‘Passion’ engulfs Doane community

Mandie Craven
Staff Writer
Mar. 4, 2004, Page 4

This year’s Ash Wednesday was somewhat different than years past. Mel Gibson’s movie, “The Passion of the Christ,” opened in theaters Feb. 25 to a multitude of mixed emotions. Conversations have been started nation and campus-wide of conflicting views about the movie’s accuracy, graphic nature, and overall appeal to audiences.
“I was very cautious about the movie at first,” Greg Madsen, head pastor at Crete Berean Church said. “Knowing the direction movies in Hollywood are taken, and how this one would be portrayed— I wondered if it would be truthful or not.”
“The Passion of the Christ” is an epic film displaying the last 12 days of Christ’s life here on Earth. The storyline is adapted from composite accounts of The Passion assembled from the four biblical Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. It [The Passion] was filmed entirely in Italy, and is spoken in Aramaic and Latin, with English subtitles.
The film is constantly in the public’s eye and under scrutinization. By breaking it down, students and staff can see that even though this topic is nationally discussed, it applies to their lives as a college community too.
The movie is spreading by word of mouth across campus like a wildfire in the brush, creeping its way into everyday conversations.
“It’s a good conversation starter for all students,” said Jeff Hagaman, Doane College Chaplin said. However, as conversation is a positive example that this film has brought about, conflict is not.
Even though Doane is a private Christian campus, discussions that are faith related, do not seem to be brought about in everyday conversation. This movie has given the students and the staff an opportunity to have their own voice and state their opinions about the film.
“This movie really can be for everyone,” says Kirk Kingston, associate pastor at Crete Berean Church. “For those who are interested in history, the movie provides excellent historical documentation; and for those who want to know more of God, it gives you that, too.”
Newman Club Sponsor Kathy Springer said that the movie should affect people on campus.
“Doane does not work in a vacuum, and so the Doane community should be just as affected as the ‘outside’ world by our Lord’s sacrifice for our sins, whether they see it on screen or read it in the Bible,” Springer said.
Senior Mary Hagemann, a member of the missionary team for FCA said that the movie was very visual.
“It (“The Passion) makes everything visual and understandable for everyone to see, whether they believe or not,” Hagemann said.
While many people have said the movie was powerful and influential, it doesn’t mean this is the only opinion. The movie may just be one person’s idea of what faith is, and everyone else has to figure out what it means to him or her.
“Doane is a liberal arts college, and taking this movie from that view point— it can apply to everyone,” Kingston said. “It affects each person in it’s own and different way.”
Students and staff members had their own opinions about the movie, after watching it.
“If I were a movie critic, I would say skip the movie and read ‘the book’,” Hagaman said.
“The Passion of the Christ” will be showing at the Rivoli Theater in Seward the week of March 19-26, at which time it will come to the Isis Theater at 139 W. 13th Street.
It is also playing in Douglas 3, East Park and Edgewood Theatres in Lincoln.