Mel is good at being noble and hapless. In Braveheart, he goes against impossible forces, ends up heroically gutted. In Conspiracy Theory, he goes against impossible forces, ends up sort of rescued by Julia Roberts. One has the sense, watching his movies: only supernatural intervention could save this guy. Sometimes he gets the help he needs, sometimes not.
Lots of people see Jesus that way. He was one humane guy facing down a religioius conservative establishment and/or the Roman Empire. Absent divine intervention, it's a Bambi Meets Godzilla situation. That all might be right, but I think it would useful to try out the idea that Jesus, whatever else he was, was politically astute and realistic and had a plan for solving the perennial Jewish question -- what to do with a people that wouldn't assimilate and couldn't make it as an imperial power. It would be very interesting to try out the idea that Jesus was both practical and optimistic in the context of the political problems facing his people. If such a theory bombs, we can alway go back to hapless and otherworldly.
Posted by shea0017 at May 12, 2004 11:06 AM