MELS GIBSON'S THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST:
SPIKED, AND HYPED BUT NOT FOR KIDS

by Dr. Michael Brody, Chair of The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry's Television and Media Committee

This film is not your grandmother’s Bible epic, like the lush and grandiose Robe or King of Kings. It is also not for children below the age of 14. It is brutal and complicated.

This film should have been rated NC-17 as viewers witness constant torture scenes with the scourging (ripping of the flesh) and crucifixion of Jesus. Since kids become frightened enough by any film where parents are killed, the physical destruction for nearly 2 hours of the ultimate innocent father figure without the relief of even dialogue (the actors speak either Aramaic or Latin; there are sub titles) is visually horrifying.

Throughout my viewing, two young children screamed, as the audience implored their parents to remove them from the theatre, which they did not. The film is also a bit “Exorcist-like,” with the devil lurking around and babies being transformed (another frightening process for children) into Brueghel like creatures.

While the film may be theologically sound (the healing of the Original Sin with the blood of Jesus caused by Mankind in general) unfortunately, we only experience Jesus’ martyrdom and pain, not his feelings of hope and forgiveness. The film is filled with hatred.

More importantly, for this viewer, there was a lack of a catharsis or ultimate meaning for all the violence depicted. In many of the other Mel Gibson movies, the hero is wronged, beaten, shot and ruined (Road Warrior, The Patriot, Braveheart) but he comes back and takes revenge or accomplishes a final victory. Here Jesus is killed in a violent, prolonged manner with no feeling of redemption at the end.

Although one must recognize that this is a ”Passion Play”, this reviewer had trouble with the dark, small claustrophobic settings. I also had difficulty with the depiction of the Roman rulers, including Pontius Pilate, as sensitive, thoughtful and reluctant to kill Jesus, when history judges Pontius Pilate, in particular, as a mean, murderous tyrant.

The cinematographer, Caleb Deschanel, does a great job with camera shots that could be masterpiece paintings and Mr. Gibson’s direction is excellent. In multiple interviews, Mr. Gibson has stated his goal was to create a film resembling a Caravaggio painting. But even Caravaggio, who in reality may have actually murdered at least two people, knew when enough violence interfered with humanism and art.

Dr. Michael Brody is the Chair of the Television and Media Committee of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and has been quoted in widely read publications such as The New York Times, USA Today, the Miami Herald, Parenting, and the Chicago Tribune among others as an expert on children's media. He has also appeared on ABC News, Entertainment Tonight, FOX News, National Public Radio and Nightline.

ABOUT AACAP
As the nation's leading authority on child and adolescent psychiatry, The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) has been spearheading efforts to ensure that all children have access to high quality mental health care and services for over 50 years. Representing over 7,000 child and adolescent psychiatrists across the US, the Academy is an advocate for children at risk, ensuring access to screening, assessment, treatment, and insurance parity and important funding for research.

ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN FOR AMERICA'S KIDS
The American Academy of Childhood and Adolescent Psychiatry is sponsoring The Campaign for America's Kids, an initiative dedicated to ensuring mental health for all children. The campaign will focus on federal, state and local government advocacy; training programs for educators in all schools; public awareness programs; easier access to care; and stimulus programs to attract more professionals to the field of child and adolescent psychiatry.