'The Passion: Films, Faith & Fury' is ambitious in trying to review in less than one hour the complex relations between the most popular and influential book of all times and the most popular and influential art of our times. I believe that it's quite a successful attempt, although of course the interested cinema fan should see this documentary only as an introduction towards reading more and especially seeing more films.
The chronological review starts with the ambitious (and non PC according to the nowadays norms) approach of D.W. Griffith, goes through works by Cecil B. DeMille and ends with Mel Gibson and the more recent apocalyptic movies. Controversies are not ignored or finessed, although the lack of time allows for not much more than a presentation and very few comments. Those are however exact and balanced, and together with some well chosen sequences the film succeeds to be what it aims - a good introduction to a subject that may endure as long as cinema exists.
The chronological review starts with the ambitious (and non PC according to the nowadays norms) approach of D.W. Griffith, goes through works by Cecil B. DeMille and ends with Mel Gibson and the more recent apocalyptic movies. Controversies are not ignored or finessed, although the lack of time allows for not much more than a presentation and very few comments. Those are however exact and balanced, and together with some well chosen sequences the film succeeds to be what it aims - a good introduction to a subject that may endure as long as cinema exists.
