Posted on 09/21/2002 12:32:58 PM PDT by ex-Texan
Language 'no barrier' for Gibson's New Jesus Christ Movie - in Latin
Mel Gibson is set to direct a movie about Christ's last 12 hours played out entirely in two ancient tongues - Latin and Aramaic - with no subtitles.
The formula hardly sounds like the recipe for a hit movie but Gibson thinks language should be no barrier for the film, titled Passion.
"For me that's more real and hopefully I'll be able to transcend language barriers with filmic storytelling," Gibson said.
"It's very visual and it's about something that has ... affected civilisation in every possible way you can imagine," the 46-year-old actor, a devout Catholic, added.
But Gibson, a perennial Hollywood favourite with lead roles in the hit Lethal Weapon series, Braveheart and more recently Signs, acknowledged his choice of languages for the new film was causing headaches as far as US distributors were concerned.
"No-one wants to touch something in two dead languages. They think I'm insane, maybe I am," joked Gibson, who was born in New York but grew up in Australia.
The abolition of the Latin mass was one of the key reforms adopted in the 1960s by the Second Vatican Council, which sought to bring the liturgy closer to ordinary people.
But Gibson is very much of the old school and a Latin service is still held at the private chapel of his California home.
He also had some sharp words for the modern-day Catholic Church, rocked this year by allegations of child abuse.
"It's very easy to be shaken these days faith-wise. All this kind of paedophilia stuff in the United States, it's hard to hang on to a foundation with this stuff going on," he said.
Shooting will switch between the famous Cinecitta studios just outside Rome and cave-riddled Matera in southern Italy.
Gibson acknowledged he was filming "in the shadow of the dome" but brushed aside questions on whether the Vatican would approve of the film.
"I don't know what they like these days," he said, adding his priority was to make a credible film.
"Many people have told the story but ... it's like looking at it from the wrong end of the telescope, I mean Jesus either suffers from bad hair or it's inaccurate or you don't believe it," he said.
But Gibson, who turned down Martin Scorsese's offer of playing Jesus, has once again shied away from the role, giving it to Jim Caviezel, star of The Count of Monte Cristo and High Crimes.
"There's two things I wouldn't do on film and I said this when I was in my 20s - I will never play myself if it ever comes to that and I will never play Jesus."
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I don't see how this will work. It may be the greatest film ever made, but most of the world won't know what is being said.
How can you convey theology or fulfilled prophesy through just actions without words?
Latin??? Why not Greek?
Salve!
I already know the story, would love to hear it in the languages of the day.
I never understand what they are saying in opera, and only half of what's said in rock, so...I'm open to it.
I expect Mel will throw a little Greek in the mix, as it also was a language of commerce in the Holy Land.
He's a ballsy fellow, that Mel.
Anybody who has ever sat through readings of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John on Sundays, voluntarily or not, will know what is being said.
It won't reach 1 billion Hindus without subtitles though.
Very interesting, and potentially brilliant. Sure sounds like he's bending over backward to avoid the cliches -- both spoken and visual -- Hollywood usually uses to deaden the story of Christ. I'll gladly pay to see it, no matter what the critics say. A visionary deserves his reward.
Not to be trite, but 1 billion Hindus are probably not the target market.
As long as the film recoups the 100+ million dollars it cost to make it, it will be considered a success. Considering how well family-oriented films do at the box office (Shrek, Toy Story, etc.) there is a huge appetite for family-friendly entertainment. Whether the crucifixion will be considered family-friendly or not is yet to be seen, but if the intention is to portray the last twelve hourse of the life of Christ as realistically as possible, it may well appeal to the family audience.
But I'd be very surprised if Greek was not the language used to communicate between Jews and Romans.
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