The Jews involved with Jesus's death were "bloodthirsty, vengeful and money-hungry"... get over it. They were the ruling elite who were threatened by Jesus's popularity and message. Mel is telling a true story that happened nearly 2,000 years ago... is he wrong for portraying mankind at the time as "primarily agrarian, without electricity and decidely lacking in modern conveniences"? No... that was the times and that is the truth... just as true is his rendering of Jesus's killers.
The hearts of His own people is also the greatest message of Christ. Jesus didn't come to save us because we were worth saving. He came to us when we were at our worst and willingly died to save even those who had him killed--simply out of His love for us. If Mel has captured that fact, then he has captured the essence.
Lastly, the Jews at the time were not held blameless by God Himself. Jesus told of the punishment that would befall His killers:
Luke 11:49 "For this reason also the wisdom of God said, 'I will send to them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and some they will persecute, 50 so that the blood of all the prophets, shed since the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the house of God; yes, I tell you, it shall be charged against this generation.'
...and...
Luke 17:22 And He said to the disciples, "The days will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23 "They will say to you, 'Look there! Look here!' Do not go away, and do not run after them. 24 "For just like the lightning, when it flashes out of one part of the sky, shines to the other part of the sky, so will the Son of Man be in His day. 25 "But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.
And finally...
Luke 23:27 And following Him was a large crowd of the people, and of women who were mourning and lamenting Him. [on His way to Golgotha] 28 But Jesus turning to them said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, stop weeping for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.
Jesus was crucified somewhere in the vicinity of 30-33 AD. Jerusalem and the Temple were completely destroyed in 70 AD. It was the worst massacre in the history of the Jews. Truly the generation present for His death and their children suffered greatly as He said they would.
Don't forget: "His blood be on us and on our children." Mt. 27:25