I think BBC 1’s ‘The Passion’ is brilliant, and very moving. I certainly could find myself believing in the BBC Jesus, though only by making allowances for the fast pace of the narrative. Obviously I would need to hear a lot more of what Jesus had to say in order to be as convinced by him as the other characters in the story. This could have been achieved if the narrative had spent less time dwelling on the political intrigues of Pilate and Caiaphas. (Herod has been cut out to keep the narrative flow simpler.) Am I the only one who doesn’t find politicians all that interesting? And the writers have missed some obvious opportunities to point up the character and wisdom of Jesus in action. ‘The Woman Taken in Adultery’ is a Temple Controversy story which belongs in Holy Week. It would have made a beautiful illustration of some of what Jesus had to say in the drama about the Jewish elders.
The production is sufficiently orthodox to appeal to a traditional Christian audience. Jesus clearly believes himself to be the Son of God and predicts his resurrection while remaining genuinely frightened about the ordeal he is going through, and believably shaken at the end by its pain and ferocity. I think the crucifixion scene would grace an act of Christian worship very well. However, the miracles are down played. Jesus is shown tending the sick at the Pool of Siloam, but not healing anyone.
To appeal to a mainstream audience the production has an edgy feel. As I said before, this prevents us from hearing any sustained teaching but it does give the drama a sense of urgency and intensity.
Unlike some of the Gospels, the production is also careful to avoid any overt anti-semitism. Am I the only person, however, who thinks that The Passion has a distinctly feminist flavour which detracts from the underlying Christian message? It’s easy to see the way the story unfolds as an indictment of the men involved, (Jesus excepted), and an affirmation of the women. We see various male characters doing their thing from a mixture of motives, but most of them indulge in unnecessary posturing and delude themselves about the true situation and their own reactions to it. It’s the women – on both sides of the conflict – who inject a down to earth and common sense challenge to what’s unfolding around them. This is great for a modern drama, and all too believable unfortunately, but it is dangerous for the Passion to be interpreted as misguided men triumphing over sensible women. The Chrisian faith teaches that Christ died for all, not just for the male of the species. We are all sinners and we all contribute, in different ways, to the human predicament which he came to save us from.
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