Analysis of Actors in the Movie The Passion Of The Christ and Bible New Testament: Comparative Analysis

Abstract

This study investigates the narrative structure of actors in the Passion narratives of the New Testament and their cinematic adaptation in The Passion of the Christ (2004), through the lens of Mieke Bal’s theory of narrative roles. The research focuses on how the six actor functions, Subject, Object, Helper, Opponent, Power, and Receiver, are constructed and transformed between text and movie. The study reveals that although the same fabula is retained in both mediums, the emphasis and portrayal of narrative roles differ significantly. In the Gospels, Jesus functions as both Subject and Object, Mary appears as a passive Receiver, Judas transitions from Helper to Opponent, and Pilate embodies Power, while Satan is absent. In contrast, the movie visually amplifies these roles: Jesus's suffering is central, Mary becomes both Helper and Receiver, Judas is shown as psychologically tormented, Pilate is humanized, and Satan is introduced as a visual Opponent. These variations reflect how medium affects narrative function and ideological framing. The study concludes that Mieke Bal’s theory effectively uncovers how theological meaning and character agency shift in visual adaptations of sacred texts.