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ChildCare Action Project:
Christian Analysis of American Culture (CAP Ministry)
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Entertainment Media Analysis Report
A service to His little ones (which includes at-home teens) through you, their parents and grandparents, in His name by His Word

MAR24020
(2004), R
Analysis Date
CAP Final Score
CAP Influence Density
MinMax
February 19, 2004
69 out of 100
1.89
-100

With Addendum, March 3, 2004
By popular demand, my pict will be here for a while then moved to the end of the report pages.

Written/Prepared by:

T. Carder


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SUMMARY / COMMENTARY:


If Scriptural references appear, the full text appears at the end of the Summary / Commentary likely using a mix of KJV and NIV.



(2004), R -- ... the first time I've seen a story of the Truth told truthfully.



Cast/Crew Details Courtesy Internet Movie Database
Production (US): Icon Productions
Distribution (US): Newmarket Film Group, Icon Entertainment International
Director(s): Mel Gibson
Producer(s): Bruce Davey, Mel Gibson, Stephen McEveety, Enzo Sisti
Screenplay: Benedict Fitzgerald, Mel Gibson
Cinematography/Camera: Caleb Deschanel
Music: John Debney
Casting: Shaila Rubin
Production Design: Francesco Frigeri
Viewd at: Loews City Place, Dallas, Texas

Permission was graciously granted by Icon Productions to post this analysis prior to the release date of February 25th - Ash Wednesday.


This is the first time I've seen a story of the Truth told truthfully. The Passion of the Christ, shot entirely in Italy at Matera and Cincecita Studios just outside Rome, is viciously brutal and intensely violent, but it truthfully depicts what Jesus suffered for you and I that we might have eternal Life. Several times I've spoken to this audience about the horrendous violations against our Lord's body after He was tried and falsely convicted of blasphemy and as He walked the trek to the Place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is Golgotha) [Mark 15:22]; about how His flesh was ripped to ribbons by being scourged*, His body was beaten, kicked, struck and spat upon then nailed to a cross to die. The Passion of the Christ faithfully depicts these horrors inflicted upon our Lord -- gruesomely -- in the last 12 hours of His life on earth. Beneath the heinous surface of the movie, it was clearly portrayed that it was Jesus' Will that He submit Himself to such atrocities, atrocities He could have stopped with a simple thought but He did not in order that we all may know His Love for us. The foundation verse for this film is John 15:13 where Jesus speaks of there being no greater love than laying one's life down for his friends." And that is precisely what Jesus did.
* Scourged means whipped with a mutli-cord whip with sharp metal bits at the end of each cord.

Under the CAP Analysis Model the content of The Passion of the Christ earned scores equivalent to scores earned by G rated movies in Sexual Immorality and Drugs/Alcohol in the comparative baseline database of movies, to the scores earned by PG movies in Offense to God (witchcraft, Satanism, occult, etc) and Murder/Suicide and to the scores earned by PG-13 movies in Impudence/Hate. But in Wanton Violence/Crime, this movie could not have been more "R." The Passion of the Christ earned a lower Wanton Violence/Crime score than American History X. If I removed the investigation area scoring display limiters that display as zero any less-than-zero scores, the score in Wanton Violence/Crime would be -442. This reveals another great feature of the CAP analysis model. It identifies the areas of concentration of invasive programming and is clearly displayed in the CAP thermometers. The heaviest concentration of invasive programming in The Passion of the Christ is obviously in Wanton Violence/Crime.

Though this movie is a faithful depiction of the unimaginable terrors our Lord suffered for our sakes, it is a movie. It is entertainment. Violent entertainment. Thus the reason for the zero score in the Wanton Violence/Crime investigation area. It was not Jesus in the film. It was Jim Caviezel in the full-body moulage,. That it is truthful to the actual events does not excuse exposing your kids to it unless you, mom/dad, say so. There is where the brutal objectivity of the CAP analysis model (the Findings/Scoring section) becomes most valuable. If a scene is violent, the CAP model notes it as such whether "justified" by actual events or not. (See the "BEFORE You Read On..." link.)

Regarding Jim Caviezel, he spent so much time in full-body make-up that his skin blistered. Jim also spent much of his time in a loin cloth in the Italian winter, sometimes unable to speak due to the cold. Jim was obviously so absorbed into the part that he was able to overcome a lung infection, numerous cuts and bruises and a shoulder dislocation to finish the picture. Interesting to say the least, while working on Golgotha, Jim was struck by lightning -- then got up and walked away. Obviously his part in the film was a labor of love for Jim. And it may be obvious to some that God intended for this film to be finished, the leading actor's miseries notwithstanding.

"Passion" is taken from the Latin word for suffering but it also means profound and transcendent love. It would not be possible to give this film a better name, for this film is both: the unfathomable suffering He endured for our sakes and His profound and transcendent love for us that led Him to allow man, they whom He loves, to commit the most horrendous murder of the most innocent Man in history.

Though this is only a movie, it is [subjectively] the most powerful of the more than 1500 I have seen. Attention to detail and realism was as extensive as our cinematic technology will allow. As an example of the attention to detail and realism, the dilation of our Lord's pupils was shown as He gave up the Ghost, though the dilation was a lot faster than is typical of dilation due to death. Even I, one who has seen in film every imaginable gore, shuddered in shame (shame for my sins that put Jesus in this situation) and looked away as the Roman whipmaster, with glee on his face, embedded the metal bits at the ends of the scourge cords into our Lord then yanked them out ... and pieces of our Lord with them. Brutally. Viciously. Sadistically. Yes, this movie is that violent. Beyond the capacity of words to tell. And you need to know that if you are contemplating taking your little ones with you to see it. And, yes, Judas (Luca Lionello) is seen hanging by the neck.

There is another reason why taking your younger little ones might be ill-advised. This movie is sub-titled. Mel had the actors and actresses speak in the language actually spoken at the time, Aramaic for the Jews and "street Latin" for the Romans. While ample time is available for the reader to capture all the text while still being able to absorb the visuals, a child who cannot read or reads very elementarily or slow will be saturated with raw, sadistic violence without any language.
ADDENDUM, March 4, 2004: Indeed, maybe Gibson tried to tell us about children viewing this movie in one scene. When the Roman soldiers forced Simon of Cyrene (Jarreth Merz) to help Jesus with the cross, Simon's child saw Jesus' mutilated body and shrieked as Simon shielded the child who looked to be about 12 or 13 years old. While the press kit gave me no information about this scene, I would like to think Gibson put it there for a reason.

Though I was not looking for Scriptural errors while watching the film, I realized today what might be an error. Gibson had Simon help Jesus with the cross instead of Simon carrying it for Jesus and behind Him as told in Luke 23:26. Luke 23:26 is a key point in Jesus' foreshadow teaching in Luke 14:27 that happened before Jesus walked the road to Golgotha. In Luke 14:27 Jesus told us that anyone who will not pick up his cross and follow Him will not be His disciple. There might be other instances of slight differences with the Scriptures sprinkled throughout the whole production, but it might be rather petty to point them out since the key message of His profound and transcendent Love for us in spite of our sins was clearly portrayed. Though I say the above point might be an error it might not be. Maybe Gibson used Matthew, Mark or John as template, neither of which goes into the level of detail about Simon of Cyrene and his help to Jesus as Luke does. Each of the four Gospels were written for different audiences. For example, Luke was a physician and by his profession was tuned to finer detail. God knew what He was doing when He inspired these men to write that which will impact the eternity of every human who has ever drawn a breath or ever will.
Many clever devices were used to express thoughts and ideas. One was when Christ was on the cross, the camera's field of view of Golgotha with Jesus on the Cross was shrunk as the camera rose up into the clouds then fell back to earth as a raindrop, expressing a tear of God. Another was displayed as Satan and his hold over death and sin was defeated by the death of the man Jesus. Satan was figuratively dragged down to Hell, crumpled and bankrupt of his due through the sins of mankind. The imagery of this portrayal was inescapable. Another clever device was how, when God caused the veil of the temple of Herod to be split in two, top to bottom, that Gibson had the throne split in two as well, as if to speak to sin causing our separation from God. The Scripture [Matt. 27:51] says the veil was rent in two and the earth did quake and the rocks rent but says nothing about the throne being rent. But I'll not argue the details. It was a nice poetic touch, Mel. Besides, who is to say the throne did not rent. A clever fellow indeed, this Mel Gibson. Welcome to the Bride, my brother in Christ.

I remember from The Apostle in which Euliss "Sonny" Dewey (Robert Duvall) as preacher The Apostle E. F. lifted a baby from the audience of the church he had planted and asked if anyone in the audience could love that baby enough to let him be killed; could love him enough to let spikes be driven through his hands and feet; love him enough to let him be speared, beaten, spat upon, tortured and whipped within an inch of his life. No one answered. But God did. He answered the question before it was asked. God sent His perfect Baby to earth to be killed in Sacrifice for our sins (that is why Jesus is called the Lamb of God) that we might have eternal Life in Paradise. That is how much He loves us. And The Passion of the Christ shows us His Love. Graphically but truthfully.

Casting a woman as Satan? Though her gender is never obvious in the film, the part was played by the androgynous Rosalinda Celentano. God makes it abundantly clear by His Word that Satan is masculine. However, this may be another clever device of Gibson to express to us and remind/warn us that Satan can appear in any form. Celentano with shaved eyebrows was indeed well suited for the part. Her demeanor and countenance combined with the slow motion photography clearly depicted Satanic deviousness and hunger for evil.

If anyone who is unsure about a mother's love for her son and the anguish she would feel seeing these things happen to him, note the performances of Rumanian mother-to-be Maia Morgenstern as Mary, mother of Jesus. I was invited to a round table interview with her today (Friday, February 20, 2004) but was unable to attend. I just spoke with Maia by phone and apologized for not being able to be there and told her of her outstanding heart in this film.

I am not going to go into the story and plot since, as evidenced by your visit to this Christian ministry, you likely know the story. If you do not know the story of the life of Jesus Christ, you can know it intimately by reading the Gospel - the first four books of the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John.

The Passion of the Christ. Surely this film will lodge itself in the memory of they who view it for a long time to come. Well done, Mel. Congratulations on the realization of a 12-year dream and the Spiritual answer you received by it.

Special thanks go to the good people at Icon Productions who made it possible for me to get into a pre-release private screening of The Passion of the Christ and to firefighter DM who sponsored the mileage for the 180 mile round trip to the theater showing the pre-release private screening.

Please consider inspecting the listing in the Findings/Scoring section before you make your decision whether to let your kids see this film or whether to see it yourself.

Before closing I want to leave in your mind, hopefully before you see the film, our Lord's admonishment of us regarding His crucifixion and the mutilation He suffered [John 14:27 - 28]. In each of the KJV and NIV translations Jesus tells us to be at peace with the coming crucifixion, not to fret about it, not to pity Him for it but rather to rejoice in it if we love Him. I know that is a hard pill to swallow since we love Him so much we cringe at the heinous horrors He suffered for our sakes. But remember if you view this film that Jesus came knowing He would suffer these evils and did so willingly but He did not come to parade His miseries or His mutilated body. He came to save us by His Sacrifice in a message of eternal Salvation by believing in His Lordship and His Resurrection. He sought not pity or sorrow by the insane brutality He willingly and knowingly suffered for our sakes. We do not need to know the monstrous evils He took upon Himself to come to know and love Him. We do not have to feel sorry for Jesus to invite Him into our lives.

Jesus left for us a free gift. The gift of eternal Life in Heaven if we accept that He is Lord and the resurrected Savior. Would you like to invite Him into your heart and be given the free gift of eternal Life in Heaven? If so, do so now! Don't wait until you feel better about it or when it is a little more convenient. Right now. Find a private place and speak the following prayer to Jesus from your heart:
Jesus, I believe in my heart that you are Lord and that you died to pay the price of my sins. And, Jesus, I believe that you were resurrected from the dead. I am a sinner, Jesus and I want you to be Lord of my life. I ask forgiveness of my sins, Jesus and I surrender my life to you. Please come into my heart, Jesus and be Lord of my life.
As public confession of your faith, go and share what you have done with a Pastor and anyone else you wish. Assurance of your Salvation comes from God's Promise to you in Romans 10:9.

SPECIAL NOTE: We will be reducing the volume of coverage in the Summary/Commentary section of our reports and the number of reports generated in an effort to reduce costs until full funding can be achieved. The Findings/Scoring section of each report, the heart of the analysis model, will NOT be reduced in any way.

Thank you for your patience as we diligently search for funding. Anyone who wishes to volunteer to help us locate 501(c)(3) nonprofit funding and sponsors is encouraged to notify me.

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SCRIPTURAL APPLICATION(S)

If needed to focus or fortify, applicable text is underlined or bracketed [ ]. If you wish to have full context available, the Blue Letter Bible is a convenient source. If you use the Blue Letter Bible, a new window will open. Close it to return here or use "Window" in your browser's menu bar to alternate between the CAP page and the Blue Letter Bible page.

  • Mark 15:22 They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull).
  • John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
  • Luke 23:26 As they led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.
  • Luke 14:27 And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
  • Matt. 27:51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
  • (KJV) John 14:27 - 28 "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I." The NIV states it "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. You heard me say, `I am going away and I am coming back to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I."
  • Rom. 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
  • Matt. 5:22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
  • Eph. 5:18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. ["Wine" can be any intoxicating substance. Though it is not a sin to drink, it is a sin to get drunk. A recent study has found an undeniable link between the presentation of alcoholic beverages and tobacco in and as entertainment and abuse of them by adolescents. And teaching/causing youth to abuse alcohol/tobacco by emboldening youth with them in and as entertainment invokes Luke 17:2]

    ***Selected Scriptures of Armour against the influence of the entertainment industry***

  • Ps. 12:8 The wicked freely strut about [e.g., create progressively vile/offensive entertainment with impunity and no consequences and present it to younger and younger audiences every year] when what is vile is honored among men [when enough people continue to defend it, embrace it, pay for it, enjoy it, want it, submit to it. I call attention to Ps. 12:8 to warn of the creeping desensitizing power of "entertainment."]
  • Col. 2:8 Beware lest any man [by his influence] spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
  • 1 Cor. 15:33 (KJV) Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. (NIV) Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character.
  • Rom. 5:19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
  • Jude 4 For certain men* whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change [warp, distort, falsely represent, situationally redefine, counterfeit, conditionally apply] the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. [*men: anthropos {anth'-ro-pos}, generic, a human being, whether male or female]
  • Matt. 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto [or for] one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto [or for] me.
  • Luke 17:2 It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. [cause by teaching or example]
  • Ps. 119:133 Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me.
  • John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
  • 1 Thess. 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.

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    As always, it is best to refer to the Findings/Scoring section -- the heart of the CAP analysis model -- for the most complete assessment possible of this movie.
  • FINDINGS / SCORING:


    The Passion of the Christ (2004) CAP Thermometers

    Wanton Violence/Crime (W)
  • fighting
  • ear amputation
  • beating, repeatedly, frequent, including after recent beatings, most intensely graphic and realistic
  • physical brutality, repeatedly, often and increasingly brutal
  • facial injuries from beatings/brutality
  • brutal vicious whipping with graphic injuries, ripping flesh, repeatedly
  • driving thorns into scalp
  • intensely graphic full-body gore, repeatedly, frequently
  • crowd control beatings, repeatedly
  • crowd brutalization of near-dead Jesus
  • continued beatings/whippings of our already mutilated Lord
  • kicking our near-dead Lord
  • hand/foot impalement with spikes
  • a crow pecking the eyes of the thief to Jesus' right (the one who mocked Jesus as He hung on the Cross)
  • spear impalement with exudates

    Impudence/Hate (I)
  • tormenting by children (who were cast as controlled by Satan)
  • mockery of our Lord, repeatedly
  • crowd lusting after killing Jesus
  • lusting after sadistic brutality
  • flash nudity, clearly non-sexual but nudity nonetheless

    Sexual Immorality (S)
  • none noted

    Drugs/Alcohol (D):
  • drinking wine, repeatedly [Eph. 5:18]

    Offense to God (O)
  • flashes of grotesque demons
  • images of children as demons
  • calling Jesus a fool repeatedly [Matt. 5:22]
  • attempts of Satan to tempt and control our Lord and events that would impede Him

    Murder/Suicide (M)
  • suicide of Judas
  • murder of our Lord





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    There are some in the entertainment industry who maintain that 1) violent programming is harmless because no studies exist that prove a connection between violent entertainment and aggressive behavior in children, and 2) young people know that television, movies, and video games are simply fantasy. Unfortunately, they are wrong on both accounts." And "Viewing violence may lead to real life violence." I applaud these associations for fortifying 1 Cor. 15:33. Read the rest of the story. From our more than eight years of study, I contend that other aberrant behaviors, attitudes, and expressions can be inserted in place of "violence" in that statement. Our Director - Child Psychology Support, a licensed psychologist and certified school psychologist concurs. For example, "Viewing arrogance against fair authority may lead to your kids defying you in real life." Or "Viewing sex may lead to sex in real life." Likewise and especially with impudence, hate and foul language. I further contend that any positive behavior can be inserted in place of "violence" with the same chance or likelihood of being a behavior template for the observer; of being incorporated into the behavior mechanics and/or coping skills of the observer. In choosing your entertainment, please consider carefully the "rest of the story" and our findings.




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    In the name of Jesus:
    Lord, Master, Teacher, Savior, God.
    Thomas A. Carder
    President
    ChildCare Action Project (CAP): Christian Analysis of American Culture

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