Gibson's flick is a hit (in UK--highest ever opening for a foreign language film)

The Sun (UK) ^ | 3-29-04 | THOMAS WHITAKER

[truthandlife]

MEL Gibson’s controversial film The Passion Of The Christ has smashed UK box-office records for a subtitled movie.

It raked in £2,019,803 on its first weekend — the highest ever opening for a foreign language film in Britain.

Throughout the movie, the actors speak in the ancient tongues of Aramaic and Latin — which would have been used by the Jews and Romans in Palestine 2,000 years ago.

Its takings got a boost because many cinemas sold out after churches block-booked free tickets.

The Passion overtakes previous subtitled record holder Crouching Tiger: Hidden Dragon which took £686,000 in 2001.

In third is the French film Amelie which took £559,000 on its opening weekend the same year.

Gibson’s film shows the final 12 hours in the life of Christ — but has been criticised for its explicit violence and accused of anti-Semitism.

Jim Caviezel, 35, stars as Jesus and Monica Bellucci, 39, as Mary Magdalene in the film which cost £14million to make.

It has already taken £147million in the US where it has been No1 for three weeks in a row.

MEANWHILE church organisers said “spiritual forces” may have made a projector break down during a free screening in Maidstone, Kent.

Film led to confession

A NEO-NAZI confessed to two bombings after watching The Passion of the Christ.

Johnny Olsen, 41, said he bombed squatters in Oslo, Norway, in 1994 and 1995.

Police charged him with arson.

Lawyer Fridtjof Feydt said Mel Gibson’s film “made him confess”.

A Texan man last week admitted killing a pregnant 19-year-old after seeing the movie.

[truthandlife]

'Passion' ping

[wooden nickel]

I know American English is a little bit different from the Queen's English but to call it a foreign language is just not cricket.

[GeronL]

BUMP

[GeronL]

Its not in english. Its in Aramaic and ? hebrew?

[breakem]

If it's not a foreign language film, what would you call it?

[jackbill]

Actually, it is a foreign language film here in the U.S.. The diagogue is in Aramaic and Latin - not English or American English.

[McGavin999]

It's going to be quite interesting to see how this film does around the world. Perhaps it will wake up some latent Christian memories.

[prairiebreeze]

These criminal confessions that are coming out are interesting. I would never have predicted that response to the film.

BTW, I hadn't heard about the neo-Nazi arsonist/bomber of Norwegian squatters incident before.

Prairie

[Victoria Delsoul]

I just realized that Mel Gibson's last name is "Controversial Film." Every article about the Passion says… Mel Gibson's controversial film... not a very exciting time for movie critics, LOL.

[I still care]

I can't imagine China showing it, but it would be wonderful if it did. They have a huge underground church there.

Do you suppose we will hear about people being jailed after unauthorized viewing of the Passion?

[sarasmom]

In China?
No.

[per loin]

I've uploaded a timeline of the events in the movie here. It's not out on DVD yet, so the timeline is a bit rough, particularly in pegging the exact location of the musical score. I had to rely on my notes made at the movie.

[Dr. Scarpetta]

*Ping

[Unam Sanctam]

When I lived in Beijing a couple of years ago, there was a HUGE market in pirated DVDs. Unless they've cleaned up their act, I wouldn't be surprised if there isn't already some pirated copies floating around China.

[cinnathepoet]

But wasn't there a recent confession by a small-time convenience store robber who admitted to 6 or 7 robberies after his mom took him to see the Passion? Somewhere in the South or Midwest?

[rwfromkansas]

It's already on the internet.

[KQQL]

In the U.K. The Passion, when the final numbers came in grabbed the top spot, ahead of fellow opener Dawn of the Dead and holdover Starsky & Hutch. The film grabbed a stunning $3.6m on 322 prints including $568,000 in sneak previews bringing its U.K./Ireland tally to $5m. After somewhat disappointing starts in Ireland and Germany exhibitors weren't expecting a whole lot from Passion, but just as in the United States the Mel Gibson epic surprised. In Norway, The Passion of the Christ also grabbed pole position with a $232,871 debut on 30 screens. The film has an estimated $58.7m to date.
-----http://www.boxofficemojo.com/intl/weekend/2004/13.htm
+ BIG HIT in LATIN AMerica (NOT Mexico) , and big hit in Aussie land/new zealand......Poland.....Norway....Portugal
However, it's doing so-so in in Germany !

[Northern Yankee]

Thanks for the ping!

Victoria, you read my thoughts. Never have I seen a film written so much about that always has a disclaimer regarding its controversy.

I guess that means the Gospels must be contoversial?

You have to wonder where we as a society is/are(?) headed when a film about The Passion of Christ is deemed dangerous?!

In any event I reckon we're ready to do battle with those other realms that seek to destroy this film, and its followers.

Got your armour?