Le jour où le Christ est mort

No doubt Mel Gibson watched this movie before he made his Passion, the similarities are clear. But what a joke! As a Jew who is NOT a Christian, but is a historian. I can tell you that I have never seen such a bad movie on the Jesus myth. Also, why is the Sanhedrin, the body of Jewish rabbis shown as a group of bumbling fools? The Sanhedrin were the top of the top of the intellectuals and scholars. If anything, the Romans who had near no education should have been the ones who looked like fools. Why are these Jews from ancient times wearing modern Jewish prayer cloths (Talletot)? And to have them hanging over their left shoulder only? Makes no sense at all. Also, the Sanhedrin is standing in a room surrounded by 9th century Morrish woodcut motifs. I would call this "Passion-Lite" because it is just as inaccurate as Gibson's movie, only it was done 24 years earlier.

After seeing this movie once,I really respected Jesus Christ much more than I used to. Even though others may compare this movie a failed attempt with other biblical movies, I enjoyed Sarandon's portrayal of Christ.

I enjoyed the interweaving of the story from the scriptures and the untold story that went on around and behind the history that we have recorded. I found it creative and certainly possible. Since the overwhelming interest in the recent Mel Gibson Movie, 'The Passion of the Christ' has stirred up interest in the biblical story; it is interesting to see what some previous filmed points of view have been. This movie brings up some possible conversations, manipulations and intrigues that went on among various characters present at the time of Christ. I found many of their insights both intuitive and highly probable. The writers leave the end up to the watcher as to what you believe, but the interesting perspective on what was going on 'off camera' so to speak gave me lots to think about. Watch it to widen your perspective about some of the unwritten possibilities - I found it very interesting.

It is a dialogue . Not the touching film, not the example of accuracy, not the lesson about The Savior. Just a honest dialogue about sensitive aspects of His last days and about the people motivations and gestures and expectations around Christ. Surprising fresness and the inspired slow rhytm are the basic virtues of a film proposing the reflection and not the show. Chris Sarandon propose a portrait who you feel as deep authentic. The dialogues are inspired crafted. And, not the last, its deep honesty is the great virtue , proposing not a vision but a provocative frame for old questions and sketches for significant posible answers. So, a beautiful, in special sense, film.

This movie is not as good as all the movies of Christ I've ever seen. And I'm quite amazed that in this story Pilate wants to finish Jesus, when the Scriptures (as well the other movies) state differently. It lacks also a very important issue: The Resurrection.. None of the other movies skip this very important part: the faith of all of us Christians lies in this very event. As Paul says in one of his letters "If Christ did not rise from the dead, our faith is vain". A very impressive scene for me in this movie was seeing on the streets the remains of the palms that were used when Jesus entered Jerusalem.

Finally, and in opposition to my Jewish co-commentator, Jesus WAS NOT a myth. And as a matter of fact, he was also a JEW. There are plenty of documents (relgious and secular) that prove the existence of this extraordinary man(or should I said, God become a man) that indeed changed mankind. I strongly advise him(given he is a historian) to read about Flavius Josephus, the most brilliant Jewish commentator of the 1st. Century.