ARTS 8A - The Michigan Daily - Monday, March 1, 2004 6 Courtesy ofDisney Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, post 18th birthday. 'Drama Queen' lacks any comedy or content Courtesy of Icon Thank you sir, may I have another! CELLULOID JESUS GIBSON'S VIOLENT VISION HITS THEATERS By Raquel Laneri Daily Arts Writer MOVIE REVIEW 9 When a film contains the line "you just have to believe in yourself;" it By'Zach Mabee Daily Film Editor Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" has received an unprecedented combination of fervent praise and unrelenting criticism. It fomented debate more than a year prior to its release and will certainly continue to stoke the fires of con- troversy well into the future. Irrespective of its contentious elements, however, "The Passion" will stand as a brilliant triumph of Biblically inspired filmmaking. The sparing story commences in the Garden of Gethsemane, where a torment- ed Jesus (Jim Caviezel, "The Count of Monte Cristo") prays The Passion for God's help and resists the of the Christ crafty lures of a seductive, At Madstone, androgynous Satan. Soon Showcase and after, Christ is betrayed by Quality 16 Judas Iscariot and taken into loon captivity by the Pharisees who are generally fearful of his Messianic prophecies and ministry. After accusing Jesus of blasphemy, among other capital crimes, the Pharisees send him before Pontius Pilate, the Roman procurator, for official punishment. Initially uncertain of how to handle Jesus' sentence, Pilate orders his minions to scourge Jesus and torture him severely. Upon reconsideration of the case, Pilate, in deference to the will of the riotous mobs, condemns Jesus to death by crucifixion. Following his death, as is expected, Jesus rises gloriously and sublimely from his grave to conclude to film. Preliminary concerns surfaced quite early, and still persist, about the Gospel that Gibson and company portray. Charges of anti-Semitism are prevalent, and questions of the film's histor- ical accuracy abound. Both ought to be dis- missed; the film tells a story that adheres remarkably to the Biblical Gospels. To be sure, the film does depict the Jewish high priests as strongly committed to undermining Christ's ministry. This, however, is in accordance with the Gospel telling of the matter; any criticisms of Gibson's movie should be similarly leveled against the Bible itself. In any event, the fact that the Jewish high priests indict Jesus relentlessly should not be of great concern. The Roman soldiers, after all, are portrayed as the veritable savages; they, if any group, are characterized in a decidedly negative light. More importantly, no Christian viewer should distinguish one group as being more involved than others in the death of Jesus. All bear equal responsibility, and to think otherwise would run contrary to a foundational tenet of the faith. Regarding the film itself, "The Passion" is, also to the dislike of many, strikingly violent and con- veys, as much as is cinematically possible, every iota of pain and anguish felt by Christ. From the moment he is arrested, Jesus is scourged and flogged ruthlessly by sadistic Roman centurions. While he awaits trial, he is lashed with some of the foulest imaginable instruments - for exam- ple, whips with multiple tails tipped with glass shards or rusty hooks. His suffering culminates when he is nailed to the cross, as metal stakes are bloodily driven through his hands and feet and his bones are bro- ken, audibly, to fit him to the boards on which he is crucified. Some have condemned this frank violence as a sadistic or hyper-religious fetish of Gibson's. They argue, in turn, that it overshadows the love or other essential traits of Jesus. On the contrary: It is exactly what so many films about Christ have, to a flaw, lacked. Jesus, as Christians hold, sacri- ficed his life for the collective sins of humanity; he bore upon his shoulders an immeasurably bur- densome yoke. This grand sacrifice deserves can- did and revealing consideration. Whether or not your loyalties lie in Jesus' camp, you certainly can appreciate the technique and craftsmanship of "The Passion." Most notably, the deft work of cinematographer Caleb Deschanel and composer John Debney blend especially well. Debney's droning, atmospheric score comple- ments Deschanel's careful, meticulous camera- work to make the picture artistically and technically appreciable to anyone. As a medium, film provides an unmatched cre- ative mode for the depiction of suffering and struggle. Watching both Christ's profound person- al struggle to accept God's plan and his agonizing physical struggle to endure seemingly unbearable abuse provides a window into his unfathomable sacrifice and struggle that a written scripture sometimes cannot offer. usually will elicit one of two reac- tions: The viewer either feels inspired, resolved to follow his dreams and expe- riences a reaffir- mation of life or he wants to Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen At Madstone Disney vomit. Once in a while, a film comes around that doesn't trigger either of these extreme reactions to such a moral-"True Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen" is such a movie. When the protagonist utters these words at the end of the film, the only possible reaction is befud- dlement. It's nearly impossible to figure out how "believing in yourself" figures into any of the many stupid occur- rences and vapid concerns in the life of teenager Lola (Lindsay Lohan, "Freaky Friday"), unless it's trying to teach girls that if you believe in yourself you, like Lola, can meet an ultra-famous rock star and hang out at his ultra-cool pad at an ultra- exclusive party. Also, in the process, you can undermine the popular girl in school and get a boyfriend. Do filmmakers really think that the most complex thoughts of a teenage girl consist eof^rer f 9 of a rock unde ifeiy star? Lola, the titular "Drama Queen," is devastated because her mother has forced her to move from hip, cultured New York City to New Jersey - the bane of all existence. Yet, instead of exploring Lola's problems of readjust- ing, feelings of alienation, and dis- tress over her parents' divorce, the film focuses on an obsession with a rock band and a petty rivalry between her and the popular, snobby rich girl. The rivalry played out through audi- tions for the school play - a musical "update" of George Bernard Shaw's "Pygmalian" called "Eliza Rocks!" complete with midriff-baring cos- tumes and hip-hop dancing - obtain- ing tickets to the Sid Arthur concert and after-party, and a Dance Dance Revolution show-down. It seems as if the director (Sara Sugarman) throws in anything young girls would find "cool" to sustain their attention and appeal to them. The film is just satu- rated with staples of tacky pop culture - from the annoying girl-rock-group music accompanying every scene to the glitter-infused outfits and Louis Vuitton handbags clogging every frame. So, after all the idiotic drivel, slut- ty outfits and singing of soon-to-be pop hits, when Lohan - in a voice- over, no less - reveals that the movie's really about following your dreams and believing in yourself it comes as quite a shock. A shock too great, which prevents it from being inspirational. Or too confusing to cause even the most cynical audience member to throw up. )f U.S. Army weapons trading. Darkly satirical and contemporarily apropos, great acting and a better script only falter in the sometimes-dragging plot. The DVD has little to offer other than the movie. A basic and uneventful com- mentary track is available, but only director Gregor Jordan participates. "Beyond The Iron Curtain" could have been an excellent features, but it's only five minutes long. Really, the only extra worth noting is the Anatomy of a Scene piece composed by the Sundance chan- nel, not even created for the purposes of the DVD. rw. ,. DVD reveals By Ryan Lewis Daily Arts WriterI INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY interested in building your resume while you're still in school? Want to work during Spring/Summer/Fall Semesters? You can gain experience in: - Selling advertising " Manage your own accounts - Work in team-oriented environment - Earn Commission-based pay Please pick up application at Student Publications Building Delayed almost two years because of the box office implications of a movie depicting the army in a negative way I (not that the last Buffalo two years of reality Soldiers haven't done so), B Miramax decided Buena Vista to slip "Buffalo Soldiers" into theaters under the radar. Unfortunately, it worked. This quality film in the same vein as "M.A.S.H." went relatively unseen, and its DVD release will probably do the same. Courtesy ofBuena Vista Mmmmmm ... buffalo wings. "Soldiers" details a peacetime army base in 1989 Germany where restless American G.I.s conquer their boredom through black-market drug and Film: ***I Picture/Sound: **** Features: *i Georgetown University 2004 Summer School 4 Take advantage of a unique opportunity to study at Georgetown University next summer at special summer tuition rates. Choose from more than 300 undergraduate and graduate day and evening credit courses during three sessions. Pre-Session: First Session: Second Session: May 24-June 18 June 7-July 9 July 12-August 13 I