A striking and gruesome image of the crucified Jesus, taken from the upcoming Mel Gibson film, The Passion of the Christ, decorates this week’s cover of Newsweek, and the headline reads, “Who Really Killed Jesus?” Newsweek asks a tantalizing question but, unfortunately, it does not ask the most appropriate question.  

Mel Gibson’s film has gained a disproportionate amount of publicity prior to its opening on February 25 — Ash Wednesday — and there are plenty of reasons for its notoriety: the film has no subtitles, and the dialogue is entirely in Latin and Aramaic; the Anti-Defamation League has opposed the release of the film on the basis that it would spark a rise in anti-Semitism; Gibson, an ardent and extremely conservative Roman Catholic, has pumped $25 million of his own funds into the film. To further fan the flames of speculation and criticism, Gibson’s father is a Holocaust denier.

The Newsweek article appropriately considers The Passion of the Christ to be a deeply troubling movie. But in its sexy headline, the magazine inappropriately encourages readers to ask the wrong question. The audience should not be goaded into amateur speculation on who and what forces were ultimately responsible for Jesus’ death. If the audience desires a serious answer to that historical question, they should consult reputable sources in recent scholarship.

And here is another problematic aspect of the film — despite the presence of English subtitles accompanying the film, which is entirely in Latin and Aramaic, viewers are likely to be swayed by the shocking images of the crucified and tormented Christ. Ghastly images of Christ will naturally evoke a deeply emotional reaction from the audience, particularly if that audience is Christian. It will be preaching to the converted par excellence.    

Although Gibson, who co-wrote the script and directed and produced the film, is an ardent Roman Catholic, he is no scholar. This film must be seen as a meditative, devotional or artistic film, but it must not be understood as a depiction of historical fact.  

Mimi Hanaoka