Somebody's Sins

It tops a ton of Most Controversial Films lists, so I felt obliged to watch Jesus die again on celluloid. The critics describe Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" as virulently anti-Semitic and a religious snuff flick. I disagree on the first point and half agree with the second one. The scene in which Roman guards beat Jesus is so blood-soaking relentless that the actual crucifixion is a relief. Mel's view is that Jesus suffered, and he certainly drives home that belief. Not the best religious film out there (I vote for Pasolini's "The Gospel According to St. Matthew"), but this is still a powerful movie about being a witness. Some witnesses, like Mary, step forward, while others step back. (Images via Independentcritics.com and Cnn.com)