Go "Inside the Passion" with Legionary Father John
Bartunek
Inside the Passion provides biblical, historical, and theological
insights gleaned from hours spent on the set and interviews with
director Mel Gibson, actors, and filmmaking crew.
The inspirational new book Inside The Passion is the first and only
authorized, behind-the-scenes look at The Passion of the Christ,
and it´s now available from Circle
Press.
Written by Legionary Fr. John Bartunek, Inside the Passion provides
biblical, historical, and theological insights gleaned from hours
spent on the set and interviews with director Mel Gibson, actors,
and filmmaking crew. Inside the Passion is the most complete and
thorough commentary on the movie you will read. The book also
contains a foreword by director Mel Gibson.
"For weeks I accompanied Mel Gibson, watching him work with the
editors, the composer, the promotions team, and the press. I asked
him questions about the film that no one else asked, discovering
reasons behind some of the innumerable artistic choices that he was
forced to make, choices that turned this small art house project
into an international blockbuster," Fr. Bartunek said.
A brief video review of the powerful visual themes portrayed in The
Passion of the Christ and explored in Fr. Bartunek´s book is
available here.
Like any great work of art, this film transcends mere
explanations--even those of the artist himself--but well-chosen
explanations of the context and the artist´s intent provided by Fr.
Bartunek effectively turn this emotionally-stimulating, aesthetic
experience into a powerful spiritual encounter.
As director Mel Gibson puts it, Fr. John Bartunek is a man of faith
and a scholar who was able to "carefully examine a number of issues
that simmer just beneath the surface of the film--vital issues like
forgiveness, love, freedom, the role of Mary, salvation, and the
meaning of suffering, human and divine. The time he spent with
myself and others involved in the production gives him a unique
and, I think, interesting perspective."
From scene selections to theological insights to the controversies
debated in the media, Fr. Bartunek provides fresh and unique
perspectives into one of the most discussed and controversial films
of our time. He´ll reveal:
* The reasons the director chose to make certain aspects of the
film so violent
* The miracles that happened during the filming
* The discussions behind the scenes about the anti-Semitic
controversy
* The realism of the sets and the props
* The purpose for various lighting and other film techniques
The author, Fr. Bartunek, is a native of suburban Cleveland, Ohio,
and a graduate of Stanford University with a degree in history. He
was not raised in a religious home but became an evangelical
Christian during his high school years. While a college student, he
travelled Europe and was inspired by the art and architecture of
the Church to consider Catholicism.
"My university studies took me to Italy and Poland," Fr. Bartunek
recalled. "I drank ever so deeply of the beauties of the Church in
Rome, Florence, Assisi, and Venice; stood in awed admiration of the
piety of the Polish faithful, and saw the Catholic vision of God
everywhere in art and architecture, in statuary and
paintings."
As he explained in a February 24 interview on CNN´s Larry King
Live, what helped him fully embrace the Catholic Faith and pursue
the priesthood was the powerful example of Pope John Paul II:
"Fifteen years ago, I wasn´t even a Catholic," he said. "I went to
midnight mass in St. Peter´s with the Holy Father, and I was
inspired by his spirit of prayer, by his presence. And it was the
beginning of a journey that led me to the Catholic faith.
"And then 10 years later, I was a seminarian studying in Rome, and
I had a chance to be with the pope on the altar in St. Peter´s
Basilica, assisting him, looking into his eyes. He really is -- in
a sense, [he] became kind of a spiritual father for my own
vocation."
Ordained a priest in December, 2003, Fr. Bartunek is presently
pursuing graduate studies in theology at Rome´s Regina Apostolorum
Pontifical Atheneum.
Read the whole story of "Inside the
Passion".
