the centuries — between the Jews who aroused — deliberately — by Gibson's clamored for Jesus' life and contempo- placement of Satan among the Jews. rary Jews. Whether that will register Here's some good news, at last: The with the average non-Jewish moviego- theatrical release of The Passion of the er on a sublimi- Christ — or at nal or subcon- least the print that scious level is a was screened for matter of con- the press Monday jecture. around the coun- As long as try — does not I'm cataloguing include the Gibson's offens- freighted line "His es, it's worth blood be on us, noting that he and on our chil- chooses to give dren." (It will be screen time interesting to see if only to the two Gibson restores weakest that line for the (Jewish) disci- DVD release. If ples — Judas so, it would give the betrayer new and offensive and Peter, who meaning to the A "bloody and brutal slog" through the lacks the term "director's last 12 hours ofJesus' life courage to cut.") stand with Jesus It would be pre- after the latter's arrest. sumptuous of me to imagine the effect The most worrisome "artistic flour- that Gibson's opus will have on non- ish," however, is the recurring Jewish audiences, or on Christian- appearance of Satan — creepy and Jewish relations. silent — in the crowd of Jews. These To the degree that Christian movie- are the uncomfortable moments I goers identify with Jesus' tortured alluded to earlier. journey — and strive for a more pro- Satan is introduced in the film's found connection to what they believe opening scene as a menacing, seduc- he went through for them — their tive presence who senses the vulnera- thoughts about both Jews and Romans ble Jesus' impending doom and crisis will be secondary. of faith. Jesus rejects Satan's overtures, But those who relate to The Passion but the hooded figure reappears from only as a movie about a good guy and time to time in the course of Jesus' his venal enemies may be ruled by pain-wracked journey to crucifixion. their baser emotions, and take the low And he is always shown gliding road of despising those portrayed as among the Jews. persecuting the hero. This creepy image, this association of Given the blood-spattered way in Jews with evil incarnate, is what I fear which Christ's last hours are depicted, will stick with some viewers more than and the over-amped soundtrack that any other image or line of dialogue. pushes the movie past melodramatic I should note that, in the gruesome- to hysterical, and the lack of philo- ly graphic scene where Pilate's soldiers sophical, metaphysical or intellectual take sadistic delight in whipping and discussion, viewers are encouraged to a flagellating Jesus, Satan's stroll through large degree to do just that. the Jewish observers ends with him So it is incumbent on ministers and standing with the soldiers. Gibson priests to use The Passion as a starting would no doubt cite that shot as proof point for deeper and more complex that he doesn't hold Jews solely discussions of faith. responsible for Jesus' suffering, nor The rest of us can take some com- view them as the devil's brood. fort in the fact that it is just a Indeed, the Roman soldiers are movie, a stone skipping across the shown as far more sadistic than the fast-moving river of American pop Jews. They take great pleasure from culture that will soon be supplanted Jesus' pain (not only during the whip- by a celebrity arrest, campaign snafu ping scene, but during Jesus' long trek or natural disaster. P1 with the cross). The Jews, on the other hand, seem scared or threatened by Jesus, and seemingly find more relief than delight in gaining the upper hand. 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