Synopsis

The Passion of the Christ (2004) is an independent film about the last twelve hours of the life of Jesus Christ. Mel Gibson directed. The film’s dialogue is in Latin, Hebrew, and Aramaic, which was Jesus' mother tongue. There are English subtitles. It was filmed on location in Matera, Italy and Cinecittâ Studios, Rome, Italy.

After months of interest and controversy (primarily over alleged anti-Semitism) that led to record pre-release sales, the movie opened in the United States on February 25 (Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent), 2004. Taking $370m in the U.S., it became the highest-grossing R-rated film ever made, and had, for a time, the eighth highest all-time domestic gross (it has since dropped to tenth place).

An edited version of The Passion of the Christ was re-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.

Critics were polarized over the film. According to the website RottenTomatoes.com only 51% of critics praised the film but 76% of users loved it. Similarly, critics rate it a B-, but users of Yahoo! rate it a B+.

Summary

• The Passion of the Christ (2004)
• Directed by Mel Gibson
• Writing credits:
  
  • Benedict Fitzgerald (screenplay)
  • Mel Gibson (screenplay)
• Director of photography: Caleb Deschanel
• Production designer: Francesco Frigeri
• Translator: Reverend William Fulco - translated script into Latin and reconstructed Aramaic
• Genre: Drama
• Plot Outline: A film detailing the final hours and crucifixion of Jesus Christ
• Cast overview, first billed only:
  
  • James Caviezel .... Jesus
  • Maia Morgenstern .... Mary
  • Hristo Jivkov .... John
  • Francesco De Vito .... Peter
  • Monica Bellucci .... Magdalen
  • Mattia Sbragia .... Caiphas
  • Toni Bertorelli .... Annas
  • Luca Lionello .... Judas
  • Hristo Shopov .... Pontius Pilate (as Hristo Naumov Shopov)
  • Claudia Gerini .... Claudia Procles
  • Fabio Sartor .... Abenader
  • Giacinto Ferro .... Joseph of Arimathea
  • Olek Mincer .... Nicodemus
  • Sheila Mokhtari .... Woman in Audience
  • Lucio Allocca .... Old Temple Guard
  • Rosalinda Celentano .... Satan
• Also Known As:
  
  • The Passion (USA) (working title)
  • The Passion Recut (International: English title) (cut version)
  • The Passion of Christ (USA) (working title)
• MPAA: Rated R for sequences of graphic violence
• Runtime: 127 min / 120 min (Passion re-cut)
• Language: Aramaic / Latin / Hebrew
• Trivia: Mel Gibson's first writing credit
• Goofs: Continuity: During the sequence when Jesus carries his cross, he often falls down. His hand placement on the cross changes several time between shots
• Awards: Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 15 wins & 13 nominations

The Making of the Movie

Mel Gibson played many crucial roles in getting the film made. Indeed, it is often labeled “Mel’s labor of love.” Gibson personally committed an estimated $40m to $50m of his own resources to finance and advertise the film. In addition to directing, Gibson co-produced and co-wrote the screenplay with Benedict Fitzgerald.

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. Star Maia Morgenstern (Mary, mother of Jesus,) herself a Jew and the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, denounces these criticisms. She had read the script with her father and they found it "beautiful, very poetic and very philosophical."

Gibson intended the movie to be faithful to the New Testament, but did use extra-biblical sources to flesh out the screenplay. One of those, “The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ,” was written by a sickly, stigmatic nun named Anne Catherine Emmerich (1774–1824,) a German nun of the Augustinian order. Virtually illiterate, she dictated her visions of Christ’s passion, which often depicts the Jews as more vicious and bloodthirsty than the Romans.

There was a priest on set during the entire filming, and sources state that there were a number of non-Christians in the cast and crew who converted to Christianity.

Jim Caviezel, the actor playing Jesus, suffered numerous injuries and ailments during the production, including pneumonia and a separated shoulder (the incident where that happened is actually in the final cut.) In the scourging scene, Caviezel was actually whipped twice and still bears scars. 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'd been viciously flayed. But that pales in comparison to Caviezel, a devout Catholic (although a more modern adherent, in comparison to Mel Gibson's traditionalist bent,) being struck by lightning during the crucifixion scene.

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