Passion of the Christ Term Paper

Total Length: 617 words ( 2 double-spaced pages)

Total Sources: 0

Page 1 of 2

Mel Gibson's 2004 film The Passion of the Christ contains universal and timeless motifs, symbols, and themes. Among the themes that most viewers will easily relate to are the love between mother and child, the nature of human suffering, and the nature of devotion. However, one of the most poignant topics addressed in the film that also pertains to the modern era deals with the nature of government, the ways politicians function in their public and private lives, and the interface between religion and politics.

In the film's depicted time period as well as in the modern era, politics cannot be separated from many business or judicial decisions. Jesus of Nazareth was deemed to be a threat to the existing state and religious hierarchies. His teachings undermined the authority of the Jewish priests, who were in informal collusion with the Roman government. Although no exact parallel can be drawn between the situation depicted in the film and the modern era, any political dissident who amasses a large following would be likewise persecuted by the government or by whatever organization felt threatened.
Viewed as a political and religious insurgent, Jesus' presence especially irritated the upper echelon of Jewish priests, who pressured the Roman consul to officially prosecute and execute. Nowadays, individuals are still being persecuted for their beliefs; although people are not being crucified literally, many have been figuratively hung for espousing beliefs that threaten the establishment. Jesus was basically a political prisoner. Likewise, in the wake of September 11, the United States government has kept many individuals in custody for interrogation regarding their political allegiances and their supposed links to terrorist groups.

Moreover, The Passion of the Christ illustrates how politicians differ in their public from their private lives. The Roman consul did not act according to the dictates of his conscience, did not have any….....

Show More ⇣


     Open the full completed essay and source list


OR

     Order a one-of-a-kind custom essay on this topic


Related Essays

Mel Gibson

Gibson greater accolades and attention including several Oscars. His next big directorial project was Passion of the Christ in 2004, which was highly controversial and led to an exposure of Gibson’s anti-Semitic views, inculcated in part by a father who was a Holocaust denier (Brennan). In fact, soon after Passion of the Christ was released, Gibson was stopped on drunk driving charges and was caught on record making anti-Semitic comments. His comments caused him to lose funding for a film he had planned to produce about the Holocaust (Brennan). In spite of his potentially disastrous public relations setback, Gibson pursued in his directorial career.… Continue Reading...

sample essay writing service

Cite This Resource:

Latest APA Format (6th edition)

Copy Reference
"Passion Of The Christ" (2004, April 27) Retrieved May 5, 2024, from
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/passion-christ-169169

Latest MLA Format (8th edition)

Copy Reference
"Passion Of The Christ" 27 April 2004. Web.5 May. 2024. <
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/passion-christ-169169>

Latest Chicago Format (16th edition)

Copy Reference
"Passion Of The Christ", 27 April 2004, Accessed.5 May. 2024,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/passion-christ-169169