The Passion Of Mel Gibson

Watched the ABC special interview with Mel Gibson. Geoff went off to read and missed it, which was probably good, as he can get worked up about stupid people. Diane Sawyer came across stupid, and annoying. Mel came across as the intellectual, compassionate guy he is. She wasn't all the interested in the movie as she was in getting dirt on Mel. Now, here are the facts as I understand them: they filmed for over 5 hours, Mel apparently asked them to turn off the cameras several times to recompose himself and his thoughts, and it was edited down to an hour of television. With my limited experience in television (I don't count the time I was on the Peter Hill show), I know from my experience being written about in the Orange County Register, that the media often takes things out of context, and can manipulate your words. They paint the picture they want painted, and that's what the masses are fed. So I took everything with a grain of salt. She asked him if he was an anti-semite, and why not put a disclaimer at the end of the film to tell people not to hate or blame the Jews. Mr. Gibson says he's a Christian, and it's in Christianity to love your neighbors, and he does (my paraphrase). As for the disclaimer, he said he wouldn't put one there, because that would be saying there was something wrong with his movie, that it was putting out a negative message. Gibson said, "It's about faith, hope, love and forgiveness. That's what this film is about. It's about Christ's sacrifice."

She brought up the history of Passion plays, which I can't speak on, as I don't have that info. I'll look into it, but Diane claims that they were used in the past to point blame at the Jews. That Hitler went and saw one, and he thought it was great propaganda. What did Mel say? That Hitler was a madman, a wacko, and that he (Mel) doubted that the play was the turning point in Hitler's hatred of the Jews. Mel also said that after watching Schindler's List, it didn't make him hate Germans, or want to hurt them. He said everyone is to blame for the death of Jesus,and he'd be first in line to say he was to blame.

My favorite quote from last night was this: "Critics who have a problem with me don't really have a problem with me in this film, they have a problem with the four Gospels. That's where their problem is."

I really hope that non-Christians will see this movie. Though it will be violent, it shows what Christ has done for all souls, he paid the price we never could. And because of it, we get to be free.

I'll close with a quote from a great Mel Gibson movie, Signs.

Graham Hess: People break down into two groups when the experience something lucky. Group number one sees it as more than luck, more than coincidence. They see it as a sign, evidence, that there is someone up there, watching out for them. Group number two sees it as just pure luck. Just a happy turn of chance. I'm sure the people in Group number two are looking at those fourteen lights in very suspicious way. For them, the situation isn't fifty-fifty. Could be bad, could be good. But deep down, they feel that whatever happens, they're on their own. And that fills them with fear. Yeah, there are those people. But there's a whole lot of people in the Group number one. When they see those fourteen lights, they're looking at a miracle. And deep down, they feel that whatever's going to happen, there will be someone their to help them. And that fills them with hope. See what you have to ask yourself is what kind of person are you? Are you the kind that sees signs, sees miracles? Or do you believe that people just get lucky? Or, look at the question this way: Is it possible that there are no coincidences?