![]() One of the themes of the story emphasised by the film is the bond between Jesus and Mary. Yet throughout the film she maintains an almost luminescent beauty, entirely befitting the mother of God. The pain she conveys through her large and expressive eyes is heart-breaking, as she is forced to watch her child endure the most unimaginable suffering. The performance that really stood out was that of Maia Morgenstern as Mary. Despite these handicaps Caviezel delivers a performance of great emotional depth, embodying quiet nobility and sacrifice. As Jesus, James Caviezel has the immense task of embodying the most important figure in human history, and often doing so with little dialogue, and one eye swollen shut. Huge credit must go to the cast for mastering the language, and employing it in such universally excellent performances. On another, it forced Gibson and his team into a very visual form of storytelling even amongst the carnage there are shots of aching beauty. On one level it unites an international cast, sparing us any clashing accents, and gives the film a greater sense of authenticity. Its dialogue is entirely in Latin and Aramaic, with English subtitles, a remarkably bold decision by Gibson, and one that pays dividends. For those few still unaware, the film details the last twelve hours in the life of Christ. Even now, weeks later, re-examining it in detail is still deeply affecting. It took me two viewings to really get a grip on it, so intense were the emotions it provoked in me. ![]() I eventually decided, however, that whether I really wanted to or not, this was a film I needed to see. It had been my intention to since Mel Gibson first announced the project, but endless reports of the film's unflinching brutality made me fear it might be too much to bear. ![]() It took me a long while to decide whether to see The Passion of the Christ.
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