March In the Media

ST PATRICK AND PASSION IN MARCH

The History Book Club
http://historybookclub.com

This month at the History Book Club, a book about St. Patrick turns out to be more interesting than one would expect from the life of a saint.

Club Review

It comes as a surprise to most people that Patricius—the man we call St. Patrick—first came to Ireland as a slave when he was 15 years old. Even more surprising is the reason why: once the Roman navy sailed away from the Irish Sea, and the Roman legions retreated to the Continent, there was nothing to stop Irish raiders from preying on the isolated towns and villas of western Britain.

In St. Patrick: A Biography, Philip Freeman, an expert in both Celtic and classical studies, sets Patrick's life within the context of the declining Roman world, when Roman culture was fading away in outposts like Britain, barbarians were raising hell along the frontiers, and Christianity was one religion among many.

Lousy at Latin
Almost everything we know about Patrick comes from two documents written by the saint. One is his Confession, a longish, partially autobiographical letter composed when he was an old man. The other is Letter to the Soldiers of Coroticus, a denunciation of a bandit king who had captured a large number of newly baptized Irish Christians and sold them into slavery. These documents are not Ireland's answer to Samuel Pepys'diary, but they do give us a tantalizing glimpse of Patrick's world: “petty kings, pagan gods, quarrelling bishops, brutal slavery, beautiful virgins, and ever-threatening violence.” They also are a window into Patrick’s personality, and even his level of formal education—classicists tell us that Patrick's Latin was rough at best.

Patrick's life and times make for lively reading. For example, in his Confession he says that when he was 15 he committed a sin so serious he had never been able to forgive himself. It must have been serious indeed since decades later his fellow bishops found out about it and wanted to drum Patrick out of the ranks. After studying Patrick's text and which sins the early Church considered especially grave, Freeman concludes that Patrick must have killed someone.

Wild Irish
Converting the Irish could not have been easy. Freeman describes customs that could never be reconciled with Christianity. As part of the installation of a new king, for example, the royal candidate was required to have sex in front of all his subjects with a white mare. To predict the future, Druids stabbed a sacrificial victim in the belly and watched which way the blood spurted.

A people that went in for blood spurts and bestiality may seem like a tough crowd for a missionary, but Patrick never doubted that he could win them over to the Christian faith. And he was right. The impact that conversion had on the Irish, and on every corner of the globe the Irish call home, is incalculable. This new biography tells us how it all began. 256 pages • 6 1/8" x 9 1/4" • 8 pages of B&W illustrations • maps • Irish Names and Words • timeline • Suggested Reading

About the Author: Philip Freeman is the author of Ireland and the Classical World. He is Professor of Classics at Washington University.

The Passion of the Christ - The Big Movie for March

Whether you are Jewish or Cathlolic or something else, the one thing you probably will not be is unaffected by this movie should you choose to see it. Mel Gibson has focused solely on the last 12 hours of Jesus life. If you know your history or your bible you already know that those 12 hours were more than just time that ticked away before the guy died. He was no death row inmate awaiting execution. During those hours Jesus was brutally tortured and this film depicts that. Whether it's accurate or not is one of the things critics are debating. However, most scholars and theologians are admitting that based on the times, how rough and pitiliess they were, it is probably very close to what actually happened.

When critics of the film denounce the blood and gore as if it were the gratuitous violence of a horror flick, they do the makers of the film a grave disservice. Anyone who has studied the history of the region knows that politics and religion were interwoven during that time (as they are to this day) and that it was a barbaric time as well (and is to this day with the almost daily suicide bombings and retaliations that take place in Israel and Palestine.) Perhaps we need to see how horrible people could be to each other back then and juxtapose it beside how horrible we are to each other still. At any rate, this movie has made more waves than the Oscars. Use caution when deciding whether you want to see it and please, take your open mind with you when you go.

Movie Mom's Review by Nell Minow of Yahoo Movies

GRADE: B

Audience:	17 and up
MPAA Rating:	R for sequences of graphic violence.
Profanity:	None
Nudity/Sex	None
Alcohol/Drugs:	None
Violence/Scariness:	Extremely graphic and intense violence, including whipping and crucifixion
Diversity Issues:	A theme of the movie; some may be sensitive about the portrayal of Jewish elders
Release Date:	February 25, 2004

This is both more and less than a movie. In one sense, it is less a movie than the heartfelt prayer of a gifted film-maker. In another it is a narrow and harrowing perspective on a story that, no matter what your faith, is bigger than any attempt to portray on film.

Mel Gibson has made this movie to convey his view of the last hours of the life of Jesus. It is not history and not drama, though it has elements of both. It is not a full retelling of the Gospels or of the life of Jesus. It is a personal and spiritual statement about the view that the suffering Jesus endured in the last hours of his life demonstrated his divinity and his sacrifice in taking on the sins of the world.

According to the film's website, the use of the word "passion" is taken from the Latin for suffering, but is also used to mean a profound and transcendent love. The theme of the movie is Jesus' statement, "You are my friends, and the greatest love a person can have for his friends is to give his life for them."

I give this movie a "B" because I have to assign a grade. But truly, there is no way to rate this movie as one would the usual multiplex fodder or quirky indie. Without being a theologian or an historian, all I can do is respond as a movie critic, and urge those who want to see it to use it as an opportunity to consider their own faith and the way that reactions to the film highlight our global struggle for peace and understanding.

As a movie, it has great strengths. It is a respectful and reverent treatment of a story that has probably been more influential than any other in the history of the world. It has moments of great power. It has extraordinary cinematography by the brilliant Caleb Deschenal (The Black Stallion) and some stunning images. The shot from above just after Jesus dies on the cross is breathtaking.

But as a movie, it has some weaknesses. Any attempt to reduce even a part of the story of the New Testament to a feature film will not be able to convey all of its power, complexity, and meaning, but even within that context, this version is limited. It does not give those unfamiliar with the details or the import of the story enough of an understanding of Jesus and the other characters to convey all that it hopes to.

This movie tells only a part of the story of Jesus, taking place almost entirely in the last 12 hours of his life. The characters speak in the languages of the time: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Latin (with subtitles in English). There is little effort to explain what happened before Jesus is captured in the Garden of Gethsemane, why his followers were so loyal and why his accusers were so threatened, or who all of the characters are and how they relate to each other. For that reason, the movie will be most appreciated by those who are already familiar with the Gospels or as a starting point for those who want to learn more.

Some of the scenes are particularly awkward, especially a scene showing Jesus and Mary speaking playfully to each other and one with grotesque children taunting Judas. Other scenes can seem overwrought without the missing context. The violence is intended to be upsetting, and it is extensive, detailed, and disturbing to watch. For those who do not share Gibson's view about the significance of each physical assault on Jesus, it may appear overdone, even shocking or fetishistic.

Experts will have to evaluate the movie as history and as a representation of religious belief. Ultimately, each member of the audience will have to evaluate it as an affirmation of faith or as an invitation to those who are still searching.

Parents should know that this movie is extremely violent in an intense, graphic, personal, even intimate manner, much more powerful than other R-rated movies with cartoon-style explosions and shoot-outs. We see Jesus brutally beaten for much of the movie. We hear his flesh tear as he is whipped. We see his blood splatter and drip. The nails are driven through his hands and feet. His side is pierced with a spear. Two other men are crucified and one's eyes are pecked out. There are other disturbing images, including the character of Satan and some grotesque children who taunt Judas. We also see Judas commit suicide by hanging. Gibson has said that the agonizing, unbearable torture is a key part of the story, and parents who are considering whether this movie is appropriate despite the R-rating should see it first themselves to judge how their children might respond to it.

The movie has also stirred up a great deal of controversy about the portrayal of the Jewish elders who ordered the capture of Jesus and urged Pontius Pilate to sentence him to death. Unlike the recent The Gospel of John, this movie does not include a disclaimer to make it clear that the Jewish elders in the story are not intended to represent all Jews then or now. But I do not believe it is necessary. While some people who are already anti-Semitic may willfully misinterpret the movie to support their views, there is nothing in the movie to suggest that it is in any way intended to explicitly or implicitly connect the Jewish people as a whole to the death of Christ. The Jewish elders in the movie are a small group of powerful people who feel threatened by someone who does not support them. There are Jews in the story who are very positively portrayed, including Mary (who quotes from the Passover haggadah in Hebrew), Jesus and his followers, and the people who help him on the way to the crucifixion, especially Simon (a wonderfully compassionate performance by Jarreth Merz). The worst characters are the Roman soldiers, who laugh and taunt Jesus as they beat him and gamble for his robe while they wait for him to die.

Families who see this film should talk about how it fits into their own faith tradition. They should take this opportunity to explore the ways that groups of all kinds have responded to the story of Jesus and to consider the controversy this film has raised about its portrayal of the Jewish elders. There are many fine resources available on the web.

Families might like to look at some of the paintings of Caravaggio, which inspired director Gibson and cinematographer Caleb Deschanel to create the look and the lighting for this film.

Families who appreciate this film might like to compare this to other movies about Jesus, like The Gospel of John, or King of Kings. They might also like to watch a lovely Italian movie, The Gospel According to Matthew, filmed at some of the same locations as "The Passion of the Christ." These may be more appropriate for children and others sensitive to violence than this film or for those looking for a fuller depiction of Jesus' life and teachings. They might also like to watch movies that depict the impact of Jesus on people of the time, like Ben Hur and The Robe. Another very controversial depiction of the crucifixion is The Last Temptation of Christ.