Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best version yet of this story, 17 Oct 2008
This series is not flawless by any means, but it earns top marks from me for being a compelling, grown-up and moving piece of drama of the kind we get only (alas) sporadically from the BBC these days. As a revisit to 'the greatest story ever told' it succeeds in its stated intention to bring the drama of Jesus's last days powerfully to life. I'm not a believer, but this series found the right mixture between originality and orthodoxy.
One particularly impressive new idea is the way that Judas is presented not just sympathetically (that's scarcely new anyway - Scorcese's Last Temptation of Christ being a notable example) but as a young, naive individual who is torn between two opposing father figures: Jesus, and Caiaphas the high priest. Caiaphas himself - played by the totally convincing Ben Daniels - is not exactly sympathetic, but we can at least understand his reasons for wanting Jesus dead. He is far from the monstrous caricature of Mel Gibson's film, and his complex characterisation is one of the reasons that this series has so much more depth.
Ultimately, the actual Passion itself is more moving too - despite being considerably less gory. If anything, the flogging is underplayed in this version, and the crown of thorns is positively weedy. But the crucifixion sequence is by far the most harrowing I've seen, and for an interesting reason. We really care about Jesus by this time, so we don't have to see every detail of his pain in vivid close-up in order to feel it, and be rightly moved. Penelope Wilton's turn as Mary is particularly powerful, and the script frequently reinvents the famous verses so as to emphasise their actual meaning. I'm sure that would irk some true believers, but as drama it is an excellent idea.
As for Jesus himself, Joseph Mawle does a superb job. His Jesus is clearly a man: one torn by doubts and fears, one who clearly would have preferred a nice quiet life with Mary Magdalene (definite hints of some feelings between them here - tastefully and touchingly done) but above all one whose absolute dedication to his cause leads him inexorably to his terrible death. Coming over very clearly in Mawle's performance is the sense of Jesus's love and compassion for his friends and his persecutors; even for non-believers perhaps the most admirable of his many qualities. Yet if you do believe that Jesus is God's son, the series accommodates that too.
James Nesbitt's (Pilate) accent does jar at first, but it's amazing how quickly one adjusts to it. His performance in the third episode in particular is very powerful.
The series looks like a film: high production values, excellent photography, convincing costumes and locations. It's also beautifully lit, often resembling a Caravaggio painting. I agree with Ian Armer about the music: the orchestral sequences work very well, but the ethnic parts seem like a blatant steal from 'Gladiator' and Peter Gabriel's music for 'The Last Temptation of Christ'.
All in all, this is an adaptation which should impress believers and non-believers alike. After all, the story has, in terms of drama, everything: guilt, betrayal, murder, love, manipulation, transgression, redemption, despair, hope, courage. The BBC could perhaps hardly go wrong with such rich material but it is to their credit that they have made it into one of their best dramas of recent years.
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14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Painfully close to being brilliant, 1 Sep 2008
Below is my original review from Easter 2008:
'Originally shown in 4 parts (3 hours in total) 'The Passion' exceeded all hopes and, despite one or two stumbles along the way, emerged as a moving, gripping and - thank god - honest interpretation of the last week in the life of Jesus.
The edgy mood was set from the word go as Jesus enters Jerusalem and the disciples and his own family start to question and turn against him. The ambiguity of the writing even had this viewer wondering 'is he mad?' or 'is he God?' at various moments. The fact that I forgot the story (despite knowing - obviously - how things would pan out) is a testament to the brilliant writing, acting and directing, though mostly the writing, because the script managed to nimbly tread a fine line between 'traditional' biblical storytelling and heart stopping moments of fresh perspective. The scene where Jesus questions his own divinity and ponders the real possibility that he is wrong and destined to oblivion is a beautiful moment where, lo and behold, the piety that has marred this sort of production in the past, is quite usefully thrown out the window, adding a real dramatic core to the moment. Even the ditching of 'It is Accomplished' to something more touching had this atheist in tears.
I was also impressed with the way the resurrection was handled and played out. And even Caiaphas was spared the evil beard stroking lunacy of Gibson's sadistic blood bath. The entire film ends with new life and hope. Jesus is arisen and Caiaphas is a father. Maybe it was the only cliche in the script but it was a beautiful one regardless.
Unfortunately, James Nesbitt...
As fine an actor as he is, he was simply miscast as Pilate. It was only during the trial and his moment of losing face, then extracting petty revenge, did Pilate really come to life. The rest of the time, he simply failed to convince with his performance on any level. I feel bad about saying all this, because he's a great actor.
Also, the usually reliable Debbie Wiseman contributed a score that was magnificently dark and brooding one moment, and then a cliche ridden ethnic hotch-potch the next. At times, the music was so intrusive it detracted from a great deal of the first hour.
Alas, the near perfect script tripped up with some fudged motivation between characters. Judas was just a confusing plot device to get Jesus from A to B. Still, Paul Nicholls did a pretty good job. And the disciples - though brilliantly acted - became faceless. I just lost track of who was who in the end.
Overall, it was an impressive and mercifully mature piece of drama. Pious sentimentality and a 'perfect' Jesus was out the window, and anger, frustration, doubt, confusion, fear and pretty much all the negatives of the human condition were 'in' and spread thickly over the characters becoming the prime moving force in motivation through the script. There's never been a more fearful and edgy version of the Passion. It even pips Gibson's sick horror show and is more affecting with muddled accents and an honest script than simply putting a man through a meat grinder for 2 hours and watching him suffer. Gibson's film was cheap and easy and targeted, where as this production has so much more going for it.'
There's more I'd like to add to the above review for the official DVD release.
In hindsight, the production comes very close to being something radical and different, but gets cold feet at pivotal moments. I personally think that the resurrection would have been infinitely more moving (and involving) had it stuck to its guns and stayed a more 'subjective' experience in that Jesus lives on in people he touched in life (THAT is what the resurrection in this 'Passion' was desperately hinting at), but of course it's a more humanistic/psychological spirituality than the all defining Christ conquering sin and death. And this is the BBC! So I think this production - had it been with another channel - could have been something wonderful to behold. What we get is a series of great ideas transcending the typical framemork of the biblical narrative whilst staying faithful to its orthodoxy.
I still feel that the 'perfect' Jesus drama has still to be made. Scorsese's 'Last Temptation' got close, but at least 'The Passion' gives it a serious run for its money. Then again, the perfect Jesus would differ between tastes. I'd actually like to see a drama series on Jesus's life and not his death.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Utterly Compelling Production, 10 Oct 2008
I watched this when it was broadcast on BBC One at Easter earlier this year and was completely entranced. For me it ranks as one of the best pieces of drama that has been produced by the BBC in recent years. Stunning scenery, amazing cinematography and breath-taking performances from Joseph Mawle as Jesus, James Nesbitt as Pontius Pilate and the wonderful Penelope Wiltin as Mary - a near perfect adaptation of one of the greatest stories of our time. Can't wait to get the DVD so that I can watch this again and again.
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