Mel Gibson considering role of Jesus

ICN ^ | August 9, 2002

[NYer]

Mel Gibson, star of action movies such as Braveheart and Mad Max, is considering casting himself as Jesus in a new film about the last days of Christ set in Matera, southern Italy.

The Italian Catholic daily newspaper Avvenire, reports that the Catholic actor has been meeting with church officials and theologians to gain an insight into Christ's Passion and Crucifixion, including the Last Supper and the vigil in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Matera is a Unesco World Heritage site, famed for the Sassi, palaeolithic cave dwellings that were inhabited until recently.

Filming is due to start next month. Movie sources say Gibson chose the rocky, remote town because it was so convincing in Pasolini's 1964 classic Gospel According to St Matthew - which Gibson has long admired.

Pasolini chose the area for its bleak landscape and used unknown actors in his film - in contrast with the stars cast in other biblical epics of the time, such as the Ten Commandments and Ben Hur. Christ was played by Enrique Irazoqui, a Spanish student, who Pasolini thought resembled the gaunt Jesus of El Greco's paintings.

[SoCal Pubbie]

"Mel Gibson, star of action movies such as Braveheart and Mad Max, is considering casting himself as Jesus in a new film about the last days of Christ set in Matera, southern Italy."

Shouldn't that have been to be FILMED in Matera? I always thought Jesus spent his last days in Jerusalem.

[american colleen]

Isn't Mel a bit old to be playing a 33-year-old?

Mel is perfect for any role! C'mon!

This is terrific news because Mel's movies are attended by so many. Here is media, once again, oddly, working for God. I am assuming that Mel, as an orthodox Catholic, being conservative in politics and studing the life of Christ with Catholic theologians in Rome, is going to do this the way it should be done.

[xJones]

Isn't Mel a bit old to be playing a 33-year-old? And isn't he blue-eyed? What are they thinking?

That was exactly what I was thinking, except with contact lens and Hollywood make-up artists, it could work. Maybe he's just trying to do a statement of faith in front of the anti-Christian Hollywood crowd. In any event, to play the role of Jesus, you'd better be really good....

[Catholicguy]

Thanks for the suggestion. The last movie I went to was "April Love." I thought it brushed right up against pornography:)

I try to pattern my movie-going on that of Ignatius Reilly ("Confederacy of Dunces") who used to go the movies and scream at Doris Day (if I recall correctly)

[Paid4This]

A Reuters story this morning says that Gibson is only producing and as I remember possibly directing the film, and he wants Jim Caviezel to play Jesus. I believe this story contains some inaccuracies.

[saradippity]

It's almost too good to be true. A masculine Jesus with eyes that "light up" his face and of those who look at him too.Wow!!

Signs was a great movie.IMO.

[Paid4This]

Here's that story.

[Wm Bach]

Schwartzenegger or Clint Eastwood as Jesus then?

Nah, it's got to be someone who can pass as being under 30. Neither Mel, Ahhhnold, or Carmel's Mayor fill that bill. Maybe The Rock. (tho' shouldn't he play Peter?)

[NeoCaveman]

Maybe The Rock. (tho' shouldn't he play Peter?)

LOL. Naturally.

[Alberta's Child]

It's also interesting to note that at 6'-0" tall, Christ probably would have been at least six inches taller than the typical male of that period. I remember reading somewhere that His physical size was one of the things that made the Pharisees fear Him so much.

[jjm2111]

Do we need a movie on Jesus? At least it's not Brad Pitt playing Jesus.

[Orual]

Since Gibson has already been proclaimed a god, that takes care of Two of the Three Persons. Now we await the sequel, Gibson as the Holy Ghost.

[Green Knight]

Well, Mel definitely qualifies, then.

Suffice to say, I'm looking forward to this. I've seen very few movies based on the Bible which were any good. At least movies that were in theatres, anyway (The Prince of Egypt is one of my favorites, even though it was animated). Be nice to see one with a high-calibre actor like Mel Gibson in the lead.

As for the age, remember that Indiana Jones line? "It isn't the years, it's the mileage". Safe to say, despite the fact that he's in his 30's, Jesus has a lot more miles on him then the average modern-day 30something. So I don't see a problem with it.

[tang-soo]

Matera is a Unesco World Heritage site, famed for the Sassi, palaeolithic cave dwellings that were inhabited until recently.

This sentence says much more than readily apparent.

[Green Knight]

So Gibson WON'T be playing Jesus? Suddenly my enthusiasm for this movie has dropped like a stone.

For more info on Jim Caviezel and his work, go here.

Sorry, but I just don't see this guy as Jesus. And now that I recognize from a movie I've seen, I can't imagine his voice as the voice of Jesus, either.

[Consort]

With Anna Nicole Smith playing the part of Mary.

[SouthernFreebird]

Mel would be excellent.

[monkey]

Isn't Mel a bit old to be playing a 33-year-old?

Well, 33 is generally at the lower end of estimates of His age at crucifixion; He could have been in his late 30's (in John he was described as "not yet fifty"). The sun, and lack of SPF-50, probably made skin age quickly back then. And i'm sure Mel will sport a suitably dyed beard.

[Paid4This]

He was good in the recent remake of the Count of Monte Cristo - an underrated film in my opinion. At times, especially in the later Chateau d'If scenes, Caviezel exuded this sort of blissed out calm and resignation to his fate. It was an interesting performance, I could see him pulling off The Greatest Role. Also, if Gibson really wants him to play Christ, you can bank on it that Gibson thinks he would pull it off.

I'm a lot more interested in Gibson directing this movie. I wonder if he could pull off telling this story, with all the excitement and drama of Braveheart.

[Orual]

Best one-line review of a movie from Time:

Jeffrey Hunter in "King of Kings": I was a teenage Jesus.