June 27, 2008
I have a big problem with this movie, and no, it isn't necessarily the story element of Jesus wanting to escape His crucifixion. Heck, I can understand Jesus not wanting to be crucified, and the Bible even depicts Jesus, shortly before the event, asking God to spare Him such a grisly fate. No, Jesus' understandable desire to lead a normal life is not what I take issue with. What I take issue with is the way Jesus' character is portrayed throughout the movie. He's constantly shown as being egotistical, prideful, and violent, saying things like "I'm the one who decides who stays and who goes!" and "Once I believed in love. Now I believe in this!" while hoisting an axe over His head. Not only is this a gross and utter mischaracterization of Jesus, but it also renders various authentic Biblical events nonsensical. Take, for example, the scene in which Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey. The real Jesus did this to show His humility and lack of pretension, but the viewer doesn't believe for an instant that Willem Dafoe's arrogant Jesus would be satisfied with anything less than a white stallion. As I was watching this, I felt as if I was watching a movie about Muhammad, not Jesus. It's just a complete and total misfire.
Now, I've never read the novel upon which this film is based, so for all I know, the disrespectful and inaccurate depiction of Jesus' nature might not be the fault of the filmmakers exclusively. However, that doesn't alleviate the anxiety I feel for Jesus' good image in the eyes of all those people who praise this movie as truly great. I shudder to think of an atheist or other non-Christian person deriving their first impression of Jesus Christ from this movie.
May I recommend "The Greatest Story Ever Told", starring Max Von Sydow, instead?
