Going to the Movies.

Bobby Maddex of the Crux Project offers a top ten list of asking-the-right-question movies:

"Okay, so The Passion didn't have the impact on people's lives that was expected of the highly publicized epic. There are any number of ways to account for this phenomenon. Perhaps the film was too heavy-handed for some viewers, so raw in its presentation of human torment that it detracted from whatever compelling message was also present. Or, it could be that the movie's focus, limited to the hours leading up to Christ's crucifixion, didn't allow enough room for an exploration of the revolutionary lifestyle that prompted those final excruciating moments.
Whatever the reason, despite record ticket sales and unprecedented hype, The Passion left attendees horrified but unmoved. I would argue that the film failed togive audience members something on which to chew while drivinghome. Think about the movies that stay with you, those that elicit multiple viewings—even occasionally cult followings. It's not the images that infect you as much as it is the difficult ethical and philosophical conundrums that go unanswered. In trying to wrestle with these problems yourself, you find that you are changing, pushing your mind into unexplored territory. The Passion, while laudable in many respects, simply missed the boat in this regard; it opted to portray instead of probe.
And so rather than subject yourself to another ineffectual dose of Mel Gibson's didactic blockbuster, why not watch something that truly has the potential to reorient your life. Here are ten films that not only pose more questions than answers but choose to do so in the areas that matter most. What do I mean? Watch them and be changed."

And here they are...

Seems to me Maddex misses the point in his critique of The Passion above. The film wasn't intended to "probe," but to work as a piece of devotional art. Whether it succeeded at that is another question.