Not a day has gone by, without anybody saying _something_ about Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ, and it makes the headlines. As I’m not bound by news-worthiness, I’m doing the same thing. Here’s the tally so far:
Cons:
– Germany’s Roman Catholic and Protestant as well as the Jewish community (they rarely pair up, let alone threesome) saying it’s pure anti-Semitism.
– Paula Fredriksen, one of the professors asked to review an incomplete script for the news hungry New York Times.
– Paul Schrader, screenwriter for “The Last Temptation of Christ” (directed by Martin Scorsese in 1985) says it’s disturbing. Said by the guy, of all people, who showed Jesus having sex with Lady Magdelane.
-Gerald Kaufman, a member of Britain’s governing Labour Party and chair of the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport committee.
– French film leading independent cinema groups (small)
Pros:
+ Yasser Arafat says it’s not Anti-Semitic, hailed the film as “moving and historical”.
+ Several Polish bishops and priests
+ Catholic leaders in Brazil, the world’s biggest Roman Catholic country, saying it was “accurate and deeply emotional and its violence showed Jesus’ strength”
+ Polish bishops and priests
+ Thomas Nelson Inc. The world’s largest publisher of religious material (sales of repackaged bibles and current themed magazines have surged through the roof, almost all the way up to heaven)
+ French film leading distributor (big)
And last but not least, the smart guys:
o The Pope, saying very contentless, after a prive screening, “It is, as it is”
o Steven Spielberg, acknowledging his own smartness with being “too smart to answer a question like that” when asked for comment on this matter
Note that I’m not under one of those headings, as I’m trying to avoid the savagery during the premiere here (religion can invoke some pretty high emotions y’know), and chose for a quieter spot the week after.