 1991.

Galloway died Wednesday morning, his wife Grace Galloway told AP, after being hospitalized near their home in Concord, North Carolina. He is also survived by two sons and a step daughter.

“He was the kindest, most gentle and loving man,” Grace Galloway said. “He loved the boys and girls of the U.S. military. He loved his country.”

With co-author retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Hal Moore, Galloway wrote “We Were Soldiers Once ... And Young,” which recounted his and Moore’s experience during a bloody 1965 battle with the North Vietnamese in the Ia Drang Valley. The book became a national bestseller and was made into the 2002 movie “We Were Soldiers,” starring Mel Gibson as Moore and Barry Pepper as Galloway.

Galloway was decorated with a Bronze Star Medal with V in 1998 for rescuing wounded soldiers under fire during the la Drang battle. He is the only civilian awarded a medal of valor by the U.S. Army for actions in combat during the Vietnam War. 

You can read the rest of the piece and watch a video interview with Joe Galloway via the below link:

Journalist Joe Galloway, chronicler of Vietnam War, dies (armytimes.com) 

You can also watch a clip on the great film via the below link:

We Were Soldiers (2002) - Trailer - Bing video 

Mel Gibson, Vince Vaughn Talk New Battle Of Okinawa Movie ‘Hacksaw Ridge’

USNI News offers an interview with director Mel Gibson and his actors about his new film Hacksaw Ridge.

The Battle of Okinawa has been referred to as a “meat grinder” because of the carnage that took place during the three months of savage fighting between Japanese and U.S. led allied forces in 1945.

As ground forces slugged it out in brutal combat on the tortuous terrain of the island, the supporting U.S. Navy suffered heavy losses as the Japanese launched wave after wave of kamikaze attacks that succeeding in sinking a dozen destroyers. Combined casualties for both sides surpassed 150,000 and the battle is believed to have claimed another 150,000 lives from the local civilian population. The ferociousness of the Japanese defense of Okinawa and the costly toll in inflicted upon U.S. forces likely influenced the decision to drop the atomic bomb rather than launch an invasion of mainland Japan.

Mel Gibson spares audiences none of the viciousness of the battle in Hacksaw Ridge, the first movie he has directed since 2006’s Apocalypto. The visceral film places audiences in the middle of mud, smoke, blood, dismembered limbs and flying bodies that seem to have enough kinetic energy to pop off the screen. Viewers are thrust so close to the unrestrained fighting that it feels as if there is an imminent danger of being bayonetted. Gibson framed some shots so tight shots that they induce claustrophobia and panic.

Within this world of horror and death emerges a sliver of goodness that is the focus of Hacksaw Ridge. The film tells the true story of Desmond Doss, a Seventh Day Adventist and conscientious objector from Virginia who participates in the battle as a medic. Because he joins the Army determined to save lives rather than take them, he refuses to carry any type of weapon. His resistance to even train with a rifle in boot camp angers both his superiors and fellow soldiers who believe he is a coward hiding behind religion. He is viewed as a weak link who will endanger everyone in his company. 

You can read the rest of the piece and watch the video interview via the below link:

https://news.usni.org/2016/11/03/mel-gibson-vince-vaughn-talk-movie-hacksaw-ridge?utm_source=USNI+News&utm_campaign=be657cdd01-USNI_NEWS_DAILY&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0dd4a1450b-be657cdd01-231802593&mc_cid=be657cdd01&mc_eid=3c09d4464e

A Soldier's Soldier Dies: Basil L. Plumley, A Veteran Of Three Wars And Featured In The Film 'We Were Soldiers,' Dies At Age 92

Seattlepi.com reports that Basil L. Plumley, a legendary soldier who was portrayed By actor Sam Elliot in a Vietnam war film, died. He was 92.

Basil L. Blumley, a renowned career soldier whose exploits as an Army infantryman were portrayed in a book and the movie "We Were Soldiers," has died at 92 — an age his friends are amazed that he lived to see.

Plumley fought in World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam and was awarded a medal for making five parachute jumps into combat. The retired command sergeant major died Wednesday.

 

... It was during Vietnam in November 1965 that Plumley served in the Battle of la Drang, the first major engagement between the U.S. Army and North Vietnamese forces. That battle was the basis for the book "We Were Soldiers Once ... And Young," written nearly three decades later by Galloway and retired Lt. Gen. Hal G. Moore, who had been Plumley's battalion commander in Vietnam.

In the 2002 film version, Mel Gibson played Moore and Elliott played Plumley. Galloway said several of Elliott's gruff one-liners in the movie were things Plumley actually said, such as the scene in which a soldier tells the sergeant major good morning and is told: "Who made you the (expletive) weather man?"

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

 

http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Vietnam-vet-Plumley-dies-featured-in-war-movie-3936630.php 

Jay Leno On Crime & Cats

I've always enjoyed Jay Leno's monologue on The Tonight Show.

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Below are some jokes from his latest:

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"All of Mel Gibson’s troubles could have been avoided if he’d just made those calls with the iPhone . None of them would have gone through.

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O.J. Simpson’s lawyer, Robert Shapiro, has agreed to represent Lindsay Lohan, but only if she agrees to go to jail. Where was this deal when O.J. was on trial?

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Dick Cheney is recovering from heart surgery in the hospital. I understand Fox sent flowers, and MSNBC sent a large pepperoni pizza with extra cheese.

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A new study says that having a cat makes you 40 percent less likely to die of a heart attack. Not that the cat would care one way or the other.

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Good stuff.

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But my adopted feral two-year-old cat, Kit (seen in the photo below), would surly miss me - come feeding time.

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