This is without doubt one of the most curious films i have ever seen. It has taken me several weeks to even formulate an opinion on this because it like nothing you can ever see or imagine, and for that Mel Gibson deserves praise. The Passion of the Christ generates emotions I have never felt before, I felt uncomfortably compelled by Christ's struggle and also I was frequently questioning whether I was actually enjoying it. I also felt detached because i'm not religious, so i'm basically soulless.
To be honest I'm still undecided and as a 'film' I'm not sure how well The Passion works structurally, The flogging is an exceptional scene as is the crucifixion, yet the carrying of the cross seemed to drag on (no pun intended). Although it goes perfectly with the message Mel Gibson is conveying it doesn't make for entertaining cinema.
The acting is impressive and the cast handle the burden of their roles well and claims of it being anti-semitic are not entirely unfounded but then different religions depict events in different ways so it is not a simple case of right or wrong.
Overall The Passion of the Christ is an extremely important film because it divides opinion in a whole new way, whether you like this film or not depends entirely on your religious standpoint. It is not for the squeamish (It is extremely violent but it feels necessary) and you have to be 'ready' to see it but it is well worth a watch. ?/10
