Transmedial Analysis of the Passion Narrative in the Scripture and the Movie the Passion of the Christ

Abstract

Transmedia storytelling is the art of narrating stories using various media, with each medium adding something distinct to the narrative universe. This narrative universe may be accomplished with any media, including radio, TV, movies, video games, internet video, and web applications. The paper aims to demonstrate how different media platforms may convey one or more events over various channels to create a coherent whole. The article aims to comprehend the intricacies of translating written information into a visual medium using a cinematic approach. This study examines a trans-medial examination of two distinct transmedia storytelling approaches: the conventional methods of conveying the gospels in the Bible and the translation of the Gospels in the Scripture into a film. The two sources that were taken into consideration are the Four Gospels in the Holy Bible, which describes the final hours of Jesus’ life on Earth, and Mel Gibson’s film adaptation of those Gospels in the Scripture, The Passion of the Christ, which shows the events surrounding Christ’s conception, life, teachings, healings, temptation, and the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Gibson opted for the transmedia medium of a movie to raise global awareness of Jesus’ sufferings in his last hours on Earth. This essay traces Gibson’s creative liberty by comparing his portrayal of The Passion of the Christ to the Biblical account of Jesus’ suffering in his final hours.