[Young Werther]

"She is contrasted repeatedly with the really super creepy Satan character, who is also a woman"

I wonder how the nags are going to react to this portrayl. Anyone have picture of the hildebeast with horns?

[Joe Boucher]

I am betting that there are enough Christians and good people out there that will care to see the fim that it will be a commercial success.
I know I'll take my wife and son to see it and pay full price and cry like a baby.
William F. Buckley once wrote an article on the savageness of crusafixion. Plain savagery.
You go there Mel.

[RippleFire]

bump

[padfoot_lover]

One of the few movies I can't wait to see (I rarely go to the theater any more with all the trash Hollywood puts out), and quite a few of my friends and family feel the same way.

[witnesstothefall]

This article was exceedingly well written. Thanks for posting.

[DPB101]

Should be a powerful proselytizing force around the world. That is what the real objections to the film have been all about. Same groups which sue everytime a Christian says a prayer in a public place are the ones who have opposed this movie.

[q_an_a]

Thanks for your post. It is heart warming to know that some people are still willing to create art that depicts man's need for God. That God sent his Son to us, so that we can worship Him is what gives us Hope. Thanks again for the insight.

[LS]

"The Passion is devastating to watch. It is so good, I almost couldn't stand it. There is one moment on the way of the cross sequence, in which the whole tragedy unfolding devolves into a vicious riot of hatred between Romans and Jews with the Savior on the ground in the middle of it getting it from both sides."

This is why I don't know if I can actually stand to watch this film: the torture sequence in Braveheart was so traumatic that as much as I love the rest of that movie, I still haven't bought it for my collection. I can vividly imagine the horror of REAL crucifixion, and it gags me---it would do so no matter who was on the cross, but the fact that it is the Savior makes it all the more difficult. I would be interested in seeing how Mel does the Garden sequence, though.

[polemikos]

Mel Gibson Screens Religious Movie In Colorado
Actor Used Personal Fortune To Finance Filming

POSTED: 12:27 p.m. MDT June 27, 2003

COLORADO SPRINGS -- Actor Mel Gibson won rave reviews from religious leaders here this week after asking them to make sure his upcoming film, "The Passion," accurately depicts the Gospel.

The star of the "Lethal Weapon" series said his Christian faith inspired the movie, which depicts the final 12 hours in the life of Jesus Christ (pictured, left). Gibson is still looking for a distributor.

The script, which Mel Gibson co-wrote, is based on the diaries of St. Anne Catherine Emmerich (1774-1824) that are collected in the book "The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ", on Mary of Agreda's "The City of God" and on the New Testament Gospels by Luke, John, Matthew and Mark.

"I'm not a preacher, and I'm not a pastor," Gibson said Thursday. "But I really feel my career was leading me to make this. The Holy Ghost was working through me on this film, and I was just directing traffic. I hope the film has the power to evangelize."

Gibson visited New Life Church and Focus on the Family. Among those who watched clips of the film was Ted Haggard, New Life's pastor and president of the National Evangelical Association.

"It conveys, more accurately than any other film, who Jesus was," Haggard said.

"I was very impressed," added Don Hodel, president of Focus on the Family. "The movie is historically and theologically accurate."

Gibson financed the $25 million film, co-wrote the script and directed and produced the movie, which stars James Caviezel as Christ. The film was shot in the Aramaic language of the time, but subtitles were in place during Thursday's showing.

Gibson said he attended Mass every morning during filming because "we had to be squeaky clean just working on this."

"It was a strange mixture of the most difficult thing I've ever done, along with this incredible ease," Gibson said. "Everyone who worked on this movie was changed. There were agnostics and Muslims on set converting to Christianity."

Copyright 2003 by TheDenverChannel.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[truthandlife]

To read a more detailed acccount of movie go to:

< Mel Gibson's Passion

Long read but worth it!

[Brandybux]

I predict that the film will be a huge commercial success here in the States, not to mention other parts of the world. Here's why:

1. The ostensibly evangelical Protestant population of America is pretty large, and I think most every one of them is going to see the film at least once.

2. IF Mel holds to his original idea NOT to put in subtitles, there is a large number of this same population which is going to be familiar enough with the gospel accounts of the passion that they are going to view the film as a kind of puzzle: Can I figure out from simply watching the screen when Jesus is saying this or that? Or Peter is saying so and so? and so forth. It is this part of the experience which I think is going to generate tons of repeat viewings by evangelicals.

3. The Catholic population of America is going to see the film, every one of them at least once, since Catholics (much less Christians generally) seldom get much favorable media attention. Mel is going to become a folk hero for conservative to moderate Catholics (though I expect the liberal Catholics are going to sprout a forest of hemorrhoids over this film).

Again, the more Biblically literate among them are going to watch it multiple times, comparing the film as they watch it with the gospel account which they already know (or read just before seeing the film).

What is going to be REALLY INTERESTING is to watch what happens at the Oscars with this film. How deliscious!! If they praise the film, they damn themselves. If they ignore the film, they damn themselves!! Mel is cooking up a conundrum for them comparable to what Jesus often cooked up for the Pharisees.

[Malesherbes]

I am really looking forward to seeing this film. It would be interesting to see it first without sub-titles, and then with sub-titles. If this review is accurate, this may be one of the greatest films of all time - and maybe one of the most influential.

[NYer]

There is one moment on the way of the cross sequence, in which the whole tragedy unfolding devolves into a vicious riot of hatred between Romans and Jews with the Savior on the ground in the middle of it getting it from both sides.

Mel Gibson's The Passion opens in movie theaters across the US on Ash Wednesday 2004.

[isom35]

but what did he say about Mad Max 4: Fury Road ?

[betty boop]

Thank you so much, Brian, for posting this pre-release review. On this testimony, I will definitely see this film.

[Blzbba]

Interesting...

without reading any other reviews (and this one didn't answer this question), I wonder if the film will attempt to address the period of Jesus' life that was largely unacounted for in the Gospels - the late teen years up to the early 30s.

Hopefully, there will be no computer graphic effects in this film!