Free screening of Mel Gibson epic

The controversial and critically acclaimed Mel Gibson epic The Passion of the Christ is the first film to feature at Movies at Macquarie in 2005.

Movies at Macquarie gives the public an opportunity to watch a Hollywood blockbuster on the big screen, and then grill university experts about whether the film belongs in the realm of fact or fiction.

The Passion of the Christ focuses on the last 12 hours of Jesus of Nazareth's life. The film begins in the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus has gone to pray after the Last Supper. It is here Jesus must resist the temptations of Satan. Betrayed by Judas Iscariot, Jesus is then arrested and taken to Jerusalem where leaders of the Pharisees confront him with accusations of blasphemy and his trial results in a condemnation to death.

The film has attracted criticism for its graphic violence and perceived anti-Semitic themes. Gibson has stated that the violence is designed to expose the audience to the enormity of the sacrifice being made.

PhD student and part time tutor, Daniel Nourry, from the Department of Critical and Cultural Studies, will lead the discussion following the movie. Nourry's research focuses on Catholic subjectivity and its relation to martyrdom.

"The current Pope is said to have beatified more individuals during his reign as pontiff than was managed by the collective effort of the previous five hundred years of Popes," he explains. "The majority of these people were beatified as ëmartyrsí and even a cursory glance at Catholic history will expose the significance of the figure of the martyr to a Catholic identity."

Nourry has seen The Passion of the Christ on a number of occasions and never fails to be affected by the film. "My initial reaction to each screening is always one of stunned silence," he says. "I find it at times very difficult to begin to speak or even think about what I have just witnessed – a graphically brutal representation of the destruction of a human body."

The starting point that Nourry will use for generating discussion will be a statement that Gibson made in an interview with US TV reporter Diane Sawyer. Gibson explicitly refuted the charges of anti-Semitism by stating that the film is about "faith, hope, love and forgiveness."

"Given the depth of affective investment in this film, I think it is important to address the issues broadly," Nourry says. "Basically what I would like to occur is to find out what the audience thinks about this film in light of Gibson's statement. In other words 'what does faith, hope, love and forgiveness mean in the context of this film?'"

The Passion of the Christ will screen in the Macquarie Theatre from 7pm on Sunday 17 April 2005. Admission to Movies at Macquarie is free, however parking fees apply (tickets can be purchased from vending machines in the car park). Drinks and snacks will be on sale in the foyer. Bookings are not required and everyone is welcome.

For further information on the Movies at Macquarie series please contact Dina Mura†on 02 9850 6079, via email: dina.mura@mq.edu.au or visit the website: http://www.pr.mq.edu.au/mqmovies/

More Humanities and Language stories here