I'm glad we can agree here. Catholic or protestant, we are all christians if we believe in Christ. 🙂
I used "Jesus Christ Superstar" and "The Last Temptation Of Christ" as examples because in "Superstar" he is portrayed in a hippie, light and comical fashion. So much so, in my opinion, that it takes Jesus less seriously.
I used "The Last Temptation" as an example because its one of those "what if?" movies. Basically, for those that don't know, Jesus decides to accept sin in the world and in him and refuses to die on the cross. He flees, finds a wife, and has many children, and also revokes God and strays from his path.
So as to not seem like a heretic or anything, which I'm not, I will say this:
I realize those two movies are trying to make a point. But they didn't have to do it in the fashion that they did. It was uncalled for and naturally provoking to devout religious people.
I realize "Superstar" was a musical and was made in the 60s, or 70s. Therefore it was heavily influenced by those generations. It shouldn't have been is my point. It could have been made successfully without an appeal to society in that time.
I realise "The Last Temptation" was a "what if?" movie. But we needn't focus, ponder, or wonder what would have happened if Jesus decided to disobey the Father, accept sin, and live his life out not according to divine province. Thats questioning God's integrity and fills us with doubt.
While its true Jesus was tempted all the time, and even by Satan himself, he bent for no one, though acted according to the law. This movie establishes him as a coward, among other things. Totally blashemous and unnecessary. If they wanted to make a movie like this, they could have done it with what the Bible gives us. There was no need to create an alternate lifestyle for Jesus other than the one he had. Even if this was just a vision he had of what would happen if he left the cross, and in the end he wakes up still on the cross, 'going there' was unnecessary.
While dying on the cross was the final temptation of Christ, he accepted it. End of that chapter.
Now, kyhawkeye, I agree with your assessment. While I don't believe Jesus would have been pumped, I do believe he would have been more built then he was. Jesus is a humble man, modest and not as self-concious as we are in our weaknesses. Before calvary he was beaten and starved and so look the way he did up until the end, only to be restored in appearance and in soul three days later.
I believe Hollywood though has exagerated the physical appearance of Jesus, both when he's suffering and when he's not. This was so we could be more empathetic toward the character in the movie. They wanted us to see him as a pushover so that we could understand his plight. His mannerisms and physical appearance in the movies are devices used to create emotional connections.
While I don't have a problem with this in general, movies have overplayed it.
Perhaps the reason people are already pissed off or wary of this new movie made by Mel Gibson is because they fear seeing the truth. People have become complacent with their beliefs and this movie is going to shake them up. Its up to us however to accept it whole-heartedly. Theres no reason to believe Mel Gibson, being the devout catholic christian that he is, would create this movie that would portray Jesus or the Bible itself in a negative light.
