I'm not sure why nobody has provided a writeup about this
film yet, so at the risk of being shot to pieces by the many groups who argue about this film, I'll provide a short review.
The film was shown without any previews, which I thought odd. Here in Australia we were given a filmed introduction to the movie by a couple of minor celebrities who basically told us that after we'd seen the film, we should "read the book". The New Testament, they said, had "changed their lives". I didn't think that was necessary. It got my experience of the film off to a bad start, seeing as I have no firm religious beliefs one way or another.
The film is a very poweful portrayal of the events leading to the crucifixion of Jesus. It's subtitled - spoken in Latin, Hebrew and Aramaic throughout. It stars James Caviezel as Jesus and is directed by Mel Gibson.
The film is extremely graphic. We see Jesus punched, kicked, spat at (in the face), flogged with an array of nasty implements, beaten with sticks, and of course ultimately having a crown of thorns placed on his head before he is forced to carry the cross up the hill before he is crucified.
It's bloody and the violence is relentless. You're with Jesus every step of the way. As the suffering on-screen gets worse, you occasionally get a cut scene where you see Jesus telling his disciples that he was chosen to undergo it all and did so willingly.
I found the final stages of the film oddly moving. The supporting cast did a fantastic job. The Romans are brutal, bloodthirsy and callous. The Jews are portrayed as equally callous and bloodthirsy. There are also those who are shown as loving and compassionate. His mother, Mary, and Magdalen especially demonstrate such pure love for this man as he undergoes his ordeal that I was moved to tears a number of times.
There is much controversy about this film as I have mentioned. Any film depicting events like these will of course attract a great deal of attention. If nothing else it will make Mr Gibson (who financed a great chunk of the film himself) a whole lot of money, and give thousands of people something to argue about for the forseeable future.
Cast
mr100percent says re The Passion of the Christ: interesting fact, the actor was struck by lightning while shooting a scene on the cross. Actually, i think it happened more than once. He joked in an interview that perhaps God didn't like that take
nterrobang says re The Passion of the Christ : re struck by lightning: it happened twice. Other neat tidbits are that the actor playing Jesus has the initals JC, and I've heard he was 33 during the shooting of the film. Also, the hands that hammer the nails into Jesus' hands are those of Mel Gibson himself. Finally, Monica Bellucci is still a fox.
Cast information taken from imdb.com