diddykv Reviews

The Medium (2021)

Too smart for me... But really good

[8/10 · 11 September 2023]

I finished this movie and thought it was good. It's not filled with jump scares, has some disturbing elements to it, and at times felt almost too slow.

But at the end, though I felt satisfied with the chaotic ending, I was left feeling intrigued. So I went to Reddit looking for answers, and my mind was completely blown.

Though it was mainly theories and personal interpretations, many aspects of this movie really make sense if you have some sort of idea of what is going on. I didn't when watching it, so many parts felt obscure, but then I read what people had to say about it, and everything clicked. So this is my recommendation, based on what I've read from many posts online:

This movie is about good vs. Evil in a world where good can only win if people have faith. As soon as faith is lost, everything is hopeless. The only character who had faith at some point is spared from the horrors about to happen, and the evil spirits are so evil that they will cause pain, death, fear and will even mock the good so everything will feel like complete chaos. There are a lot of symbols that show how good is defeated, and how evil was always one step ahead. If you pay attention to how some possessed people behave at the end, this can be traced back to the origins of the many types of evil spirits at work. This was kinda brilliant and it totally went over my head. The ending is disturbing, because you realize nothing could be done from very earlier in the film. But it's also satisfying given the premisse of the curse at play.

Anyway, I enjoyed my first time watching this movie. And I am sure I'm going to enjoy my second watch much more. Give it a try! Especially if you're smarter than me (You probably are)

The Passion of the Christ (2004)

The cause of confusion

[10/10 · 18 May 2015]

I've seen a lot o people talking trash about this movie - even a lot of christians -, and I find it hard to understand why. Philosopher Peter Kreeft called it the "most beautiful movie ever made", and when I think about it in the light of the Christian faith, it's hard to disagree.

First of all, passion means suffering, and for all those people that complain about the violence in the movie, I think it's because they don't get Christ's Passion at all. The emphasis on violence is fundamental, as it's what reveals how much God suffered because of what I did. So I, the spectator, am experiencing with all my emotions what I can only imagine and reflect about when reading the Gospels. And I'm not the kind of person that reads about Jesus crucified and direct relates it to all the bad things I did to contribute to that moment, and even when I do, it's more like in a lucid, almost indifferent way, while the movie forces me to feel the burden that I've put on My Lord's shoulder.

This is of course from my Christian perspective, and I wouldn't even try to talk about what's great in the movie from a secular perspective. The lens through which one watches it it's what define its greatness. And that lens is faith. So I really don't think it's a big deal if an atheist doesn't like it; but if a catholic doesn't like it I'll be confused.

The way Jim Caviezel plays Jesus is so powerful. He seems very humble, very vulnerable, very soft, yet very strong and confident. When he talks to the people, you feel so much goodness in his tone; when he is accused of blasphemy you can feel his innocence even if nothing is spoken. When he is carrying the cross and falls, Mary runs to him and it's such a symbolic scene of how much she loves her Son, and how much she wants His suffering to end, even though she accepts the will of God.

Mel Gibson did a great job with all the symbolism in the movie: Mary's obedience; Judas' desperation; all the people shocked by Jesus' mere presence. There's so much of it, and it feels so natural.

I can only assume that christians that don't like The Passion of the Christ are those that didn't actually take their time to think about the Passion of Christ. The movie is a chance to do so. It's ugly and repulsive? Yes, but only for a moment. When you realize that it captures the essence of God's love for humanity, it becomes eternally beautiful. Jesus didn't have to do that. He did because of me, because of you; because He is the good shepherd that lays his life for the sheep.

So what if the reality of the Passion is full of gore and tears and injustice? We are the cause of that, and sometimes we better realize it by having it thrown on our faces, however hurt we may end up feeling. Just remember that our pain is nothing compared to our Lord's pain. I can only speak for myself when I say that my love for my Savior is very small; but I know very well that He loves me with a heart that is ready to bleed without hesitation, even though I'm not worth it.