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The Passion of the Christ (2004) is a film about the last twelve hours of the life of Jesus Christ, known to Christians as "the Passion". It was directed by Mel Gibson. It was nominated for 3 Academy Awards: best cinematography, best makeup, and best original score. The film’s dialogue is in Latin, Hebrew, and Jesus' native tongue, Aramaic, and was released with subtitles. It was filmed on location in Matera, Italy and Cinecittà Studios, Rome, Italy.

Style

In a departure from previous films depicting the life of Jesus, the dialogue is spoken entirely in Aramaic, Latin and Hebrew. Curiously enough, Mel Gibson pointedly ignores what was probably the only language mutually known between the Hebrews and Romans: Koine Greek. It is extremely unlikely that, at least historically, Jesus could speak Latin or Pontius Pilate Aramaic. After a lengthy internal debate, Gibson finally decided to include subtitles, except for one controversial line of crowd dialogue: "His blood be upon us" (see blood curse and ) and a few bits of soldiers' dialogue.

The scourging and crucifixion sequences are exceptionally violent and graphic, earning the movie an R-rating in the United States. These scenes required Jim Caviezel, who portrays Jesus, to endure seven hours of makeup sessions daily. His shoulder was dislocated at one point during the filming of the scourging scene.

The level of violence has led to interesting phenomena in some countries such as New Zealand. Groups who have traditionally opposed and criticised violence in movies and have frequently made submissions against movies to censorship authorities have come out in support of the Passion, requesting lower ratings Critics say these requests are highly hypocritical [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?ObjectID=3551067. Looking at the other end of the spectrum, some people who never criticized violent movies started complaining about the violence in this film. This was also considered hypocritical, especially by conservative Catholics.

The Passion of the Christ ends on a hopeful note with the Resurrection. The scene shows the clothes that Jesus was buried in are empty, and the view pans over to Jesus. Except for the holes in his hands and his side (part of the traditional stigmata), Jesus is completely healed. The final scene shows him walking from the tomb.

In many areas attention was paid to historical detail, such as the traditional clothing of the period and Jewish dietary customs. Gibson's film was produced in Italy, on locations that were selected to evoke Caravaggio's paintings.

Production

There was a traditional Catholic priest on set during the entire filming. Jim Caviezel, the American actor playing Jesus, is, like Mel Gibson, a devout Catholic.

Caviezel suffered numerous injuries and ailments during the production.*. He separated his shoulder while filming a scene in which Jesus falls and the cross lands on his back. The complex full-body makeup required the actor to be awake at 2 a.m. to undergo several hours of application of the appliances that would make it look like he had been viciously flayed.

Caviezel also was struck by lightning during the shooting; upon rising from the hit without major damage, he reportedly said, "I guess He didn't like that take." Assistant director Jan Michelini was allegedly struck by lightning twice and given the moniker Jan "Lightning Boy" Michelini in the film's closing credits. and [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3209223.stm.

Jim Caviezel admitted that he was struck in the back accidentally during the scourging sequence, leaving a significant scar on his back. Apparently one of the actors portraying the Roman Guards was supposed to strike a board on Caviezel’s back to prevent from injuring Caviezel but had missed the mark.

Cast and crew

Cast

Crew

Source material

There is no unique narration of the Passion in the Gospels. According to John, Jesus was arrested (Nisan 14) by Jewish aides of the Sanhedrin, but then was only questioned by Anas and Caiaphas (no trial), while according to the Synoptics, he (Nisan 15) was only arrested by the Jewish aides, and condemned by the Sanhedrin.

Gibson intended the movie to be faithful to the New Testament, but did use elements culled from extra-biblical sources to flesh out the screenplay. Arguably, the most controversial of those was The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ from the meditations of the Augustinian nun Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich (1774-1824) as recorded in the journal of Clemens Brentano. Dictated to a writer by a stigmatic German Augustinian nun named Anne Catherine Emmerich, the book chronicled Emmerich's visions of Christ’s Passion, which sometimes depicted the Jews as even more vicious and bloodthirsty than the oppressive Romans who ruled Judaea at the time. The film also incorporates material from The Mystical City of God by Maria de Agreda(1602-1665) (a 17th century Spanish nun), Some scenes are purely Gibson's poetic license.

Many critics contend that the habits worn by Maia Morgenstern and Monica Bellucci, who portrayed Mary Magdalene in the film, are similar to the habits worn by Augustinian nuns, and were a tribute to Emmerich.

The film departs from traditional portrayals of the Gospels in other ways. For example, the Sermon on the Mount and the Parables of Jesus are nowhere to be found.

Differences from the New Testament

Many religious scholars * state that the movie often departs from the New Testament in significant ways.

  • During Jesus' distress in the Garden of Gethsemane, Satan is shown speaking to him. (In the account of the Temptation of Christ at , it is said that the Devil left Jesus for a time, and many theologians reason that Satan’s moment was in the Garden, but this encounter is not recorded in the Gospel.) The presence of Satan may be symbolic, but it is reasonable to assume that Satan would appear when Jesus was at his most vulnerable moment. In one close up shot, a close observation reveals a maggot wriggling into Satan's nostril, an enduring symbol of sin and corruption.
  • In the Garden, Jesus crushes a serpent's head. This was a reference to Genesis 3:15, the Protoevangelion.*
  • A Jewish Temple guard, sent to apprehend Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, drops him from a small bridge suspended from a chain. (Taken from Anne Catherine Emmerich, The Dolorous Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, chapter 3.)
  • Judas is tormented by “children” whose morphing facial features suggest they are demons, driving him to suicide. Matthew reports that Judas committed suicide by strangulation, presumed to be from hanging. Acts states that his body also fell, causing him to burst open and spill out his bowels. (Emmerich reports that he “fled as if a thousand furies were at his heel” and later mentions Satan standing at his side to drive him to despair, chapter 14.)
"In other words, the rope or branch of the tree probably broke due to the weight and his body fell down and his bowels spilled out.
Also, notice that tells us specifically how Judas died, by hanging. Acts 1:16-19 merely tells us that he fell headlong and his bowels gushed out. Acts does not tell us that this is the means of his death where Matthew does." (http://www.carm.org/diff/Matt27_3.htm)
  • The movie depicts some Jews as opposing the absence of the Sanhedrin’s quorum, thereby challenging the legality of the trial and intimating that Jesus was not being treated fairly by Jewish leadership. (Emmerich mentions a similar event in chapter 13.)
  • Meetings of the Sanhedrin were required to take place during the day with all the members of the council present. These were the two objections brought forward by the rabbis in the movie. These unusual elements have led some scholars to conclude that it was not the Sanhedrin at all, but an alternative assembly (Sanhedrin) handpicked by Caiaphas to quickly advance his policy of destroying the new anti-establishment sect.
  • When Jesus is first brought before Pontius Pilate, Pilate beholds his bloody, bruised condition and asks members of the Sanhedrin (the high council of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem) if they always beat prisoners prior to trial. (Emmerich, chapter 17.)
  • Herod Antipas is portrayed as a mincing, lisping, effeminate homosexual, complete with a “boy-toy”. Although this was a common caricature of Herod in medieval Passion plays and even in Jesus Christ Superstar, it does not appear in the Gospels and is contrary to the historical record regarding the womanising Antipas.
  • Mary Magdalene is shown as “the woman taken in adultery” saved from execution by Jesus’ famous “let him who is without sin cast the first stone” statement. The identification of Mary Magdalene with the adulterous woman is not explicit in the text, nor is it official Catholic dogma, and modern scholars have contended that the passage about the adulterous woman wasn't in the Bible originally. It has been a matter of contention between some traditionalists and other parties both inside and outside the Church.
  • Pilate is shown discussing with his wife the fragility of his relationship with Tiberius Caesar, emphasizing orders Caesar gave him to avoid uprisings in Judea. (Cf. Emmerich, chapter 19. The gospel of Matthew only mentions a message from Pilate’s wife delivered while Pilate is hearing the case.)
  • Caiaphas is the one to answer Pilate's questions ("What shall I do with this man?", etc) while the Gospels only record "the chief priests," "the crowd," or "the Jews" as answering (never a specific character). This may have been done to make the responses clearly heard; however, subtitles would have made the answers obvious even if a crowd was shouting them.
  • Barabbas is called a "murderer" in the subtitles, but the Gospels are not conclusive on this. records him as a robber, as does John 18:40. It is in Mark 15:7 and Luke 23:19 that he is in jail for rioting and murder in "the insurrection."
  • During the scourging scene Jesus is nearly flayed alive, back and front, by a variety of torture implements, some with embedded shells, glass and nails. The Gospels state only that he was scourged, though they do state that Christ was "almost unrecognizable" after that day.
  • After the scourging, Mary wipes up the blood of Jesus with towels provided by Pilate’s wife. (Emmerich, chapter 23.)
  • Along the Via Dolorosa, Jesus is repeatedly rope-whipped by a trailing Roman soldier.
  • Simon of Cyrene, who helps Jesus carry the cross and puts his arm around him, is debased, treated poorly by a Roman soldier, and called Jew with a sneer. Only Simon’s name, place of origin, and the fact that he helped Jesus carry the cross are in all three Synoptic Gospels. (Cf. Emmerich, chapter 36.)
  • Along the Via Dolorosa, the image of Jesus' face is transferred to a cloth given to him by a woman. This event does not appear in any Bible narrative, but is a depiction of the Roman Catholic tradition of Veronica's Veil. (Emmerich, chapter 34, which also includes her offering Jesus a drink.)
  • While travelling along the Via Dolorosa, Jesus falls under the weight of the cross three times. Also, Mary goes to Jesus so that she may comfort him. Though these events are traditionally accepted in the Roman Catholic Church as part of the Stations of the Cross, they are never mentioned in the Gospels; however, Simon of Cyrene was compelled to complete the task of carrying Jesus' cross (which is mentioned in the Gospels). (Emmerich describes seven falls and also the encounter with Mary, chapters 31–36.)
  • When Jesus’ right arm does not extend far enough to reach a nail hole on the cross, a Roman soldier dislocates the arm at the shoulder by pulling it with a rope until the palm is over the hole. (Emmerich chapter 38.) (Incidentally, the character that made Gibson famous, Martin Riggs, of the Lethal Weapon series, also has his arm dislocated several times.)
  • After Jesus is nailed to the cross but before it has been raised, Roman soldiers turn the cross and Jesus over. When they are turned face-down, Jesus and the cross seem to levitate above the ground, and when turned face-up, both land with high impact on the ground. (A miraculous act intended to represent that God is in control of the events; Mary Magdalene is the only one to witness it)
  • The names assigned to the thieves crucified with Christ, Dismas and Gesmas (also Gestas), are traditional but are not given in Scripture. (Cf. Emmerich, chapter 43, and the apocryphal Acts of Pilate, also known as the Gospel of Nicodemus.)
  • The crucified criminal who mocked Jesus was shown being pecked at mercilessly by a raven.
  • The same criminal was shown crucified on Jesus's right. According to Luke 23.39, the criminal is crucified on Jesus' left while the criminal who said to Him, "...remember me when You come into Your kingdom " was crucified on Jesus' right.
  • In the film Jesus builds a table in a rather modern style — one that one would sit at using chairs, but his mother tells him that it'll never catch on.
  • The devil is shown carrying an Ugly Baby during Christ’s flogging. No mention of this is in the Gospels, and Mel Gibson is reported to have said it's evil distorting what’s good. What is more tender and beautiful than a mother and a child? So the Devil takes that and distorts it just a little bit. Instead of a normal mother and child you have an androgynous figure holding a 40-year-old ‘baby’ with hair on his back. It is weird, it is shocking, it's almost too much–just like turning Jesus over to continue scourging him on his chest is shocking and almost too much, which is the exact moment when this appearance of the Devil and the baby takes place. Another interpretation held by some viewers was that the baby was actually the Antichrist, symbolically being nurtured on the hatred of Jesus by the crowds. It has also been perceived to be a mockery of the Madonna and Child. Yet another interpretation holds that the baby is representative of original sin (the curse Jesus came to remove by his sacrifice). Cf. James 1:15 "Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." The baby may also symbolize Jesus' condemnation of a group of Jews in John 8:44: "You are from your father the devil."
  • The earthquake described by Matthew causes a huge fissure to split the Temple down the center. In the Gospels it is only reported that the curtain at the Holy of Holies was split. It is a deviant version of Matthew, known as the Gospel of the Ebionites, that reports that it was the lintel of the Temple that had split. At the moment of Jesus' death, the power of nature is unleashed and Satan is shown raging in Hell because he has been defeated; the redemptive act is accomplished.
  • The final scene of the movie shows Jesus leaving the tomb after the Resurrection. This detail is not present in the Bible — it only tells of the arrival of the women at the tomb, where Jesus is nowhere to be found, though it can be assumed from the later Resurrection appearances where Jesus is described as having `the mark of the nails in his hands`. (). It is, however, semi-present in the apocryphal Gospel of Peter, where two angels drag Jesus' body from the tomb.

Historicity

  • Jesus is shown working as a carpenter, specifically as an independent craftsman (making tables). Whether he actually was a carpenter (and if so, what kind, and for what employers) is a point of discussion among historians.
  • In the film, Jesus and Pilate converse in Latin. This is historically unlikely, although not impossible. Some Jews, under Roman occupation, would have been able to converse to some extent in Latin. A more likely common language would have been the Hellenistic Greek (or Koine=common) spoken somewhat widely around the Mediterranean, and in the remnant of a former Greek empire. However, the conversation is started in Aramaic by Pilate, while the switch to Latin is made by Jesus. Some Christians believe that Jesus could speak all languages.
  • Pilate is depicted not only as sympathetic to Jesus (as the gospels maintain) but as fearing the reaction of Rome, should complaints of brutality reach the capital. There is no direct evidence supporting the view, but the depiction is not unrealistic. Pilate and the Jews had had several fierce disagreements, and the Jewish authorities had also complained of Pilate to Tiberius in Rome.
  • The two criminals on either side of Jesus carried only the horizontal piece of the cross, which is the historical method of Roman crucifixion; however, Jesus carries the whole cross, both pieces, which is neither historically supported nor physically possible for a man so badly beaten. Even with the help of Simon of Cyrene, it would not be likely that such a cross could be carried a considerable distance.
  • Jesus' route follows the fourteen Stations of the Cross of Catholic tradition, although some claim that many of them are not historical.
  • The Latin used in the film was Ecclesiastical Latin (the official Latin pronunciation of the Catholic Church), which is pronounced similarly to modern Italian, rather than the original Latin pronunciation used by the ancient Romans .
  • The phrase Ma nishtana ha-layla ha-ze me-kol ha-leylot ("what makes this night different from all the other nights?") is traditionally said at Pesach seders; but it is written in the Haggadah rather than the Tanakh. Tradition holds that the Haggadah was written after the fall of the Second Temple, or after 70 AD. The phrase might have been traditional before the Haggadah was written. It is one of the opening lines (spoken by the Virgin Mary), and one of the few Hebrew lines in the film.

Mel Gibson's role

Mel Gibson played a crucial role in getting The Passion of the Christ made; he personally committed an estimated $40m to $50m of his own resources to finance and advertise the film. In addition to directing and co-producing the film, he also co-wrote the screenplay with Benedict Fitzgerald.

Because of the subject, the graphic violence in the film, and, most of all, because the actors in the film spoke Aramaic, Gibson reportedly had difficulty finding a company to distribute it in the United States. In fact, the film was completed before a distributor, Newmarket Films, agreed to release it in the U.S. In Canada, Equinox Films was the distributor. Icon Films distributed it in the United Kingdom.

In addition to the attacks of anti-Semitism from many Jews and liberal Christians, Gibson’s traditionalist Catholic beliefs were also a frequent target by critics. The film was seen by many critics to be nothing less than a modern-day Passion play that propagates the Jews' guilt of deicide. However, Jewish Romanian actress Maia Morgenstern (who played Mary), who is the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, rejects these criticisms. In an interview filmed for the PAX documentary about the making of the film, Morgenstern said that she had read the script with her father and they both found it "beautiful, very poetic, and very philosophical."

Gibson's religious beliefs, which inspired the film, are those of traditional Catholicism, which rejects most of the pastoral reforms set by the Second Vatican Council, commonly referred to as Vatican II. Gibson intended the movie to be faithful not to the New Testament alone, but rather to the New Testament as viewed through Catholic tradition, which accepts as valid a number of later sources (cf. Gospel of Peter).

Mel Gibson said:

"This is a movie about love, hope, faith, and forgiveness. He * died for all mankind, suffered for all of us. It's time to get back to that basic message. The world has gone nuts. We could all use a little more love, faith, hope, and forgiveness." (from The Passion: Photography from the Movie "The Passion of the Christ, ISBN 0842373624)

"It was me that put him on the cross. It was my sins put him there." Thus Gibson took a cameo role in the film: it is literally his hands that nail Jesus to the cross (seen in close-up only).

But, arguably, the strongest criticism directed at Mel Gibson was due to his refusal to denounce the views of his father, Hutton Gibson, who espouses doubts concerning the number of Jews killed during the Holocaust. The elder Gibson is extremely outspoken against the post-Vatican II Roman Catholic Church, even writing a scathing criticism of the late Pope John Paul II (Karol Józef Wojtyła,) whom the elder Gibson called "Garrulous Karolus the Qur'an Kisser." Hutton Gibson even labeled the Second Vatican Council a Masonic plot launched by the Jews to take over the Roman Catholic Church. Friends close to both Gibsons say that although Mel Gibson loves his father dearly and abides by the biblical dictum "honor thy father and mother," they disagree on a number of subjects. One called Hutton Gibson “an old man with strange views.” Even ABC’s newsanchor Diane Sawyer was sternly rebuked by Mel Gibson during the airing of a special about The Passion of the Christ when she brought up some of Hutton Gibson’s statements, ostensibly to give Mel the opportunity to say "I don't agree with my father on that." Instead, he said “He’s my father... I love him... gotta leave it alone, Diane. * gotta leave it alone.” Many critics saw this as a missed opportunity for Mel Gibson; Gibson's supporters contend that Sawyer was asking a loaded question and got the response she wanted.

Title changes

On October 17, 2003, Gibson's film production company announced the title of the film had been changed from The Passion to The Passion of Christ, because the title The Passion had already been trademarked by a different motion picture. This was then further amended to The Passion of the Christ. The following week Gibson announced a distribution arrangement had been reached with the independent Newmarket Films.

Promotion

Gibson departed considerably from the usual formula for marketing a film: a small TV campaign, no press junkets, etc. * The film was, however, heavily promoted by many church groups, both within their organisations and to the general public, in some cases giving away free tickets. The controversy in the media prior to release over the film's alleged anti-Semitism also helped raise its profile.

Some evangelical Christians considered the release of the movie to be a crucial moment for evangelism. Marta Poling-Goldenne, Minister for Outreach of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Grand Canyon Synod said in a 2004 email to pastors:

Seize this mission moment, friends! God is providing "the best outreach opportunity in the last 2,000 years" for us to witness about the gospel story to people for whom it may be very unfamiliar or unknown.

Rabbi Skobac from the group Jews for Judaism said:

For the 75 million evangelical Christians the film is the greatest thing they've had in 2,000 years to convert people to their faith...

Some bloggers claim that the film's promotional campaign has used blog spam [http://www.livejournal.com/users/dreadberry/125419.html?thread=443371#t443371, mainly on LiveJournal, in an attempt to increase the Google ranking of the film's web page.

While The Passion was playing in theatres, the fantasy action movie Hellboy, which is about a heroic demon who hunts down evil monsters, was released. Many movie theatres reportedly refused to run Hellboy for a time, because they didn't want to run a movie portraying a demon in a positive light at the same time as a movie about the death and resurrection of Christ.

With the film's successful marketing strategy, Walt Disney Pictures reportedly took a similar approach with their film adaptation of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe with its Christian overtones and symbolism as written by C. S. Lewis.

Statistics

  • Production Budget $25,000,000
  • Prints and Advertising Budget $10,000,000

  • US Gross: $370,800,000
  • Worldwide Gross $610,000,000

Commercial success

After months of controversy that led to more pre-release sales than any film in history, the movie opened in the United States on February 25, 2004 (Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent). It earned $25 million per day in its first five days of release and in short order became the highest-grossing R-rated film ever made. As of May 09, 2006 The Passion of the Christ had the 9th highest all-time domestic gross ($370 million). In spite of the criticism (or perhaps helped by it), the movie grossed US$611,899,420 worldwide ($370,782,930 in the US alone) and became the eighth highest-grossing film in history. It currently is the tenth highest-grossing film and the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time.* Despite this, the film went without any significant recognition by the major American film award celebrations, although it was nominated for Best Original Score (music), Best Cinematography, and Best Makeup at the 77th Academy Awards.

Home video

On August 31, 2004 the movie was released on DVD and video tape in North America. As with the original release in theaters, the release of the movie on DVD and VHS also proved to be very popular. Early reports indicated that over 2.4 million copies of the film were sold by middle of the day. The film was available on DVD with English and Spanish subtitles, and on VHS tape with English subtitles.

Re-release

An edited version of the film was released on March 11, 2005 as The Passion Recut. Mel Gibson removed approximately five minutes of the most graphic footage in an effort to broaden the audience of the film. However, this version was not as successful (just 950 theaters in North America, averaging just 10 viewers per showing,) and was quickly pulled from theaters. Even edited, the Motion Picture Association of America still deemed the film too violent to give a PG-13 rating, so Gibson released it without a rating, which limited it due to policies of some chains and independent theaters not to show unrated films. Others simply passed on The Passion Recut because the original version was already available on DVD and VHS.

International box office

Outside of the US, however, the movie has had mixed success. Although as of 3rd January 2005, it has the 25th highest all-time worldwide gross ($611.6 million) its non-US ranking is 59th [http://www.boxofficemojo.com/intl/alltime/intl.htm.

This is not the result of a lack of interest in countries without Christian majorities, as its success in many Christian majority countries has also been less than stellar. For example, it did not make the top-100 all time UK box office list as of Jan 18th 2005 and its position as of 31st October 2004 stood at 132nd *" target="_blank" >or the 294th position in the adjusted list [http://www.moviemarshal.com/boxaus2-adjusted.html.

In countries strongly affected by Nazism during World War II, the movie has had even less success. As of 22nd November 2004, it was below the 140th position in the German all-time box office and as of 10th August 2004, it was below the 121st position in the French all-time box office *.

In fact, the movie was reported by the Christian Science Monitor to have been a great success in Middle Eastern countries. This is backed up by some figures; for example, it was the top grossing movie for 3 consecutive weeks in Egypt Lebanon *" target="_blank" >and Turkey United Arab Emirates *." target="_blank" >It also broke the record for the top grossing opening week for a non-Egyptian movie in Egypt *.

Critical reaction

Critics were polarised over the film. According to the website RottenTomatoes.com only 51% of critics praised the film but 76% of viewers enjoyed it Similarly, critics rate it a B- [http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hv&cf=info&id=1808434070, but users of Yahoo! rate it a B+.

Entertainment Weekly's June 2006 issue named The Passion of the Christ the most controversial film of all time, followed by Stanley Kubrick's 1971 film A Clockwork Orange.

In November 2003, The New York Post screened the film for a handful of reviewers including Robert Levine, vice president of the New York Board of Rabbis; Mark Hallinan, a Catholic priest * with the St. Ignatius Loyola Catholic Church; Elizabeth Castelli, a professor of religion at Barnard College; and others. This marked the first time the film had been screened for viewers not hand-picked by Gibson himself. For the most part their reactions to the film were extremely harsh.

Religious perceptions

This movie is considered controversial by some Jewish and Christian groups. Some Jewish groups have expressed concern that the film blames the death of Jesus on the Jews as a group, which, they have said, could fan anti-Semitism.

Charges of anti-Semitism

As much as a full year before the film's projected release, a heated controversy arose over whether it would depict Jews as responsible for the death of Jesus in the same way that previous passion plays have done, which has historically incited anti-Semitism. Members of the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith wrote a number of private letters to Mel Gibson, expressing their concerns that the movie may have unintended consequences for the Jewish community.

The Jewish community was concerned with the charge of deicide, which was the cause of many pogroms in history. Many rabbis in Orthodox Judaism, Reform Judaism and Conservative Judaism expressed fear that any movie based on traditional passion play forms, and especially incorporating ideas of Anne Catherine Emmerich, could only be interpreted by the audience as encouraging anti-Semitism. Similar concerns were raised by leaders in Jewish communal organizations and in Jewish community newspapers.

When the movie was finally released, the overwhelming reaction from within the Jewish community was highly negative. The Jewish community was concerned with a number of issues:

  • Many Jews, such as the High Priest, are portrayed as physically ugly.
  • The High Priest is shown as if he a were a member in good standing of the Jewish community; historians note that the Jews were not allowed to appoint their own High Priest according to Biblical law, and that the High Priest at the time was in the service of the Roman government.
  • Pontius Pilate is portrayed as a thoughtful, temperate man who ultimately agrees to crucify Jesus because he does not want to risk a Jewish rebellion on the one hand, and a Christian rebellion on the other. While that is how the Gospels portray him, historians insist that Pilate was known for his rough treatment of Jews in general, and was responsible for crucifying many Jews during his reign.

When Gibson was asked if his movie would be offensive to Jews today, he responded, "It's not meant to. I think it's meant to just tell the truth. I want to be as truthful as possible. But when you look at the reasons Christ came, he was crucified—he died for all mankind and he suffered for all mankind. So that, really, anyone who transgresses has to look at their own part or look at their own culpability."

However, there are two problems with Gibson's statement:

  • There is no unique narration of the Passion in the Gospels. To mention the main differences: According to John, Jesus was arrested (Nisan 14) by Jewish aides of the Sanhedrin, but then was only questioned by Anas and Caiaphas (no trial), while according to the Synoptics, he (Nisan 15) was only arrested by the Jewish aides and condemned by the Sanhedrin.
  • Moreover since Gibson does not follow a specific Gospel, but made a certain selection in the material, the question remains as to which criterion he followed. His selections seem to magnify the Jewish responsibility and guilt; however, there are other choices possible, which would have led to a significantly different picture:
  1. Because Jesus is popular with the people at large, he is arrested clandestinely at night to avoid a riot (Mk. 14:2).
  2. Caiaphas fears that a riot could provoke the Romans to destroy the Temple (Jn. 11:48). the opposite of the film's claim he could lead a revolt.
  3. Jesus is arrested by Temple guards and Roman soldiers (Jn. 18:3).
  4. Jesus is questioned by Annas and Caiaphas about his disciples and his teaching and then taken to Pilate (Jn.18:19, 24, 28) Sanhedrin trial or question of Jesus' divinity.
  5. Pilate was known to use violence to enforce Roman rule (Lk 13:1).
  6. Jesus was scourged as part of the Roman crucifixion procedure once Pilate ordered his execution (Mk. 15:15, as against Jn. 19:1-8 ff.).
  7. "A great multitude of the people" (Lk. 23:27) and "all the multitudes" (Lk. 23:48) of Jews are sorrowful about Jesus' crucifixion.
  8. Jesus' execution was done in haste (Mk.15:25; Jn 19:31).

In an interview in the Globe and Mail, February 14 2004, Gibson said: "If anyone has distorted Gospel passages to rationalize cruelty towards Jews or anyone, it's in defiance of repeated papal condemnation. The Papacy has condemned racism in any form," and, "Jesus died for the sins of all times, and I'll be the first on the line for culpability."

Gibson arranged for private screenings of the film; this caused more criticism, as his audiences included prominent Christians and Jews known for their political and social conservatism. Requests for a screening by the ADL were declined. American film reviewer, Michael Medved—a Jewish columnist and film reviewer—praised the movie's Biblical accuracy; although a February 16, 2004 Newsweek cover story by Jon Meacham suggests that there are numerous inaccuracies in the movie. Similarly, one statement by the ADL read:

"For filmmakers to do justice to the biblical accounts of the passion, they must complement their artistic vision with sound scholarship, which includes knowledge of how the passion accounts have been used historically to disparage and attack Jews and Judaism. Absent such scholarly and theological understanding, productions such as The Passion could likely falsify history and fuel the animus of those who hate Jews." *

A recent ADL web page provided examples of anti-Semitic responses to the ADL's criticism of this project. Critics of the ADL retorted that it couldn't have been the film that caused any hateful e-mails to the ADL because the film had not yet been screened in public; rather, it was the ADL's attacks against a film on the life of Jesus that was the motivation. The Catholic League responded to the ADL by accusing the organization of "seeking to poison relations between Catholics and Jews," contending that the "attacks on Mel Gibson have little to do with some off-the-cuff quips and everything to do with waging a frontal assault against all those people—Catholics, Protestants, Jews et al.—who have seen The Passion and love it." Cal Thomas and Roger Ebert—have also categorically denied that the film contains anti-Semitic material. [http://www.townhall.com/columnists/calthomas/ct20030805.shtml" target="_blank" >*

Positive views of Judaism

A small number of politically conservative Orthodox Jews have rejected the charges that this movie was anti-Semitic, and in fact have publicly supported this film. Rabbi Steven Pruzansky, religious leader of Congregation Bnai Yeshurun in Teaneck, New Jersey, attacked Jewish critics of the film and even referred to them by the word rodef, a term used in rabbinic jurisprudence to describe an assailant who threatens Jewish lives and may be killed to preempt the danger. Rabbi Daniel Lapin, head of the Seattle-based Toward Tradition organization, declared that the ADL and its allies were "dangerous organizations, organizations that are driving a wedge between American Jews and Christians." Referring to ADL national director Abraham Foxman, Lapin said that by calling Gibson's film antisemitic, "what he is saying is that the only way to escape the wrath of Foxman is to repudiate your faith." *

Darío Cardinal Castrillón Hoyos, a senior Vatican official who has seen the film, addressed the question at length:

"Anti-Semitism, like all forms of racism, distorts the truth in order to put a whole race of people in a bad light. This film does nothing of the sort. It draws out from the historical objectivity of the Gospel narratives sentiments of forgiveness, mercy, and reconciliation. It captures the subtleties and the horror of sin, as well as the gentle power of love and forgiveness, without making or insinuating blanket condemnations against one group. This film expressed the exact opposite, that learning from the example of Christ, there should never be any more violence against any other human being." *

Christian criticism

Several fundamentalist Protestant groups have criticized the film for its Catholic and ecumenical overtones.

Passion has been criticized by some Protestant Christian spokesmen for departing from New Testament story lines. A significant number of scenes and details in the movie are ideas from traditional passion plays and the Emmerich book. Additionally, many scenes and dramatic events are symbolic by nature, serving as groundwork, or support, for the storyline, and reflect events found elsewhere in the Christian scriptures or in the Catholic tradition. On the other hand, in New Zealand, the Office of Film and Literature Classification came under fire from the Society for the Promotion of Community Standards, a small fundamentalist Protestant lobby group, for classifying the film R16. The Society argued that persons under that age should be able to see the film's graphic portrayals of Christ's suffering.

The filmmakers defend that this depiction reflects the spirit and letter of the Christian New Testament Scriptures, though others disagree with that characterization. For example, a scene where Jews push Jesus off a bridge is in Emmerich's work, but not in the Gospels. Some Orthodox Jews, such as Rabbi Daniel Lapin and Michael Medved, disagree that the movie was anti-Semitic and have spoken out in support of it. Supporters also point to the many positive portrayals of Jews in the film, such as Simon (who helps Jesus carry the cross), Mary Magdalene, Mary, Peter, Veronica (the woman who gives the cloth to Jesus), and of course Jesus himself.

When asked himself whether or not his movie would be offensive to Jews today, Gibson replied, “It’s not meant to. I think it’s meant to just tell the truth. I want to be as truthful as possible. But when you look at the reasons Christ came, he was crucified — he died for all mankind and he suffered for all mankind. So that, really, anyone who transgresses has to look at their own part or look at their own culpability.” This only added to the controversy, though Gibson tried to avoid it by filming his own hands driving the nails into the cross. Some were also skeptical of Gibson's intentions because of his ambiguous statements regarding the Holocaust and his father's alleged denial of it.[http://slate.msn.com/id/2096323/

Some argue that the idea of universal culpability of the death of Jesus Christ is one of the principal underlying doctrines of Christianity, and has been fundamental to Catholic teaching since the 1st century. As expressed in the 1570 Catholic handbook Catechism of the Council of Trent:

In this guilt the Crucifixion are involved all those who fall frequently into sin; for, as our sins consigned Christ the Lord to the death of the Cross, most certainly those who wallow in sin and iniquity crucify to themselves again the Son of God, as far as in them lies, and make a mockery of Him. This guilt seems more enormous in us than in the Jews, since according to the testimony of the same Apostle: If they had known it, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory; while we, on the contrary, professing to know Him, yet denying Him by our actions, seem in some sort to lay violent hands on Him.

However, others argue that the Church did not explicitly repudiate the deicide charge and anti-Semitism until the Second Vatican Council in 1965, and note that Gibson's father has spoken out against Vatican II, and that he has never spoken against his father's statements in the past (though he has not spoken out for them, either).

Another controversy concerns the line "His blood on us and on our children!" (), which has been historically interpreted by some anti-Semites as a curse on the Jewish people. For this reason, various Jewish groups requested that this be removed from the film; however, the Aramaic dialogue is still audible; only the subtitle was removed. [http://film.guardian.co.uk/features/featurepages/0,4120,1157381,00.html

CNN reported that Pope John Paul II had a private viewing of the film shortly before its release. Supporters of Gibson’s interpretation of the Passion claimed that the Pope allegedly remarked to his good friend, Monsignor Stanisław Dziwisz, "It is as it was." Dziwisz [http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/20040119.htm denied that this ever happened, but it was reported widely that the Pope had, indeed, said those words.

Secular reaction

A main secular criticism is that film is simply too gory to be enjoyed or gain any feeling of spiritual enlightenment. Critics contend the only real message that can be garnered from the film in which there is little dialogue or character development, is that Jesus suffered.

Most of the criticism from liberal Jewish and Christian groups and secular liberals has centered around the film's depiction of the Jewish leadership. Other criticisms have centered around Gibson's skewing the last hours of Christ toward his personal views, featuring events that are not purely derived from Biblical references. However, many prominent atheists such as journalist Christopher Hitchens and shock jock Howard Stern (who is of Jewish ancestry), were very vocal in their attacks on the movie and, in many instances, Gibson personally.

Criticism over graphic violence

Several critics were troubled by the level of graphic violence in the film, and especially cautioned parents to avoid bringing their children — an unusual worry in a religious film. Roger Ebert, who awarded the movie four stars out of four, said in his review:

The movie is 126 minutes long, and I would guess that at least 100 of those minutes, maybe more, are concerned specifically and graphically with the details of the torture and death of Jesus. This is the most violent film I have ever seen.

David Ansen, a critic from Newsweek, calling the film "relentlessly savage" and a "movie no child can, or should, see", said:

I have no doubt that Mel Gibson loves Jesus. From the evidence of "The Passion of the Christ," however, what he seems to love as much is the cinematic depiction of flayed, severed, swollen, scarred flesh and rivulets of spilled blood, the crack of bashed bones and the groans of someone enduring the ultimate physical agony.

Gibson said in his interview with Diane Sawyer:

"I wanted it to be shocking. And I wanted it to be extreme.... So that they see the enormity — the enormity of that sacrifice; to see that someone could endure that and still come back with love and forgiveness, even through extreme pain and suffering and ridicule."

Music

Three CDs were released with Mel Gibson's co-operation: film soundtrack comprising of John Debney's original orchestral score; The Passion of the Christ: Songs, (Original Songs Inspired by the Film)]], produced by Mark Joseph and Tim Cook, a GMA-Award winning album which contained original compositions from the likes of Lauryn Hill, Scott Stapp of Creed, P.O.D., Kirk Franklin, Yolanda Adams, MxPx & Mark Hoppus of Blink-182, Steven Curtis Chapman, Third Day, Bart Millard of Mercy Me, ; and finally the similarly-titled Songs Inspired by.

A preliminary film score was written and recorded by Lisa Gerrard and Patrick Cassidy, but was not completed in time for the release of the film.

Gibson/CleanFlicks Lawsuit

In November, 2005, Mel Gibson filed a lawsuit alleging that CleanFlicks, an American Fork, Utah firm owned by Ray Lines, infringed on his ownership of The Passion of The Christ by illegally editing it for profit. According to Lines, CleanFlicks has edited sex, violence and foul language out of 900 films, and has been in a legal dispute with the film industry for the past three years.

According to Lines, he edited only about three minutes of the most graphic footage out, but noted that Gibson himself did the same thing and released it a year later as The Passion Recut.

See also

References

  1. Gibson breaks Hollywood’s 10 Commands - The Hollywood Reporter
  2. Official site - The Passion of the Christ
  3. Passion-movie.com
  4. http://www.adl.org/presrele/mise_00/4275_00.asp
  5. http://www.adl.org/anti_semitism/anti-semitic-responses.asp
  6. http://www.catholicleague.org/03press_releases/quarter3/030918_adl.htm
  7. http://www.townhall.com/columnists/calthomas/ct20030805.shtml
  8. http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/comment-gaspari091803.asp
  9. Apologetics Index entry on The Passion of the Christ
  10. South Park: The Passion of the Jew* Episode also on the South Park Single-Disc DVD with the same title.
  11. Passion of the Benny Hill, a short with Passion footage and Benny Hill styled Sounds and music. WARNING: These scenes are as intense as in the original movie, but now also hilarious.

External links

2004 films | Films based on the Bible | Christian films | Drama films | Dramatic portrayals of Jesus | Hebrew-language films | Independent films | Jewish Christian topics | Latin-language films | Aramaic-language films | Religion films

Die Passion Christi | مصائب مسیح | La Passion du Christ | La passione di Cristo (film) | הפסיון של ישו (סרט) | A passió | The Passion of the Christ | パッション (映画) | Pasja (film) | The Passion of the Christ | Patimile lui Hristos (film) | The Passion of the Christ | The Passion of the Christ | 受难曲

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "The Passion of the Christ".

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