The Passion of the Christ

The movie "Passion of the Christ" directed by Mel Gibson was a movie that raised a lot of questions. The author of the article was Ched Myers. He is a activist theologian and he feels that is is come of his responsibility to defend the gospel against contemporary representations and reproductions that he judged to be particularly wrongheaded or dangerous. In the article he offers another way or reading the story of Christ arrest, trial, and death. He breaks it down into 5 parts: The Arrest, The double-trial, The first trial scene, The Second Trial scene, and The powers killed Jesus. In the end he says that the focus of Gibson's film is how Jesus died but that the real question is why Jesus was put to death, and he says that "that story would be a movie worth making."

Is Braveheart Homophobic???

According to James R. Keller homophobia is a central theme in Mel Gibson's Braveheart. "The juxtaposition of competing masculinities" between Gibson's rugged manly character William Wallace, and the effeminate Prince Edward conveys stereotypical perceptions of the negativity of homosexuality Keller argues. For example, evidence for his claimed is backed by the scene in which "his father and William Wallace are busy attending to the affairs of war, the prince is shown vainly posing and modeling his new clothes in front of the mirror, surrounded by an entourage of courtly butterflies..." Prince Edwards disinterest in political affairs implicates the notion "that gays have no place in the serious affairs of men," states Keller. Whether Gibson purposely conveys homophobic notions such as this example intentionally, or is basing these scenes on historical evidence is not outlined in Keller's essay he argues"...the image of Edward preening himself before a mirror contrasted to the image of Wallace, covered in the blood of battle, shouting "Freedom"" does hold its own implications.

"Braveheart" Anti-English??

The article that I am writing about concerns the anti-English sentiments that the film "Bravehear"t stirred up after it's release. In Scotland, many youths who viewed the film screamed anti-English remarks during the viewing of the film.
Colin McArthur, the author of Brigadoon, Braveheart and the Scots: Distortions of Scotland in Hollywood Cinema says that

“It’s incredible the way that the film has percolated into Scottish imagination,” he says. “The political effects are truly pernicious. It’s a xenophobic film. With young men in particular, it has done terrible things to their attitude towards England.”

The article also makes mention of the fact that the movie is very anti-establishment. This led to more problems, as a KKK website made use of this fact. This website asks the reader to

“Put yourself in Mel Gibson’s character . . . and imagine how you might react when pushed far enough. This may give you a sense of why the Klan was formed . . . In Braveheart, it was Wallace’s troops; in the South it was the Klan. All groups fighting for liberty against a tyrannical, overpowering force.”

Many groups have tried to play on the success of the film, many to less-than-honorable ends. Be that as it may, "Braveheart" is a film that brought forth a character that many can identify with, one who opposes the political system thrust upon him.