Everybody's a critic - 'The Passion of the Christ'

Four stars (out of four)

"The Passion of the Christ," directed by Mel Gibson, is the telling of the last 12 hours of Christ's life taken from the New Testament. This film was almost exactly in correspondence with the Scriptures. Although the movie's dialogue was spoken in Aramaic, the subtitles were not complicated to follow. If the dialogue had been in English, I do not believe the movie would have been as realistic.

"The Passion" is like no movie I have ever seen. The acting was phenomenal, and the cinematography seemed close to perfection. The violence in the movie was extremely graphic, even to a numbing point. However, the gore was necessary to accurately depict what Jesus endured. Anyone interested in knowing more about Jesus should definitely see this movie, if they are emotionally stable enough to withstand the powerful message it contains.

Even if someone is not interested in the religious aspect of the film, this cinematic masterpiece is well worth viewing. Overall, "The Passion" was an extraordinary film, and I probably will never meet its equal.

- Leslie Shain, student

--

Three and a half stars (out of four)

"The Passion of the Christ" is a riveting and powerful film. Portraying the last 12 hours in the life of Jesus Christ, Mel Gibson (director/producer) has created an intense view of things we have only read and envisioned. While Gibson is not able to correctly depict exactly what happened in the last 12 hours of Christ's life, he does a good job of using what is known through the Bible and historic records to create an evocative image.

This movie is very violent and contains scenes that will make many flinch and want to turn their heads. However, if you are interested in what the Christ might have encountered in the last 12 hours of life, this is a film you will want to see. (Go see it with someone you can talk to about it since it does stir strong emotion.)

- Walt Paquin, professor

--

Four stars (out of four)

Most of us are familiar with the story of Christ's death, but that doesn't prepare us for the brutal visualization and the harsh reality of intense pain and agony Christ suffered. This movie is not only one of the most powerful movies I've ever seen, but also one of the most compelling and soul-stirring.

Jim Caveziel is incredible in his portrayal of Christ: a man whose mission in life was to die. Others who are close to Christ play key roles in his crucifixion, some betray him while others helplessly watch as he fulfills his destiny.

I feel that Mel Gibson did an outstanding job of recreating this bittersweet epic. The one poignant question I dare ask is this: How are we affected by the portrayal of Christ's death in this film? I hope a great deal. I know I was. If you've not seen it, go see "The Passion of the Christ." Allow yourself to feel his pain and his agony, but most of all, experience the incredible love and forgiveness Christ manifested to us through his death.

- Lolita Hayes, floral designer