Okay, I couldn’t sit back on this one. The Passion of the Christ didn’t get an Oscar nomination for Best Picture because of one very simple reason:
It was a terrible story.
There, I said it. I must be a heathen to think such a thing. Plain and simply, taking twelve hours of Jesus’ life does not tell a complete story, it’s a snippet. And a snippet like that only has value for those who know the backstory as well as events occurring after the snippet. I’m not convinced the twelve hours was even told that well for people who know the surrounding events of The Passion. Certainly, there were powerful moments in the film, but these moments do not tell a cohesive story. Actually, I expected this one to go up for Best Picture, and I am ecstatic that the Academy took the high road and did not nominate a film which tells an incomplete, subpar story.
If you are a Christian who thinks The Passion was snubbed because it is a “Christian” film, ask a few of your friends who aren’t Christian, if you have any, what they thought of the movie. Ask them what the story told was. If you can find one who really knows little or nothing about Christ, then that person will yield the real reason this movie didn’t get a Best Picture nod: there isn’t a story, it’s a violent (almost so violent it becomes more of a caricature than it is compelling) snippet from the life of Christ that only has value for persons familiar with the full story.
Agreed. I was excited about the movie when I first heard about it, excited that it would have excellent production and authentic language and a more authentic-looking Jesus (not all the way there, but closer than most films and TV shows come). But I was disappointed that the focus of the film was so narrow. The flashbacks were too brief and in at least one case just goofy (Jesus inventing the tall table?), and the afterstory was completely ignored. I’m glad I saw it, but I have not desire to see it again nor delusions about it being a great film.
Brian Baute
January 27th, 2005
Great post! Thanks for putting that out there.
Rick
Rick
January 27th, 2005