Ebert & Roeper's take on Mel Gibson's Passion - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

sfloriII · #1 02-24-2004, 07:34 PM

Renowned Critics To Air Exclusive Early Review of 'The Passion of the Christ' on 'Ebert & Roeper,' Saturday February 21, 12:00 pm ET

BURBANK, Calif., Feb. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- After months of intense controversy that
reached all the way to the Vatican, this weekend America's most prominent film critics,
Roger Ebert and Richard Roeper, are set to air an exclusive early review of the completed
version of Mel Gibson's new film "The Passion of the Christ." This special edition of "Ebert
& Roeper" will air in national syndication this weekend February 21-22, 2004. (Check
local listings or http://tvplex.go.com/buenavista/ebertandroeper/today.html for time and
station information)

Concerning the film and the controversy surrounding its release, Roger Ebert and Richard
Roeper had the following remarks:

ROEPER: "This is the most powerful, important and by far the most graphic
interpretation of Christ's final hours ever put on film. Mel Gibson is a masterful
storyteller, and he has created a 2,000-year-old world brimming with authentic
details."
EBERT: "I was also deeply moved by 'The Passion of the Christ', which in
excruciating details does follow the blood-soaked Stations of the Cross. Christianity
has focused on the physical wounds of Jesus to show that he suffered, as well as
died, for man's sins, and this movie makes it real."
ROEPER: "As for concerns of anti-Semitism: Ciaphas does lead the call for Jesus to
die, and Pontius Pilate is depicted as more conflicted than most historical records
indicate. But other temple leaders question the rush to condemn Jesus, and it's the
Roman soldiers who are portrayed as sadistic animals throughout this film. This
movie does not blame all Jews past and present for the death of Jesus, a descendant
of Judah."
EBERT: "It's a very great film. It's the only religious film I've seen with the exception of The Gospel According to Matthew, by Pasolini, that really seems to deal directly with what happened instead of with all kinds of sentimental eyes, cleaned up, post card versions of it."
ROEPER: "With 'The Passion of the Christ,' I know there'll be protest groups in
front of the theater. I hope they at least go into the theater and see the movie first,
and then decide if they want to protest the actual film."
EBERT: "I think the controversy was very premature and was based on people that
hadn't see the film, and who are going to be a little surprised at what's actually in the film.

sfloriII · #2 02-24-2004, 07:36 PM

And, if you're interested, here's an article by Richard Roeper about the portrayal of the Catholic Church in movies:

http://www.suntimes.com/output/roeper/cst-nws-roep10.html#

Join the clubbed: Catholics know pain of being bashed

February 10, 2004

BY RICHARD ROEPER SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST
Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" won't be released until Feb. 25, but it's already one of the most controversial films in history.

For months Gibson has been showing rough cuts of the movie to religious leaders in an effort to stem mounting criticism that his interpretation of the last hours of Jesus' life will foster anti-Semitism.

I'm not sure the plan is working. Last week I received a 47-page packet from the Chicago chapter of the American Jewish Committee. Titled "The Passion: A Resource Manual," it's filled with background information, essays, biblical passages and even "talking points" about the film.

>From the cover letter: "As the controversy over Mel Gibson's forthcoming film 'The Passion of the Christ' continues to escalate, [we're] taking this opportunity to provide you with the enclosed resource material on the film and the concerns of the AJC toward it. It is AJC's view, after having viewed two versions of the movie, that the Gibson film represents a reassertion of hurtful and discredited anti-Jewish elements. The film is a disturbing setback to the remarkable achievements in Christian-Jewish relations over the past 40 years . . ."

I've seen the version of "The Passion of the Christ" that will play in theaters starting on Ash Wednesday -- and I'll soon share my views on the film. In the meantime, I've been pondering some other religious-themed movies I've seen in my four years on "Ebert & Roeper."

Catholicism has been represented far more frequently than any other faith. I've probably seen more films about the Catholic Church (and movies with nuns or priests as supporting characters) than all other religions put together. Just from the last four years, I could easily put together a Catholic Film Festival -- but I don't think too many Catholics would be pleased with the entries.

Crooked priests, cruel nuns

Last year we had "The Order," a laughable thriller with Heath Ledger as a rebellious Catholic priest investigating the supposed suicide of his mentor. Turns out the elderly priest died after a ritual known as "sin eating." Peter Weller plays a ruthlessly ambitious and sinister cardinal.

Then there was "The Magdalene Sisters," an excellent but unforgiving film about the real-life Magdalene laundries in Ireland. In 1964, three young women are sentenced to a convent that is nothing more than a glorified slave labor camp. For years, the girls are subjected to abuse from nuns who are no more sympathetic than Nazi guards. Equally horrible is the priest who sexually abuses a mentally impaired young woman.

In "The Affair of the Necklace" (2002), Hilary Swank is an 18th century woman determined to restore her family's good name. She has to contend with Jonathan Pryce's Cardinal de Rohan, a lecherous, despicable schemer.

The terrific "Evelyn" (2002) tells the true story of Desmond Doyle, an impoverished single father in Ireland who fought to regain custody of his three children, who by law had been placed in Catholic orphanages. The priests and nuns treat young Evelyn and her sisters with utter cruelty.

Catholic-bashing, Part II

In "The Crime of Padre Amaro" (2002), an older priest, Father Benito, has been having an affair with a local woman for years, and he has ties to leftist guerrillas and drug peddlers. When young Father Amaro (Gael Garcia Bernal) arrives, it seems like mere days before he takes up with the 16-year-old daughter of the older priest's mistress. When the girl is impregnated, the young priest takes her to get an abortion.

Another 2002 film, "The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys," stars Jodie Foster as the stone-faced, one-legged Sister Assumpta, who torments her young students and calls William Blake "a dangerous thinker." (Movie priests and nuns often rail against thought. In "The Order," a cleric says, "Knowledge is the enemy of faith.")

In the leering comedy "40 Days and 40 Nights" (2002), Josh Hartnett swears off all sexual contact for 40 days and 40 nights, and if you don't get that subtle biblical reference, Hartnett's brother is a priest, and they often meet in the confessional to gab about sex.

Antonio Banderas is a combat soldier-turned-archeologist-turned- priest in "The Body" (2001), and Olivia Williams is the Jewish archeologist who discovers a skeleton that may be the body of Jesus Christ, proving that he was a mere man. (Of course, there's smoldering tension between Banderas and Williams.) Derek Jacobi is an older priest who commits suicide.

In these movies, priests are suicidal, corrupt and/or lascivious. Nuns are heartless and sadistic.

Before you run to your keyboard: yes, I'm aware of scandals, past and present, involving the church. And yes, some of the films listed above are powerful, important works based on true stories.

But a lot of this stuff is just exploitative garbage. And no other religious group gets bashed with such frequency. Can you imagine a similar number of films with Jewish leaders playing villains and moral weaklings?

Me neither.

E-mail: rroeper@suntimes.com

MS Fowler · #3 02-25-2004, 03:39 PM

The same critics who pan "The Passion" are a bit inconsistent--anyone shocked by that?
They love the authenticity of Oliver Stone's "JFK" and others
The violence of "Saving Private Ryan" did not offend.
There are many examples.
Their criticism is more political than anything else.

#4 02-25-2004, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MS Fowler
The same critics who pan "The Passion" are a bit inconsistent--anyone shocked by that?
They love the authenticity of Oliver Stone's "JFK" and others
The violence of "Saving Private Ryan" did not offend.
There are many examples.
Their criticism is more political than anything else.

Well put.

The lib's are just pissed because they thought they had Christianity locked away for good.

They like to think a lot of things the “letter from college” thread displays that.

#5 02-25-2004, 04:51 PM

It must be good.

*Exclusive 4:09 PM ET, 2/25/04** KAKE TV in Wichita, Kansas set to report a woman, in her 50s, suffered a heart attack during a morning screening of Mel Gibson's controversial film PASSION OF THE CHRIST. "She later died at the hospital," a station source tells the DRUDGE REPORT. The report is scheduled to be lead story on the station's 5 PM news. "She went into seizure during one of the film's most dramatic moments," a station source explains. The woman attended a 9:30am screening at Warren East Theaters in Wichita... Developing...

Botnst · #6 02-25-2004, 05:43 PM

Her heirs should sue the Catholic Church.

crash9 · #7 02-25-2004, 09:52 PM

Is Mel Gibson planning on a trilogy ??

Botnst · #8 02-25-2004, 10:08 PM

I saw a reference (googled, but no read) to Gibson considering other Biblical stories.

I'd like to see some rich fatcat Indian Hindu or Buddhist syndicate finance a similarly accurate story of Arjuna or Siddhartha Guatama. Or a greek shipping family of a greek philosopher. Or a German auto company of Luther or Kant. How could humanity possibly lose?

Does anybody really think we need another western or another frigging "Lethal Weapon"?

B

Botnst · #9 02-27-2004, 09:02 PM

...have you seen it yet? IF so, what did you think?

I'm taking my (87 yr-old) Mother to see it tomorrow evening.

Botnst

Snibble · #10 02-27-2004, 10:12 PM

I came back from seeing the movie with my mother and have to tell you its really a good movie. I am usually a person who is not "moved" by movies and don't mind gory movies.. but this is the first movie in a long time that made me cringe and feel a tad emotional. There is a scene where the Roman's are ordered to punish... and the beatings/whippings of Jesus were REALLY graphic. I felt my admission fee was well worth the price... unlike some horrible movies I have seen within the last half year(i.e. Freddy vs. Jason

) I hope this movie does well in the Box Office and Mel gets some sort of Hollywood recognition for his masterpiece... unfortunately, I doubt Hollywood will award him anything due to this scandal.

Although this might have been discussed in another thread... I don't get why the Jewish media feel that this is going to stir up more hatred towards semetic people? The movie had various types of people.. good and bad. As an analogy to this... I didn't hear of Japanese Americans and/or Japanese people in general argue that the movie Pearl Harbor will stir up hatred.

koop · #11 02-28-2004, 07:02 AM

Oh you know that crazy jewish media

And could someone post the names of the reviewers that liked JFK, Saving Priviate Ryan, but "panned" Passion?

#12 02-28-2004, 08:25 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Snibble
I didn't hear of Japanese Americans and/or Japanese people in general argue that the movie Pearl Harbor will stir up hatred.

They did Snibble, at least around here.

http://www.eonline.com/News/Items/0,1,8310,00.html

Beside's the truth is the truth I don't know why we have to sugar coat everything these days, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, and they got an atomic bomb in return, I'm over it and don't hold anything against the Jews for the Christ thing or overpriced CD's either.

People are way too sensitive nowadays.

jpb5151 · #13 02-28-2004, 12:09 PM

Yes, I'm probably cynical but I really think all of this controversy is simply advertising. Still, I might watch this movie when it gets to our public library on DVD.

sfloriII · #14 02-28-2004, 08:49 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Botnst
...have you seen it yet? IF so, what did you think?

I'm taking my (87 yr-old) Mother to see it tomorrow evening.

Botnst

Hi Botnst,

No, I haven't had time to get to the movie yet. I think I may see it on Monday by myself and plan to take my mom on Thursday. I'll post my thoughts on it as soon as I see it.

What did you think of it?

GRCBoca · #15 02-29-2004, 12:36 AM

Saw the movie Wednesday evening. Thought it was extremely well done, intense, and moving. I would urge everyone to go see it and make there own judgement about it.