Marisacat came into the middle of a decidedly off-topic message thread just now, which was supposedly about the Passion.
"Talking about the Passion ..." Michael Stipe
It had gone off the rails.
I would like to answer one of Carl Junior's comments here, and then give my own Jewish view.
"Gee, you'd think a new Star Wars movie was coming out ..."
A) It is. Sam Jackson is shooting scenes now. Not to mention the cartoon that foretells the future of the Terror Wars.
B) This movie is loosely based on the story that fed into Star Wars ... messiah up against Evil Empire.
C) Why do the Republicans get to have Star Wars? Jesus, if Rupert Murdoch was any more like the Emperor, he'd figure it out and pull the movie off the shelves.
D) My view: I want the Roman Empire's PR firm. These guys got off lighter than OJ. For almost 2000 years, they pin the murder on someone else, and THEN they still get the light treatment in Gibson's film.
Pontius Pilate was so vicious that the Emperor Tiberius almost recalled him at the request of King Herod I. Herod I and Tiberius weren't exactly on the top of the list of supporters for Amnesty International of the Classical World.
They were ruthless MoFos with a serious warped streak. Not Caligula or Nero warped, but warped.
ANd they realized that Pilate was out of control.
Gibson paints Pilate as "I don't want to do this, but I must satisfy the Jews."
This is why the film is conservative in tone, and divisive to boot.
It negates Jesus' true political message, which even non-believers can grasp ... especially since I've heard plenty of progressive rabbis proclaim it ... God's sovereignty is not a club to wield over the masses. It is not justification for one man's earthly acts. It is a reminder that no man is above the law, because there is a power over us all. Jesus reminded his followers that they must pay taxes to Caesar, but they didn't have to believe in the justness of his reign.
We can dig it, even if we don't believe in God.
But, by putting it all on the Jews and the crowds, Gibson says "it's all about faith and faith alone. either you have the right one or the wrong one." And he denigrates Democracy, by making the crowd worse than the despot Pilate ... which the Gospels and history clearly state was not the case.
He emphasizes a strong hand may do wrong things, but it is only forced to do so by a misguided people.
Ultimately, it denigrates the forgiveness that the Christ bestows on his murderers and on all people. The end moral is that ALL the world causes good men to suffer, because people don't have God-like powers. But they are forgiven, and they can do better by forgiving others. Not exactly a Jewish message, since we also believe in the power of supporting deeds to give and get forgiveness, but I can buy it ... but Mel doesn't.
He believes in elevating single powerful hands, bestowed with divine powers.
He is an Imperial Roman Pagan Priest.
We would call it a Fascist Propagandist today.
I do not use the term lightly, but descriptively.
So, for those of you who wish to help turn back the tide and fight Caesar ... if you believe in the power of the crowd to do right by the world ... email me at debowd01@popmail.med.nyu.edu and sign up for a volunteer list for Tim Bishop, a Democratic Congressperson defending his seat on Long Island.
I know you have time between now and November.
They are calling me today.
The website for his campaign will be up soon for donations, too.