Brutally beautiful.

I was lucky enough to attend one of the first public screenings of Mel Gibson's The Passion of Christ this evening. Not coming from a religious upbringing, I had tried to read as much as possible online in preparation for the movie. While historical errors depicted within the movie may prevent some from enjoying the film, it won't stop the general masses. The movie connects on a much deeper, emotional and human level. The intense physical suffering of Christ truly emphasizes how great of a burden he has shouldered by accepting the sins of humanity.

Other than hiding my eyes from the numerous physically painful scenes of Jesus' punishment by whipping and falling repeatedly with a crown of thorns upon his head. 2 other scenes really hit an emotional chord:

• Mary and Magdalene accepting cloths from Claudia, who's husband had just sentenced Jesus to intense scourging
  
• Mary flashing back to Jesus tripping in his youth and wanting to help him rise and carry the burden of his cross
  

An in depth essay, analysis, and background on the movie.

Oh, and I got to have sushi at a new restaurant...SUSHIFACE!