In 2004, Mel Gibson released his biblical drama, The Passion of the Christ. Of all the movies about Jesus, this is definitely one of the most famous. In fact, for domestic gross income, this the 40th highest film of all time. It tells the Gospel narrative of Jesus: from his arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane through his trial and crucifixion and ends with a brief glimpse of his resurrection (this section of the New Testament tradition is referred to as the “passion,” hence the name of the film). This film uses plenty of religious imagery, and is narratively structured according to the Stations of the Cross, which is a continued ceremonial practice in many churches. It’s undoubtedly an important entry in the history of religious cinema… But is it also torture horror?

Background on the Torture Horror Genre







In the early 2000s (especially 2003-2008), horror movies were dominated by a subgenre called ‘torture horror’ or ‘torture porn.’ The terms are interchangeable. I didn’t use ‘porn’ in the title of my article because I didn’t want to sound like an edgelord, and I figured that some religious people who follow my blog might not enjoy “Christ” associated with “porn.” Also, the term ‘porn’ has come under criticism because it is too pejorative in nature and can be used to easily dismiss films that may have a genuine message or social critique. I’ll be using ‘torture horror’ in my article for those reasons, unless I quote someone.

This style of movie is typified by extreme violence, realistic gore, and prolonged sequences of torture (often inflicted upon sympathetic characters). Stylistically, the films are “shot in spectacular close-ups that dwell on the details of injury” (Pinedo). Narratively, the films usually include building anticipation of the actual torture sequences, often involving some form of stalking or captivity.

The torture horror genre is also considered to be an important expression of cultural circumstances. According to Isabel Pinedo in The Companion to the Horror Film, “Torture porn is part of the post-9/11 shift in horror film expressing a resounding surge in fear of terrorism and, specifically with torture porn, of our own ambivalence about torture and invasive government surveillance.”

Key entries into this genre were Eli Roth’s Hostel (2005), James Wan’s Saw (2004), and Rob Zombie’s The Devil’s Rejects (2005). Additionally, many classic horror films and franchises were subject to remakes or reboots. Typically, these remakes would also incorporate an extreme elevation in gore and brutality that were not featured in the original film. Popular examples include The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003), and Rob Zombie’s Halloween (2007).

To quote once again from Pinedo, “The use of the porn moniker conveys not only the sensual excess of the display of naked flesh, but also the horror film’s physical manipulation of reflect reactions, for instance startle or disgust […].”

The visual setting of torture horror normally include minimalist sets or monotone backgrounds. There is usually a lack of aesthetic beauty to the soundings, which visually prevents the audience from having any sense relief. Furthermore, other tricks may be invoked audibly to add to the uncomfortable viewing experience. Think of the difference between John Carpenter’s beautiful score for Halloween compared to someone screaming for 5 minutes straight as their limbs are sawed off, accompanied by disorienting and harsh music. Carpenter’s score is beautiful and enjoyable, whereas the latter example is unpleasant.

When you take all of these elements — extreme gore, emphasis on the destruction of flesh, detail on injury, captivity, lack of aesthetically pleasing surroundings or audio, and cultural context — I think The Passion of the Christ is a quintessential torture horror film.

The Passion of the Christ Through the Lens of Torture Horror

The plot of the Passion narrative can easily fit into the standard tropes of torture horror. Jesus is praying in a garden when he is abducted by soldiers and a friend who betrayed him. He is then held captive by the Romans and certain members of Jewish leadership. There is a prolonged torture sequence of Jesus being whipped, where the flesh is torn from his body. This scene in particular is extremely graphic, shot close up, and contains an ample amount of blood.

Furthermore, Jesus is basically stripped down to his underwear, which places lots of emphasis on the breaking of his flesh, and takes away any visual barrier (e.g., clothes) between the inflicted torture and the bodily gore. After the whipping, a crown made of thorns is hammered into his forehead as his tortures mock him.

From this point, Jesus carries a giant wooden cross through a crowd of people to the top of a hill. Not only is this scene heart-wrenching because Jesus’ mother and friends have to watch on in horror, but it also adds to the anticipation of what is to come: the crucifixion itself.

Huge nails are driven through Jesus’ hands and feet, which is shown in graphic detail. One of his shoulders is also dislocated by a Roman executioner. The hot desert landscape provides no visual relief to the audience. Jesus is then left to slowly die as he struggles to breathe, and the audience must endure these final moments.

Most of you are probably aware that these narrative elements are all originally parts of the biblical story, so the filmmakers didn’t really add much into the story that hasn’t been around for 2000 years. However, when depicted in film or art, the gore aspect is never as dramatic as this movie. In fact, films about Jesus that include the crucifixion are usually only rated PG-13. One can contend that this film took the crucifixion story and then visually retold it using the approach of torture horror. To me, this makes sense, given that it took place during the proper time period for torture horror.

The only aspect that is possibly different from other torture horror films is the filmscore. The music in The Passion of the Christ is more orchestral and quasi-religious rather than the disorienting and harsh music in films like Hostel or Saw. I think this might be because the music in Passion is meant to generate sorrow in the audience, whereas the music in other films is meant to add to the sense of agony, uncomfortableness, and dread.

Cultural Significance

I think there is an interesting cultural message in viewing The Passion of the Christ as a torture horror film. As mentioned above, “Torture porn is part of the post-9/11 shift in horror film expressing a resounding surge in fear of terrorism and, specifically with torture porn, of our own ambivalence about torture and invasive government surveillance.”

During this time, America was still processing the horrors of 9/11 and the fear of terrorism. Many people felt like the world had been brutalized by terrorism. But additionally, there was the war in Iraq that sparked much controversy, and many felt like America was now inflicting brutality on the Middle East. Furthermore, “enhanced interrogation techniques” — i.e., torture — were implemented by the Bush administration shortly after 9/11.

Thus, The Passion of the Christ was released into an extremely violent world full of brutality and torture. And right around the corner from the release of this film was the bombshell report of the horrendous torture and abuse in the Abu Ghraib prison. It makes sense to me that we would want to look back to a time in history where humans were subject to extremely graphic and brutal death by crucifixion. This mental picture of that point in history is epitomized by Jesus, who was the innocent victim of both government brutality and social scapegoating. Furthermore, according to the interpretation of Christian tradition, Jesus was also the incarnate Son of God, which only amplifies the portrayal of human violence in that it states humans are even capable of enacting this violence on God himself. However, the Christian narrative states that God is on the side of the crucified and brutalized, and that ultimately this victim will be redeemed.

Whether or not one is Christian, I think this film contained a message that spoke to lots of people living in the immediate aftermath of 9/11. For those who felt like their world had been brutalized and tortured by the horrendous attacks in New York, there was a message of solidarity and redemption — particularly in the last shot of the film, where we see a glimpse of Jesus being resurrected by God and walking out of the tomb. For those who were concerned about government use of torture, there was an aspect of solidarity with those who are subject to ‘enhanced interrogation’ — especially in the display of two other criminals crucified next to Jesus, one of whom is granted forgiveness and the promise of redemption by Jesus.

It’s not a perfect analogy, but I think there is something about The Passion of the Christ that resonates at a deep emotional level when thought about through the lens of post-9/11 society. I think it’s especially so because we know that, historically, the Roman Empire really did crucify people, so there is an aspect of realism that hits at a deeper level than that of Saw.

Note: I’m not saying this is a perfect movie. I just think it belongs in the annals of obscure religious media because it’s perhaps the first time a biblical drama went full torture porn. And unfortunately, I do not have time to discuss the criticisms of the film about apparent anti-semitism, though I encourage you to read about it. You can find some mentions about this on Wikipedia, which also has more links to other articles you can read. Anti-semitism can often be a problem in portrayals of the crucifixion narrative, and I do not support such actions.

Crucifixion in The Passion of the Christ

Photo of torture and abuse from the Abu Ghraib scandal that would break within the next two months.

Conclusion

What do you think? Is The Passion of the Christ torture horror? Do you see any parallels between this film, the torture genre, and post-9/11 culture? If you think Passion does fall under the torture horror label, in what ways is it possibly different from other films of the genre? Let me know in the comments.