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The Passion Of The Christ
2004
THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST depicts the last 12 hours of the life of Jesus of Nazareth (Jim Caviezel), beginning with his betrayal by Judas Iscariot (Luca Lionello) and ending with his crucifixion and subsequent resurrection. Directed by Mel Gibson (BRAVEHEART)--who funded the film himself and co-wrote the screenplay--PASSION .. Read more
| Starring | Jim Caviezel, Maja Morgenstern, Monica Bellucci, Mattia Sbragia |
|---|---|
| Director | Mel Gibson |
| Genres | Audio Descriptive, Drama |
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The Passion Of The Christ
THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST depicts the last 12 hours of the life of Jesus of Nazareth (Jim Caviezel), beginning with his betrayal by Judas Iscariot (Luca Lionello) and ending with his crucifixion and subsequent resurrection. Directed by Mel Gibson (BRAVEHEART)--who funded the film himself and co-wrote the screenplay--PASSION uses flashbacks to substantiate a handful of pertinent moments in Jesus' life and teachings, such as the Sermon on the Mount and the Last Supper, as well as his relationships with his mother and his disciples. Still, the drama focuses on the seemingly endless torture inflicted upon Jesus by Roman soldiers at the urging of the Jewish crowd that considers him a blasphemer, despite the attempts of a sympathetic Pontius Pilate (Hristo Naumov Shopov) to spare him from death. The faint of heart should be prepared for the brutal, barbaric beatings that Christ endures. Maia Morgenstern, Monica Bellucci, and Hristo Jivkov are touching as Mary, Magdalene, and John respectively, who are devastated by Jesus' fate yet aware that they can do nothing to change it. Performed in Aramaic and Latin with English subtitles, Gibson's labour of love is sure to prompt discussion and debate as to historical and Biblical fact.
| Starring | Jim Caviezel, Maja Morgenstern, Monica Bellucci, Mattia Sbragia, Hristo Naumov Shopov, Claudia Gerini, Luca Lionello |
|---|---|
| Director | Mel Gibson |
| Studio | ICON HOME ENTERTAINMENT |
| Run time | DVD: 2 hrs 7 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Audio Descriptive, Drama |
| Language | DVD: Aramaic, English Audio Description |
| Hearing-impaired | English |
| Subtitles | DVD: English |
| Released | DVD: 31 Aug 2004 Production year: 2004 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (6)
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Compelling yet repetitive, shocking yet plodding, Mel Gibson's labour of love (replete with subtitled Latin and Aramaic dialogue) charts the last 12 hours of Jesus's life on Earth, from his betrayal by Judas in the Garden of Gethsemane through to the most punishing depiction of the crucifixion ever mounted. Gibson's commitment to the material is tangible, the much talked about brutality is unflinching and the earthy atmosphere is expertly evoked. But Jim Caviezel's Jesus makes for an impenetrable figure, some of the imagery doesn't quite come off — the depictions of evil are borderline laughable — and the narrow focus does little to provide a context to Jesus's teachings and suffering. Daring, passionate film-making it may be, but the lasting impression is one of preaching to the converted.
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A film that is inaccessible to criticism, preaching to the converted; its relentless concentration on brutality and torture numbs the mind, while much of its imagery derives from horror movies. Make of it what you will.
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Most helpful member's review
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68 out of 70 people found this review helpful
relentless..but make your own mind up
I admit I watched this simply because of all the hype. It is the only film shot in Latin that I've ever watched (it has sub-titles, if you select them: I did!).
For me, the level of violence was so relentless that eventually I just became rather numbed by it. Combine this with the fact that everybody, of course, knows how it ends ( a bit of a challenge for any film ,when you think about it) and you should be left with an empty experience. I wasn't however. It is beautifully shot, and it has a kind of morbid fascination attached to it. I suspect that anyone religious would find it either very moving or very loathsome. It didn't stir up such strong emotions in me, but I did get all the way to the end (it is actually quite well paced) so it had enough impact for me to keep watching to see how the next part of the story was going to be treated.
In the Press it was reported that jews in the USA were outraged by this film, because it portrayed them as basically evil: however I must say that, to my mind, the main villains in the film were portrayed more as politicians, or at least figures of authority in their society, rather than 'jews' - it is clear in the film that Jesus was a jew, and these were authority figures within his society that were insisting on his crucifixion.
I was puzzled by the film's treatment of the Romans, at first: Pilate (and especially his wife) were portrayed as compassionate victims, almost, of politics - whilst the soldiers were nothing less than bestial. Eventually I decided it was a plausible line to take.
If you have got this far, then you are probably going to select the movie, to make your own mind up. I think, on balance, that is the right thing to do. -
Most recent members' review
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16 out of 23 people found this review helpful
All blood and no passion
Like marmite, people seem to either love or hate this film; I didn't have strong feelings about it either way, although to dismiss this film simply because it has subtitles as some reviewers have done is ludicrous.. There are good and points to it, it is very well shot, and it certainly does have an impact. Very violent, so only watch if you think you can take it. The trouble with all the suffering is that there isn't really a plot to go with it and the long walk with Jesus carrying the cross is frankly boring. It would have been good to see a bit more of wht led up to Jesus' betrayal. Despite being called the Passion of Christ there is very little emotion of any kind besides pain shown which prevents the film engaging the viewer further. Although equally violent, the final few scenes on the cross are among the best. Again, very well filmed, although quite why a camp Satan who seems to have escaped from the Seventh Seal keeps appearing is never quite clear, although a bit of mystery doesn't do any harm.
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News and features
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Gibson settles Passion suit
- 19 May 2009
Mel Gibson has settled a lawsuit with the screenwriter of his religious epic Passion Of The Christ. Benedict Fitzgerald, who co-wrote the 2004 film, filed suit against the actor/director in 2008, maintaining the superstar had cheated him out of millions of dollars in potential earnings. He alleged he was only paid £50,000 and had to borrow hundreds of thousands from Gibson to cover his expenses. The Passion Of The Christ went on to gross an estimated £400 million worldwide.... Read more
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The Passion Of The Christ
THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST depicts the last 12 hours of the life of Jesus of Nazareth (Jim Caviezel), beginning with his betrayal by Judas Iscariot (Luca Lionello) and ending with his crucifixion and subsequent resurrection. Directed by Mel Gibson (BRAVEHEART)--who funded the film himself and co-...
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