I'll go with Skar on "the Passion"
As a Catholic it was a film that spoke directly to what I believe was the central part of Christ's mission. To suffer the pain of our sins. To be the Sacrificial Lamb and endure that which we deserve for sin.
The Passion spoke to me because it showed me what MY sins (as a flawed human) caused. Gibson was even in the movie as the Roman driving the Nail into Christ's hand because it was a kind of prayer for him, Gibsons recognition that his own sinfulness contributed to the suffering.
Alot of attention is given to the Passion in Catholic circles, with the Stations of the Cross, Meditations on the Passion, and the Crucifix.
The Film is a classic Passion Play, an old practice that enacted the Stations of the Cross. It held true to THAT form.
Look at it this way, You pick 1 story, once you pick that story, you stick to it, or you pick a diffrent story. Gibson picked the story told in the Stations of the cross. If you wanted a movie about the "message" you would have to see a movie based on THAT story. And I think that the story about the REST of his life HAS been done... multiple times with the Passion bieng treated as a 10 minute climax... But As I see it, The Passion IS Christ, it is WHY he was sent down and the fullfilment of his entire purpose..
I apreciate that the Catholic view may be diffrent, But Gibson as a Catholic spoke very well to me as a Catholic in this film.
Now I went and got all Theological on this, a thread about Hollywood... How embarassing..
As to the Oscars... Meh, meaningless back-patting
When I start seeing the national Plumbers award where the Plumbers of the world reward each other for good pipe-fittings, THEN I will care about the Oscars... Outside that, I think the Oscars feed into the ugly cult of celebrity that is a waste of my time
