Posted on 06/27/2003 1:46:48 PM PDT by DPB101
Actor Used Personal Fortune To Finance Filming
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."
Matera, the crucifixion.
The cross is on the edge of the canyon. On the background, a part of the Sassi.
In an interview on the New York Daily News, Gibson said about the town of Matera: "Certain sections of the city are 2,000 years old, and the architecture, the blocks of stone, the surrounding areas and rocky terrain added a vista and backdrop that we [used] to create the backdrops for our lavish sets of Jerusalem. We relied heavily on the look that was there. In fact, the first time I saw it, I just went crazy, because it was so perfect."
I see your point (for the resurrection is definitely essential).
But if you want to grab people deep down and show how much God loves them, then the crucifixion beats the resurrection hands down.
To die like that, with the guilt of the world laid on your shoulders, is the better measure of God's love.
The resurrection, by comparison, was a much easier gig.
Piasa
I do try to keep up on the daily Mel Gibson/The Passion posts, but sometimes (gasp!) I miss one or two. May I request joining your ping list?
Many (grateful) thanks!
I do try to keep up on the daily Mel Gibson/The Passion posts, but sometimes (gasp!) I miss one or two. May I request joining your ping list?
Many (grateful) thanks!
Go to:
Punch in:
"Mel Gibson"
The quotation marks are important. Don't leave them out.
Wait for the search to complete.
Then, at the top of the google toolbar click:
"web"
Then....click on "News" and drag and drop it on your toolbar
After that, you can find the lastest on Mel or anything else you choose with one click. This assumes you have google on your toolbar. If not, go to the google homepage and find out how to put it there (very easy, drag and drop).
My problem now is I have ten hot buttom items on my toolbar ready for a google news search...difficult to remember which is which.
btw..after working a real job to support all those kids, he was a drummer...a very good drummer...in demand today.
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