So much more than meets the eye

Where will I start? Perhaps the best way would be to share with you how deeply saddened I am at the amount of articles I have read emphasising and criticising the violence depicted in The Passion of the Christ as though this is all the film is made of. If I hadn't been so determined to see the film myself, after reading these articles I too may have been deterred from doing so. And I would have missed out on an experience which has touched me beyond belief.

I cannot say that I never meditated on the Passion before. I take my faith seriously and have been a member of a Christian Life Community for many years now. However, I believe I will not be wrong to claim that, as perhaps is the case with many of Catholic Malta's inhabitants, opportunities for me to experience such a heart-felt appreciation and understanding of Jesus Christ's death and resurrection are precious rarities. Could it be that the image of our crucified Christ has become too familiar and that we have become desensitised to its horror?

Yes, the film depicts exactly what it claims to depict - the Passion of the Christ. It presupposes our familiarity with Jesu's life and teachings right up until His final journey to Jerusalem. Except for a few brief flashbacks cleverly integrated into the sequence of events, the entire film is a depiction of all the degradation Jesus's of Nazareth had been subjected to. And, yes, Jesus' last hours were hours filled with unimaginable violence and suffering, physical, psychological and spiritual. The film does not romanticise.

Despite this fact, we are being told time and again that Mel Gibson's interpretation has been grossly exaggerated, that the film is filled with blood and gore and, therefore, potentially disturbing. I cannot agree. I cannot agree because what I saw was not blood and gore but an inspiring, unsaid and misunderstood determination of One who was also human in every way, except in sin, to accomplish what He knew would be the story of our salvation. My salvation. Your salvation. The film shows us exactly what this involved. I cannot wave it away and say I do not want to see. The greatest love a man can have is to lay down his life for his friends. This is what it is all about. It does a marvellous job of it too.

The Passion of the Christ is also about our human weakness. The apostles' flight from the scene. Peter's frantic denials. Judas's tragic, irreversible betrayal, which leads to an acute desperation that drives him to insanity. Simon of Cyrene's reluctance to get involved. Incidentally, the portrayal of his contribution in the story of the Passion is beautifully rendered in the film, in itself an inspiration for all those carrying their own cross in today's world. We see Christ stagger on despite all the odds, despite having been subjected to violent flagellation, mustering strength from depths that could only have been nourished by a divine knowledge and selfless love, shared only by His mother.

The beautiful portrayal of Mary, Jesus's mother, is inspired and will surely contribute to increased devotion towards Our Lady. Here we see a mother who shares an exceptional bond of love with her son. She is subjected to intolerable suffering and heart-break and, yet, we see a woman whose faith and acceptance of her crucial role in God's plan lead her to refrain from altering its path, while remaining so close by. This interpretation of Mary will touch the heart of many.

Having the power to lay down his body and to "take it again" (John 10:18), the Saviour conquered death for himself and all mankind (1 Corinthians 15:22). Let this inspire you to watch The Passion of the Christ. Look beyond the violence. It is not unbearable to watch. It will not ask too much of you. It has changed me.

Finally, may I recommend that those who are still hesitant read Frans Camilleri's article entitled "The Passion of the Christ - More than a Film" (March 16). It is excellent.