And, I'm sure, you'll be first in line to announce the success of this film - no? How would you define success? Box office? DVD sales? The converted?
Nope, not me, I'm not Christian (or Jewish), and frankly, if the movie were a commercial success, it would amaze me. I don't see this as the kind of movie that people who usually line up to see them would want. I think there will be an influx of Christians driven by the controversy, then there will be a drop-off, with local ministers and priests having to spend time both from the pulpit and out of it trying to put the violence in context.
Let's face it, the harshness of Christianity that was a staple of Middle Ages observances is largely lost today. Our US culture mentions Christmas and Easter, and spends most of its time talking about a guy in a red suit, and a rabbit, than about hardships of life in the time of Jesus. This movie will come as a terrible shock to people who are familiar with only the very simple watered-down basics of Christian belief.
How would you define success? Box office? DVD sales? The converted?
Well, clearly, the box office and DVD sales are quantifiable numbers, as opposed to trying to figure out how many are moved in what ways by the film. Hollywood has financial benchmarks for defining success, and even if the box office doesn't pan out, I can see the DVD market being a possible success, surely there are many who will want to have this in their collection, and try to implore those they wish to convert to watch it.
Don't be surprised if it has the opposite effect on some folks. The kinds of cruelties depicted in the movie are as far removed from Americans' daily lives as the tortures in the Third World's dungeons are. Many of us just have no frame of reference to relate to for this, and some will choose to block it out.