The Passion of the Christ: Difference between revisions

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=== '''Tropes''': ===

** While the film touches on this only very briefly, Emperor Tiberius had recently sent him a threatening letter over complaints he'd received from the priests, and was busy purging Rome of anyone connected with the traitor Sejanus, who happens to have been Pilate's sponsor for his position as governor of Judea. The priests complaining to Tiberius that he was no ''Amicus Caesaris''--friend of Caesar--would have gotten Pilate sent to the chopping block.

** This is also why he tried to pass the buck to Herod.

** [[God|Everyone's]] [[Shock and Awe|a critic.]]

** Admittedly, it probably has more to do with [[Tempting Fate|hanging around a hilltop in stormy weather carrying lots of metal objects]] than actual divine retribution.

* [[Creepy Child]]: We have Satan's demon baby, and we have the demon kids that drive Judas over the edge. Take your pick.

* [[Darker and Edgier]]: Compared to a normal passion play which started out as traveling French medieval theater (unless this is a case of see right below)

* [[Flat Character]]: Jim Cavizel's Jesus. When not being tortured, his performance mostly consists of soulful gazing.

* [[Foregone Conclusion]]: Don't tell anyone! {{spoiler|Jesus dies. And is then resurrected.}}

* [[Gorn]]: While [[Shown Their Work|real crucifixions and scourgings were very messy]], [[Your Mileage May Vary]] if it's [[Justified Trope]] or not.

* [[Historical Hero Upgrade]]/[[Historical Villain Upgrade|Villain Upgrade]] The exact events are lost to history outside religous tradition, however Pontius Pilate and the Sanhedrin both existed in historical record. Pilate moves up and the Sanhedrin down, in classic Biblical accounts and its of course seen here

* [[Nightmare Sequence]]

* [[No Holds Barred Beatdown]]: The beatdowns of Jesus last for more than half the movie, and at times are unbearable to watch.

* [[Overdrawn At the Blood Bank]]: Jesus bleeds up more than the entire adult blood supply when he's flogged, then bleeds out three or four people's worth of blood when he's crucified. <ref>To all Christians, but in particular to Catholics, that is the whole point, as it is the blood of Christ that is offered to God in atonement for the sins of the whole world -- the same blood that Catholics, and to a lesser extent certain Protestant denominations such as the Anglicans and Lutherans, profess a belief in receiving at Communion under the form of wine that has been transubstantiated into Christ's blood. In fact in medieval devotional paintings, a not uncomon theme is to show angels collecting the blood of Christ in golden chalices as it is dripping from his body on the cross.</ref>

* [[Passion Play]]: Naturally. One of the more famous modern examples.

* [[Punch Clock Villain]]: The Roman commander overseeing the crucifixion. He is obviously disgusted by the gruesome state of Jesus and the behavior of his cruel soldiers, but does his job anyway.