The Passion of the Christ (Mel
Gibson, 2004) is a film about the trial and execution of Jesus and told in the Gospels
of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The film opens in an olive grove, the
Garden of
Gethesemane, where Jesus has gone to pray after the Last Supper.
Jesus resists Satan's temptations to turn back. Betrayed by Judas Iscariot,
Jesus is arrested and taken back to within the city walls of
Jerusalem where the leaders of the Pharisees confront him with
accusations of blasphemy and his trial results in a condemnation to death.
Jesus is brought before Pilate, the Roman Governor of
Palestine, who listens to the accusations levelled at him by
the Pharisees. Realizing he is dealing with a political conflict, Pilate defers
to King Herod in the matter. Herod returns Jesus to Pilate who gives the crowd
a choice between Jesus and the criminal Barabbas. The crowd chooses to have
Barabbas set free and to condemn Jesus. Jesus is handed over to Roman soldiers
and flagellated. Unrecognizable now, he is brought back before Pilate, who
presents him to the crowd as if to say 'Is this not enough?' It is not. Pilate
washes his hands of the entire dilemma, ordering his men to do as the crowd
wishes. Jesus is presented with the cross and is ordered to carry it through
the streets of
Jerusalem all the way up to
Golgotha. On
Golgotha, Jesus is nailed to the cross and undergoes his last
trial - the fear that he has been abandoned by his Father. He overcomes his
fear, looks at Mary, his mother, and makes the pronouncement, 'It is
accomplished'. He then dies: 'Into your [God's] hands I commit my Spirit.'
Inmaking this film, Gibson has declared that his aim was to stress the humanity
of Jesus, and to bring home the terrible reality of Jesus' suffering and
crucifixion.
In choosing this emphasis, Gibson has created a representation of
Jesus and the last twelve hours of his life that raises many issues and
explores many themes. This study guide provides a set of activities and
questions to help students analyse and appreciate the film. The themes and
activities developed in this study guide will have relevance for students from
years 10-12 studying Religious Studies, Cultural Studies, Studies of Society
and Environment, History, English and Media Studies.
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