Filmmaker Mel Gibson’s astonishingly graphic portrayal of Christ’s last night and day on earth is an impressive feat, particularly in its faithfulness in using the original Aramaic and Latin languages for its dialogue, with English subtitles. Jim Caviezel gives a more than convincing performance as the divine messiah overcome with fear and dread, trapped in a human body and knowing the unsparing brutality he will endure in his last hours leading up to his barbaric crucifixion. Monica Bellucci and Maia Morgenstern are exceptional as Mary Magdalene and the Virgin Mary, respectively. The movie was a huge box office hit but left critics as well as religious leaders evenly divided, many praising the picture’s unswerving authenticity and others chastising Gibson for the unflagging bloodbath that seemed to ignore some of the more transcendental aspects of Jesus’ spiritual journey. Some even felt vague hints of anti-semitism surfaced in broad caricatures of the treacherous Jewish leaders of the time.
“At its best, The Passion of the Christ is an inspired film, and inspired in the best sense, by a sincere faith and a desire to express and share that faith. Writer-director Mel Gibson’s recounting of Jesus’ last hours on earth is filled with many details of a kind that can come only after long contemplation.” – Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
