New Delhi - This May, the people of India, particularly the Christians have something to rejoice. To beat the summer heat and the election-fever, Mel Gibson has a treat in store for us ?the Hollywood blockbuster "The Passion of the Christ." A movie that has grossed over $ 350 million in US alone ever since it was released, has hit Indian theaters on May 7th and it is reported that all tickets have been sold-out for the premiere. And, special thanks goes to leading film distributing company Kintop Pictures that has secured the rights to release Mel Gibson's controversial blockbuster "The Passion of the Christ" for India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh.

Private screenings have been held for church leaders "across the board" ?including both the Catholic Church and Protestant denominations ?and the film has been favorably received. "We've got a very good response from the priests and the clergy," said Mr. Suri Gopalan of Kintop Pictures. He says he expected no problems from Christians here over the release of the film, which has drawn flak for its anti-Semitic overtones and graphic violence. The film has secured 'Adult only' category from India censor board without any cuts.

The Passion of a Movie

The Passion of the Christ is a visceral, cinematic pulse enabler, raw and bloody, ready to bite into your heart and cause your eyes to well up with tears. Throw everything you have seen and heard about it aside and confront the film on its own terms, screamed a US newspaper headlines when the movie was first released in the country.

Never before has the language of cinema had the potential to challenge the church at large to wake up to the reality of film. That it is here to speak and move, to challenge our preconceived notions about life, to affect us in ways that no other medium will ever aspire to. That it, as the great film writer Andre Bazin noted, "brings the spectator in closer relation with the image than he is with reality." Such a force should lead to high critical expectations. A believer only hopes for the kind of explosive response in their Sunday service that an artistically and truthfully made film delivers. In order to more fully understand the strength of "The Passion of the Christ", one must watch it.

All in all, the movie is a medley of art and religion, married and melded together in purity, carrying transcendence (and yes, even a blessing) to the human spirit.

However, be warned ?the gruesome level of violence portrayed in the movie that has earned it an A-rating in India is absolutely disturbing. Some critics have said that the level of violence in the film is assaulting, that they had to turn away from the brutality inflicted on the Son of God. Whether or not this is an epithet remains in question. The events that took place on the day Christ gave himself over to mankind's brutality were so straining on the senses, that indeed, many of His followers did look away. From that point of view it is entirely appropriate that we, in the 21st century, understand the harsh reality of what took place in those last hours.

It is reported that the screening of the movie has evoked mixed response world-wide but generally on a positive note. For instance, in the Islamic nations of the Middle East, Mel Gibson's movie appears to have moved the heart of many Arabs. And even bring many Muslims in the Middle East to tears. Long queue was found in front of movie theaters in the Jordanian capital Amman. In some school, teachers take pupils to watch the movie. Parts of the film are also shown on Arabian TV followed by panel discussions with Muslim scholars. In fact, it was very surprising to find a copy of the movie available on the Black Market in Saudi Arabia, one of the strictest Islamic countries.

In India, amongst those who have watched the preview of the movie, many were left numb and moved. Rev. David Mohan of New Life Assembly of God Church, Chennai remarked, "I saw only a part of this movie when it was being previewed in our Church. It tells us about the suffering of Christ. The suffering of Christ and the last 12 hours of His life have been depicted in a very cruel way. Because of this, the people who have watched it, break down. In our Church, the believers who watched it were touched and moved to tears. It is a big thing now and everyone is talking about it. Even Hindus want to see it. I believe that when they see it, the Gospel will touch their spirits and change their lives."

Rev. R. Abraham, National Secretary of Pentecostal Fellowship of India was all praise for the movie. "I have watched the movie in England and I was very touched by it. I have never before seen a movie that is so biblically authentic. I have even received reports from my friends in the US that post 9/11, this movie has managed to draw crowds to the churches. And these people have come to the churches not out of fear but to know - who is this Jesus? This movie is creating big interest even amongst the non-Christians in many countries. A movie that narrates what Christ went through the last 12 hours of His life, a movie that depicts the sufferings of Christ, it is really amazing that such a movie can today manage to pull such large crowds in India and become the talk of the town and the focus of the media."

James, a former Christian in Bangalore who has left the path of faith in perplexity, commented, "This opened my eyes, it reminded me of Christ' amazing love. It stabs me. For a long time, I lost interest in God. But this makes me want to delve into God's world more."

One churchgoer in New Delhi felt numb throughout the movie. He expressed his deep longing to know God, uttering, "I don't know what to say, or what to think. One thing for sure is that I will reflect on my life and take it more seriously and preciously. I cannot say that I know Christ, but I can sure say that He is alive."

Conclusion

So there will be as many distinct impressions of "The Passion of the Christ" as there are people who see it. For its current audience, the Christian church, the last hours of Jesus of Nazareth are as much a matter of profound personal history as they are theological or academic history. If one approaches the film from this background there will surely be a kind of insightful, perhaps even worshipful response. For the story's next audience, those outside the influence of today's church, it is still a document made in the language of the day for a people already mesmerized by style. Perhaps it is too strong. Perhaps the liberties that are taken are too harsh. Perhaps it is exactly what a culture looking for substance will relate to.


By our special correspondent