HOLY Week is a time of deep spiritual reflection for many Filipinos. It’s an opportunity to pause and step back from the demands of our busy lives and contemplate the profound meaning of this sacred time.

Beyond the traditions and rituals, Holy Week calls us to a personal introspection on the enduring themes of sacrifice, redemption and the power of faith.

This Holy Week, Lionsgate Play gives us a deeper and more personal introspective to the sacrifice that Jesus went through for us with one of the most controversial films about Him, Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ,” which will stream starting Holy Thursday.

There is no sugar-coating in the way Mel depicts the brutal suffering of Jesus. Up to this day, there are mixed reactions about the film more than two decades after it debuted on the big screen.

When it was released in Manila in 2004, more than two decades ago, “The Passion of the Christ” merited a PG-13 (Parental Guidance) from the MTRCB (Movie and Television Review and Classifications Board) and was endorsed by the CBCP (Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines).

The film covers the final twelve hours before Christ’s death from the Agony at Gethsemane, betrayal of Judas Iscariot, Scourging at the Pillar, the suffering of Mary as prophesized by Simeon, to the Crucifixion and death.

“The Passion of the Christ” is about love, hope, faith, and forgiveness. May we all go back to this message as we look forward to Easter.

Pause and contemplate the ultimate sacrifice this Holy Week with the powerful “The Passion of the Christ.”

During this period, the film merges as a compelling reminder of the immense suffering and ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.

Directed by Mel Gibson and based on Anne Catherine Emmerich’s book, “The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ,” the film is an intense portrayal of the final twelve hours of Jesus Christ’s life.

From His agony in the Garden of Gethsemane to His crucifixion and resurrection. It’s a testament to the betrayal, pain and ultimate offering Jesus bore for the very people He came to redeem.

Mel recounted how his inspiration for creating the film arose from a period of intense personal struggle, a “spiritual bankruptcy” that prompted him to turn towards the Bible for guidance.

Although already familiar with the foundations of Christian belief, meditating on the Gospel in his time of need renewed Gibson’s faith.

The actor-director experience might resonate deeply with the Filipino experience, as a society deeply rooted in religious belief and familiar with the story of Christ’s passion.

We grew up surrounded by films, drawings, sculptures and various art forms dedicated to narrating and understanding the man from Nazareth, but reading historical accounts is often not enough for us to understand the gravity of Christ’s sacrifice.

From Caleb Deschanel’s artistic cinematography and John Debney’s compelling score to Jim Caviezel’s profoundly moving performance as Christ, “The Passion of the Christ” makes it difficult for viewers to take their eyes off the screen at any given moment.

No matter what you’re looking for this Holy Week, Gibson’s film delivers a visceral, theological and artistic experience that resonates even today, 21 years after it premiered.

Speaking to Sight Magazine, director Mel Gibson shared then what impact he hoped the film would have on its viewers.

“I believe there’s a difference between knowing that something exists and actually doing something about it,” Gibson told Sight Magazine. “I reached a horrible place where I was thinking about jumping out of a window.

“I wasn’t maintaining myself spiritually at all. I was looking down from twelve floors and seriously thinking I didn’t want to stay.”

That was the time when the idea to make a film about the life of Christ in the last 12 hours came.

“Because of my experience, I decided to focus on the Passion of Jesus, which for me, growing up as a kid, had always been sanitized and not real, like a fairytale,” Gibson said. “It sort of struck me that it really happened and it’s back up by every kind of historical detail.”

Gibson’s research led him to the book, “The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ,” by Anne Catherine Emmerich, a nun in the 18th century.

“She was always taking other people’s illnesses and she had this vision about the Passion of Christ. All of it completely meshes with the four Gospels.

“I hope this film spurs them on to investigate the life of Christ for themselves. I don’t think you can’t be impacted by it. Some of the images are really strong, and I’ve decided not to hold back.”

Jim Caviezel, the actor who plays Jesus, said there will be some people that will understandably freak out… but there will be other people who can’t stop watching it and even though they are horrified and terrified by it they will sit through the whole thing.

“By speaking very loudly, image and sound wise, it’s going to make people think very deeply,” Caviezel maintained.

Gibson admitted “The Passion of the Christ” is the most important film he has made. “It’s all been working up to this,” he said. “It was even in the background when I made other films as if they were dry runs for this one.”

Working on “The Passion of the Christ” affected Gibson in a very positive way. “Every day that we were focusing on ‘The Passion of the Christ,’ it begins to inhabit you,” said Gibson.

“The effects of it are unavoidable if you do it with the right kind of attitude. There is less ego and that is a happy byproduct.”

Gibson is also planning to film a sequel titled “Resurrection,” with the hope of releasing it in the near future. This follow-up aims to explore the events after Christ’s crucifixion, delving further into the heart of Christian belief.

“The Passion of the Christ” will stream on Lionsgate Play PH via PLDT Home and Smart starting Maundy Thursday, April 17.

Meanwhile, Lionsgate Play is a premium streaming service from Lionsgate India and Starz, that offers bespoke quality content to its users.

It boasts premium and curated content including Premieres, billion-dollar Franchise Movies and binge-worthy Box Sets. Lionsgate Play is accessible to consumers in the Philippines via the app. For a monthly subscription cost, the titles can be streamed with a PLDT Home account.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Leah C. Salterio