Jenna Wall: Outside Reading #3

Jenna Wall - 4/23

I found an interesting article while researching the Via Dolorosa on the movie "Passion of the Christ". The author analyzes the well known movie and discusses the depiction of Jesus’ last hours in the eyes of Mel Gibson. It is stated that the author did not want to see the movie for fear of the reality of the crucifixion. The walk down the Via Dolorosa was real, and was depicted as so in the film. The screen does not black out when a swing is taken; “every blow struck, every welt raised, every wound, every bruise, every nail driven into writhing flesh and especially every aspect of the slow torture and strangulation on the cross” is shown clearly in the movie. Because of the reality of these scenes, the author views the Via Dolorosa as sacred. He does not see it as any other landscape, but one that has significance.