For Christ’s sake
A friend once told me that every time he sees Sissy Spacek, he envisions her as Carrie, covered in pig’s blood. Well, that macabre visual must have stuck in Mel Gibson’s head, too, since it is seemingly the primary inspiration for his film The Passion of the Christ.
Kent Williams gives a thoughtful review [“The Gospel according to Mel,” Film, March 9]. But he doesn’t address Gibson’s responsibility (or lack thereof) in putting his private fixation on screen.
A local actor warned me, “As a performer, you have a responsibility to your audience.” You may shake them up, but you don’t deliberately do harm. He went on to say Gibson’s Passion causes “post-traumatic stress disorder,” echoing Newsweek’s Jon Meacham, who worried that the film is “more likely to inspire nightmares than devotion.”
Indeed, Gibson’s Jerusalem is Hell, complete with infant demons and worm-ridden carcasses. His Messiah is a bloody Jesus, trapped in torment in celluloid perpetuity.
Gibson offers us a flesh-and-blood Jesus, only to flog and crucify him. Given the thousands of screens on which Passion is now being shown, odds are Jesus is somewhere being tortured right this moment. In 2,000 theaters nationwide, five times a day, he’s suffering for your sins. It all seems a bit sadistic, perhaps doing repeated injury to the very memory of Christ.
Is that how he/He would want to be remembered? Consider John 16:19. Jesus refers specifically to his martyrdom, saying to forget the anguish, to turn grief to joy. Jesus taught us to consider the lilies. To turn from darkness to light. To shrug off insults and persecution. To rejoice!
Jesus’ sole commandment (John 15:17) is: “Love each other.” Mel, for Christ’s sake, where is the love? The first five minutes of Love, Actually seemingly contains a deeper understanding of Jesus’ message than all two hours of Mel’s monstrosity.
Yes, Passion Plays have their precedent. Yes, the crucifixion does fulfill prophecy. (And maybe it’s all valid in some Antonin-Artuad-Theater-of-Cruelty sense.) But, be honest with yourself. Would his/His message have been any less meaningful to you, had Jesus NOT died for your sins?
Jesus told us: “People do not pick figs from thorn bushes.” (Luke 6:43) Gibson’s Passion is potentially a prickly plant, bearing poisoned fruit. People brought children to the screening I attended. Is their Jesus “the good shepherd” anymore, or “guts on a stick” (to borrow a quote from Gibson)? Let’s do our part and offer Mel our forgiveness.
Brian Wimer
Charlottesville
Independent thinker
It is indeed uplifting to see a candidate who is running for City Council who is not in bed with local developers. Mr. Vance High has said he is an environmentalist [“High expectations,” The Week, March 9]. But to a certain extent, we all are here in Charlottesville.
We do not want condominiums or high-rise buildings in the City either. But ever since 1970, Charlottesville has been in bed with developers to turn this city into a concrete jungle.
I am going to suggest to those who would not support the party candidates to vote for the independent on Election Day. Do not stay home.
We all know that an independent thinks his own thoughts and puts into practice his own plans for the people and not the plan of some party hack or operative behind the scenes.
Born in Albemarle County and a City resident for half a century, I believe we need a new political wind to blow across the landscape and sweep away the fetid stench of partisan politics and those who practice it. We should elect people whose only purpose is to represent the people and to make Charlottesville a better place to live.
Thomas Dowell
Charlottesville
Turn around
Left Turn, Right Turn = Wrong Turn! I love your paper, but I am sorry, two wrongs do not make a right. Feels more like a dead-end to me: two wasted pages every week which I do not bother to read anymore. The pair of deadeners spewing their venom since January are not worth the paper they are printed on. If Ted Rall nourished the mind, these two guys poison it. Dump them! Blank pages would be better. We could fill the void left by Rall with our own doodles! We could even send them to you and let you print them for free each week. We could call it Our Turn.
By the way, Ask The Advice Goddess always makes for great reading. Don’t you ever dare pull a Left/Right on her!
Pierre Blondel
Charlottesville
Wild about Harry
Is Harry Terris a local writer? His command of the written word [“In the middle of the read with Garrison Keillor,” March 23] is stunning. Without exception, one of the finest pieces I have ever read in C-VILLE.
Jack Cornachio
jakcorn1@earthlink.net
The editor replies: Indeed, Harry Terris is a Charlottesville-based writer.