Faith, Hope, Love and Forgiveness’

[ELVIS]

Mel Gibson Tackles Passion Controversy, and Despair That Spurred His Faith

Feb. 14 — Critics fear Mel Gibson's upcoming film, The Passion of the Christ, could be a too-bloody retelling of Jesus' final hours, and potentially could stoke the fires of anti-Semitism.

But Gibson tells Diane Sawyer in an exclusive interview — airing Monday at 10 p.m. ET on ABCNEWS' Primetime — that those who accuse him, or the film he directed, of sparking anti-Semitism avoid the central point he hoped to make.

"I don't want people to make it about the blame game," Gibson says. "It's about faith, hope, love and forgiveness. That's what this film is about. It's about Christ's sacrifice."

‘Height of Spiritual Bankruptcy’

Gibson tells Sawyer that ultimately he was moved to depict Jesus' sacrifice on film after reaching "the height of spiritual bankruptcy" himself more than a decade ago. Things got so bad that he says he once contemplated hurling himself out a window.

Instead, he turned to the Bible.

"I think I just hit my knees," Gibson says. "I just said, 'Help.' You know? And then, I began to meditate on it, and that's in the Gospel. I read all those again. I remember reading bits of them when I was younger."

"Pain is the precursor to change, which is great," Gibson says. "That's the good news."

Gibson's renewed faith will be on display for moviegoers to see starting Feb. 25, Ash Wednesday, when The Passion, his Aramaic- and Latin-language film depicting the final 12 hours of Jesus' life, debuts in theaters.

Gibson insists on Primetime he is no anti-Semite, and that anti-Semitism is "un-Christian" and a sin that "goes against the tenets of my faith."

When asked who killed Jesus, Gibson says, "The big answer is, we all did. I'll be the first in the culpability stakes here."

Critics have worried the movie's depiction of the Jewish role in the death of Jesus could encourage anti-Semitism. But Gibson tells Sawyer he simply tried his best to interpret the Gospels in The Passion of the Christ.

[Little Texan]

I'm going to go see that out of sheer curiousity...to see what all the fuss is about, as I'm sure millions of other people are going to do for the same reason. I'll bet this ends up being the highest grossing indy movie of all time. Those that are hollering "anti-semitism" are only peaking the curiousity of more people, and thus helping the film do even better at the box office. I'm not a religious person, and I doubt seeing this film is going to change my views on Christianity, but I still want to see it to see what the big deal is about it.

[ELVIS]

Cool...

[Elitest]

Little T is prob right

[alexpgrimes]

I heard that it was in another language.. I hope you like subtitles.

[twonabomber]

i heard it's in another language WITHOUT subtitles.

[Little Texan]

I know he's shooting for realism by having the central figures talk in the same tongue as the people in that region at the time, but shit, how are you going to be able to understand what they're saying without the subtitles?

[alexpgrimes]

You could always do what the do in Mystery Science Threater 3000 where they make new lines in the movie.. I'm sure it would be much more entertaining that way.

[Seshmeister]

The anti semite thing is a nonsense.

At the time various Jewish factions were fighting with each other and I think that's what the film reflects.

I heard the original idea was not to have subtitles but they have them now.

Cheers!

[Panamark]

Jesus Christ !!
What about Lethal Weapon 5, Mel ???

J/K, I will probably watch this too, I check out most of
Mel's stuff.

[KANE]

IT'LL be good...

[Ally_Kat]

MEL'S FLICK DIVINE: FANS

By IKIMULISA LIVINGSTON, HEIDI SINGER, HEATHER GILMORE and WILLIAM NEUMAN

February 24, 2004 -- Hundreds of New Yorkers got a sneak preview of Mel Gibson's controversial movie, "The Passion of the Christ," yesterday - leaving many deeply moved and in tears, but some taken aback by the film's gory violence.
"I'd give it 10 stars. It's one of the best movies I've ever seen in my life," said Maritza Castro, 32, who had tears streaming down her face as she left a preview screening for church groups at the Magic Johnson Theater in Harlem.

"I knew from the Bible that he did take a beating. I didn't know how intense," she said.

"The movie just . . . made me feel like I was part of that crowd [at the crucifixion], like I was there . . . So much so that my chest is just caved in. It's awesome."

Tom Schoenherr, 48, an assistant dean at Fordham Law School, attended a screening sponsored by the American Bible Society at the Loews 84th Street Theater on the Upper West Side.

"Having read the story, to see a dramatic portrayal of it was just amazing," Schoenherr said.

He said he wept during scenes showing Mary's devotion to Jesus, but there were also times he had to avert his eyes from the often-bloody depiction of the last hours of Jesus' life.



"The story is about someone who was murdered in a horrific way. It's not a pretty thing. But it was an accurate portrayal and extremely effective," he said.

Peter Trautmann, 32, a campus minister from Manhattan, said the movie was "excellent, overwhelming."

"I cried through much of it," he said. "It's a very accurate, powerful, visceral experience."

The movie, which officially opens tomorrow, shows Jesus repeatedly beaten by Jewish temple guards and Roman soldiers, with a bloody focus on a lengthy scourging that leaves his body covered with deep lacerations.

Jesus, played by actor James Caviezel, is beaten more as he drags a cross through the streets, and the intensity of the violence escalates when he is crucified.

Yanira Gonzalez, 39, hugged her husband, Pete, outside the Magic Johnson Theater.

"It was very powerful. If you don't know Jesus, by the time you finish watching this movie, you definitely will," she said.

"It wasn't [overly] violent. If you read the Bible, you'll see that he [Gibson] went by that. If the Bible had had pictures, it would have been just like that."

But several people said they were shocked by the graphic violence and gore.

"I think it's more violent than the biblical texts indicate," said Gene Habecker, 57, president of the Bible Society, which gave away 8,000 tickets for regularly scheduled screenings of the film.

He said he was concerned by what he saw as "gratuitous violence in the movie," but added that the film will help spark religious discussion and exploration.

At a screening at the Regal Battery Park Theaters, the Rev. Earl Kooperkamp, 47, of St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Harlem, said, "It was way too Hollywood. The production was too violent and over the top."

At the Loews 84th Street, Manhattanite Yaniv Moyal, 36, called the film "a missed opportunity."

"All they concentrated on was how he died, which was really brutal and vicious," Moyal said. "I expected to see more of his teaching, more of his wisdom. We didn't see it. It was all about the brutal killing of a person."

Moyal, who is Jewish, said he did not think the film was anti-Semitic, saying, "It's Jews killing a Jew. How many Christians have killed Christians in history?"

Many Jewish leaders and some Christian scholars have warned the movie could fuel anti-Semitism by the way it portrays the Jewish priests and a Jewish mob clamoring for Jesus' death.

"I'm walking out of there very confused, awe-stricken and full of questions. Questions like: Is this biblical truth? How accurate is it?" said Raul Rojas, 34, a Queens resident who runs a Christian Web site.

"I can see where people would see it as anti-Semitic, [such as the scene] where everyone is shouting, 'Crucify him!'

"If you don't come in there with a strong biblical background, I can see where Jewish folks would say it could be misinterpreted," said Rojas, who added that he still liked the movie and wept during much of it.

Despite all the hype, some people came away unimpressed.

"It's average and not a quality film. I'm left wondering what was Mel Gibson's point," said Sam Smith, 24, a Manhattan teacher. "He tried to make it very deep, but I didn't see it."

[Ally_Kat]

"I'm walking out of there very confused, awe-stricken and full of questions. Questions like: Is this biblical truth? How accurate is it?" said Raul Rojas, 34, a Queens resident who runs a Christian Web site.

okay, you run a Christian website which means you must be familiar with the topic, and you are asking if it's biblical truth? Am I the only one who finds that a lil funny?

[Eyes of the Night]

"If the movie is in subtitle then I'll wait for the DVD ..." - Eyes from DLRArmy.com

[Seshmeister]

Originally posted by Ally_Kat


"I knew from the Bible that he did take a beating. I didn't know how intense," she said.

But she does now because Mel put it in his film?

Fiction based on faction...