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by Spixxy on February 15th, 2004

Spixxy

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Why are critics saying that the movie "The Passion" is anti-Semitic?

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Answers. 14 helpful answers below.

  • by OutThere on March 19th, 2004

    OutThere

    Allegedly, the critics say this because the 'bad guys' in the movie are Jewish leaders (and one ''follower'). But even if the viewer knows nothing of the Biblical base for the movie (and doesn't read the scripture at the beginning showing who's really to blame for Jesus' death), it's difficult to justify the anti-Semitic label.

    The people who should be screaming the loudest about being portrayed as villains are the Italians. It was the Roman army that had the power and authority to execute prisoners, which was obvious from the movie alone. The Jewish leaders had to ask permission to have him killed. If the Romans had refused, Jesus would not have been executed. The Roman executioners were also portrayed as thoroughly enjoying the torture they were dishing out. (Incidentally, the glee of the torturers is not specified in the Bible; they did mock him but the Bible doesn't say whether they smiled as they scourged him.)

    A possible political motive for critics to charge this movie with anti-Semitism would be out of a general hatred for anything remotely supportive of the Bible. They may have hoped to cause it to do poorly at the box office, but it wound up having the opposite effect. All the hype made people curious.

    Speaking of curious, there is a great tolerance in the world at large for anti-Semitism. The U.N. in particular has a consistent habit of voting against anything supportive of Israel (this is a matter of public record). It is thus quite surprising to hear the critics use anti-Semitism in a negative way. If the film was truly anti-Semitic they wouldn't have made such a big deal of it.

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  • by TShilo12 on April 28th, 2004

    TShilo12

    Actually, the people who should be yelling the loudest, IMHO, are Christians, since the movie has coöpted Christianity's founding moments, using a portrayal of unspeakable violence [not supported by any of the supposed source texts] as well as elements from post-Biblical [and horrifically anti-Jewish] texts in the creation of the movie, all the while its primary promotion machine has been claiming that the "source" is "The Gospels". Is it anti-Semitic? Possibly. It's interesting what portions of which texts are included and which are excluded. In any case, it's not a good movie, unless you're in to religiously-related snuff films. Speaking as a former Christian, I have to say, the film is neither edifying nor educational. At the same time, I think the ADL and related groups have, once again, done the Jewish community specifically, and the world at large generally, a great disservice with their histrionics.

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  • by Audiotron on May 11th, 2008

    Audiotron

    Because too many people look for any excuse to say they are offended so they can whine.

    News flash: Jesus WAS a JEW himself!

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  • by singwell-is off researching a lot on May 11th, 2008

    singwell-is off researching a lot

    I saw the film, and I was deeply moved by it. But I did not see anything anti-Jewish in it. Facts are facts. There were those in the Sanhedrin who acted unlawfully by holding a trial for death at night, and not having the whole Sanhedrin present anyway.
    But, there were those in the Sanhedrin who opposed their actions. Some of them managed to get there in time and protest. Others may not have gotten there in time, or were shouted down, but showed their antipathy for the hypocrisy of their colleagues' by their actions eg Joseph of Arimathea, who gave Jesus' body the new tomb he had built. That was a slap in the face for those who had acted shamefully.

    I think I understand where the Jewish critics are coming from, however. The Jewish people have been terribly treated over the centuries, by people calling themselves Christians, yet not carrying out Jesus' own words from the Cross "Father, forgive them...for they know not what they do."

    I could understand that they saw in the film, the possibility of this raising anti-Jewish sentiment again. But it did not. I never heard a word of anti-Semitisim from anyone who saw it, and I know plenty.

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  • by ninja man on May 10th, 2008

    ninja man

    Because that is thier job. Besides, this debate has been around since the moment they pounded the nails.

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  • by Too Much Time On My Hands on May 17th, 2004

    Too Much Time On My Hands

    Let me begin by saying that I saw the movie well over a month ago and have still not been able to decide whether or not I consider it truly anti-Semitic. I seek only to clarify the views of those who do hold this opinion, and what follows is the reasoning offered by close friends of mine who did think that the "Passion" was anti-Semitic. I do think they are valid possibilities...

    The Roman soldiers do not come off too well, it's true. They are shown as brutish, cruel, and very, very violent. I believe that allegations of anti-Semitism are concerned more with the portrayal of Pontius Pilate vs. the Jewish priesthood. On the one side you have bearded religious elders, faces contorted with fury, demanding "We must have his blood!" Then you have Pilate, the disillusioned colonial governor who tries to arrange for Jesus to be set free but capitulates to the Jewish priests because he fears they will incite a rebellion unless their demands of blood/death are met.

    There are reasons why both the Jewish priests and the Roman governor would consider Jesus to be a threat to the status quo and seek to punish him. It seems reasonable to consider them as having a shared responsibility for the events depicted in the movie. It is the possibility that Gibson chose to let Pontius Pilate "off the hook" while portraying the priests as bloodthirsty fanatics that brought accusations of anti-Semitism.

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  • by CaptainHarley adores his life penguin on May 11th, 2008

    CaptainHarley adores his life penguin

    Because they have trouble seperating truth from fiction?

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  • by thatsJustme on May 13th, 2008

    thatsJustme

    Critics say that the movie is anti semitic because it discriminates or is persecuting Jews who do not believe in Christ as the Messiah......this is the definition of anti semitic....so, the entire movie is anti-semitic because Mel Gibson is a Christian. He made a vow to the Lord at a very low point in his life and he kept it......but I did and do not see, as a "goal" in making the film, as PROSELYTING for Christianity..more as FACTUAL about Christ....
    he simply tried to tell (after lots of study) Christs suffering and dying for us the way it is written as best he could....he was not blaming or pointing fingers....Judaism takes offense ...
    there were no anti semitics about it...he was not discriminating or persecuting Jews..he is Christian...

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  • by cellar-door_26 on May 10th, 2008

    cellar-door_26

    Jews + red glowing eyes = evil

    That's what I got from it, at least.

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  • by Catherine on January 21st, 2010

    Catherine

    Christ killer were associated with the jews....but actually it was the small sect in the temple who wanted him dead.....Remember the first Christans were jews....The movie is very powerful, Mel Gibson got the politics of what was going on at that time......Hollywood is run by many Jews who do not like this movie....but it does not represent hating of the Jewish People....We are part of them as they are of us....Christ came from them.....Please watch the movie and judge for yourself and read the bible....God Bless all of us, for Christ died on the Cross for all people..

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  • by thatsJustme on April 24th, 2008

    thatsJustme

    I only sought to understand "what HE suffered for us", not who was to blame or looked bad....and it was a good dipiction of what HE went through for us but NO MOVIE can EVER really show us what HE endured.....

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  • by thatsJustme on May 11th, 2008

    thatsJustme

    I think we all miss the POINT that just as many JEWS as GENTILES had accepted Jesus....conversions were of ALL..
    The other POINT is: it was ONLY the Jewish Cheif Priests,their elders &teachers of the law, the Sanhedrin, that CONDEMNED CHRIST solely according to HIS oppositions to their Jewish laws and of who HE was...and they mastered the best way to get the Romans to kill him...Jesus would take away their POWER and PRESTIGE...period. facts are facts....
    we all seem to think it was all JEWS and that is not logical at all...many Jews accepted Jesus...on Pentecost Day, in Jerusalem during a Jewish festival!, 3,000 alone joined Jesus Church(HIS BODY)...this was not mainly Gentile conversion....
    but again, the Passion , was to show what HE suffered for us,,,not POINTING FINGERS......

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  • by Marky Mark on January 19th, 2010

    Marky Mark

    They don't seem to realise that in the New Testament, the Jewish elite don't exactly come off as the heroes of the day, do they...?

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  • by TShilo12 on May 15th, 2008

    TShilo12

    Is this question still relevant?

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