I wasn't going to post until Pascha, but . . .

I owe you this one.

I saw The Passion this evening and give it a 2 (out of 4). I liked the languages and the costumes. I like the fact that someone in Hollywood has produced a religiously serious movie. I like the fact that it has engendered so many discussions.

But . . .

It was so over the top in the violence and gore that it undermined its own impact. I don't believe anyone could have survived that level of torture and blood loss, and the unbelief took me totally out of the story. The cruelty of the Romans was like pasteboard statues. Melodrama is unmotivated emotion, and a lot of The Passion dipped into melodrama, and the melodrama sometimes teetered on the edge of funny.

I never felt I was watching The Passion of the Christ; it was always Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ.

The good news is that I've got no images of the Passion to overcome during Holy Week.

If anyone wants to say I told you so, the comments are open.