So the story manages to incorporate the giving up of one's life for another, resurrection, ascension and the imparting of a loving spirit. The Internet rages with debates over whether the symbolism in this one is Christian, Buddhist or a form of Gnosticism. This small gem of a movie transcends its genre by labeling itself a fable, a narrative intended to enforce a useful truth. Roberto Begnigni plays the clown as he woos and wins his wife during the film's first half. Then as the movie shifts tone, he miraculously demonstrates the importance of being who you were created to be, even in the midst of a nightmare.
Saviors are never in short supply in the wide-screen West.
But the rugged individualism that permeates these films rarely translates into a life sacrificed. That's true of this classic western as well. The same bootstrap theology guides the genre. As a lone wanderer who comes to the aid of a community in need, Gibson portrays Max with a passion that suggests Moses, except this Exodus uses more explosives. But be warned.