[[Image:{{Infobox Film| name=The Passion of the Christ| image=The-passion-of-the-christ.jpg|rightcaption=Theatrical Poster|thumbdirector=[[Mel Gibson]]|200pxproducer=Bruce Davey<br>Mel Gibson<br>Stephen McEveety<br>Enzo Sisti|The Passion of the Christ theatrical poster.writer(s)=[[Benedict Fitzgerald]]<br>Mel Gibson| starring=[[Jim Caviezel|James Caviezel]]| music=John Debney| cinematography=Caleb Deschanel| editing=John Wright| distributor=Icon Productions| release date(s)=February 25, 2004| running time=127 min.| language=Aramaic}}
'''''The Passion of the Christ''''' was a movie produced by [[Mel Gibson]] and bankrolled with his own [[money]]. The film is based on the last 12 hours of the life of [[Jesus]], as read in the [[Gospels]]. Gibson felt that God wished him to make this movie as a "repayment" for the forgiveness of God.
Meanwhile, the Temple priests bring Jesus to the court of [[Pontius Pilate]], so that he may be crucified under [[Roman Law]]. Pilate angrily demands to know whether they always punish their prisoners before they are tried. But after Caiaphas declares that Jesus has declared Himself the Messiah, Pontius privately examines Him. He offers Jesus a goblet of wine, but Jesus, having vowed to no longer drink the fruit of the vine at the Last Supper, politely declines. Pilate asks whether He is the King of the Jews. Jesus responds that His kingdom is not of this world and that if it were, His servants would never let Him be handed over to His enemies. He further declares that all who hear the truth hear His voice. Pilate cynically retorts, "What is truth?"
Pilate returns to the crowd and orders the priests to bring Jesus before King Herod Antipas, because Jesus is a Nazarene, and thus one of Herod's subjects. Caiaphas angrily protests but grudgingly obeys. Herod is an effeminate bisexual, deeply impressed by reports of Jesus's miracles. But when Jesus remains silent and will not respond to his pleas to work "a little miracle for me," Herod mocks Him, laughing that Jesus is just "crazy." When the priests return him to Pilate, he is not pleased. He asks them what they feel a fair punishment would be, and the crowd, bribed by the Temple priests, scream out "Crucify him!" Pilate refuses, fearing that Jesus's follwers followers will revolt and that the ensuing bloodshed will turn the Emperor against him. Instead, he orders Jesus to be flogged, hoping that the sight will make Caiaphas and his cronies reconsider their desire for the [[death penalty]].
At a broken pillar, two Roman soldiers are to carry out the flagellation. They each pick up wooden rods and commence brtually striking Jesus on the back with them. He is bruised, bloodied, and beaten, and sinks to his knees. The Blessed Virgin, Mary Magdelene, and St. John all watch, utterly shattered. To everyone's astonishment, Jesus wills himself back to his feet, even after the beating has exhausted the guards. They angrily put down the rods and each pick up a cat-o-nine tails, and continue. This tears up Jesus' skin and flesh to the point where his left rib cage is visible. He seems on the point of death before Abenader, the centurion who will later become St. Ctesiphon, angrily orders the flogging to cease, saying that they were not authorized to scourge him to death. The soldiers grudgingly put down their whips and release Jesus, but they have to drag him away because he is in so much physical agony.
Jesus is seen in a barn-like room, sitting against a wooden post. The two Roman soldiers who flogged him drive a crown of thorns into his scalp and spit on him. He is given a red soldier's cloak and mockingly treated with royal homage. "Hail, King of the Worms," laughs one of the guards. Jesus is then brought back to Pontius Pilate. He is disgusted by how badly beaten Jesus is. He asks the rioting crowds if they are satisfied, but Caiaphas demands more. He still demands that Jesus be crucified. In a last ditch effort to make the whole crisis go away, Pilate forces Caiaphas to choose between the release of a "notorious murderer" named Barabbas and clemency for Jesus. Caiaphas is so filled with hatred for Jesus that he cries "Release Barabbas!" Pilate disgustedly washes his hands of the whole affair and declares, "I am innocent of this man's blood." He orders Abenader to do as Caiaphas demands.
We then see Jesus walking between two other thieves being crucified. The two beside him are tied to just a part of their cross--Jesus cross—Jesus has to carry his own huge cross. Jesus embraces His cross, prompting mockery from one of the thieves. As he walks with it, he is endlessly beaten and yelled at by the crowds and the Roman soldiers alike. The Blessed Virgin, Mary Magdelene, and St. John follow him.
Down a small alleyway, Jesus trips and falls with the cross. The cross crushes him, Mary runs up to her son, flashing back to a time when he fell as a small child. As she reaches him she tries to comfort him, saying, "I'm here." Jesus looks at her, and wills himself up to carry his cross, and, quoting the Book of Isaiah declares "Behold, Mother, I make all things new." He stands up and continues on his way.
==Reaction==
Gibson was not even able to find a major distributor for his film. For a year before the movie was even released, and well before it was first previewed or seen, attacks on the movie began starting with a ''New York Times'' story attacking Gibson's father in March 2003. This turned out to be coupled with personal attacks on Mel Gibson with such titles as "Krazy Mel" and more attacks on his father and on Gibson's choice of church to worship. Calls to Gibson to denounce his father for his views, most famously in the Diane Sawyer television interview, were ignored by him. The ''New York Times'' continued with an ongoing campaign against Mel Gibson and his family.<ref>http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E00E4D61F3CF93AA35750C0A9659C8B63</ref><ref> http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2003/9/20/215906.shtml</ref><ref>http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A06E6D8133EF931A3575BC0A9659C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=2</ref> Nevertheless, the movie went on to be a blockbuster grossing over $370 million in the U.S. and over $600 million worldwide,<ref>http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=passionofthechrist.htm</ref> an especially unheard of showing for the time of the year it was released. Cries of [[anti-Semitism]] were largely silenced as people saw the movie. With so many critics denouncing the movie without having seen it, Mel did an end around and went directly to church pastors, who were almost unanimously supportive and told their congregations.<ref>http://www.sharethepassionofthechrist.com/links/Endorsements.pdf</ref> The movie had more pre-ticket sales than any film in history.<ref>https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0335345/trivia</ref> Monetarily, it was the most successful Christian film ever.<ref>http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=passionofthechrist.htm</ref>
Nevertheless, the movie went on to be a blockbuster grossing over $370 million in the U.S. and over $600 million worldwide<ref>http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=passionofthechrist.htm</ref>, an especially unheard of showing for the time of the year For Mel Gibson it was releaseda personal affair. Cries of [[antiThick-Semitism]] were largely silenced as people saw skinned by the movie. With so many critics denouncing nature of the movie without having seen itbusiness, Mel he still did an end around and went directly to church pastors, who were almost unanimously supportive and told their congregations.<ref>http://www.sharethepassionofthechrist.com/links/Endorsements.pdf</ref>. The movie had more pre-ticket sales than any film in history.<ref>http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0335345/trivia</ref> Monetarily, it was not expect the most successful Christian film evervirulent attacks.<ref>http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=passionofthechrist.htm</ref>
For Mel Gibson it was a personal affair. Thick-skinned by the nature of the business, he still did not expect the virulent attacks. For the star, [[Jim Caviezel]], it meant being blackballed. While blockbusters usually make people's careers, for Caviezel it though he has been hard to find anything more than minor rolesnot starred in major films, as of 2018 he is co-star of the CBS television show ''Person of Interest''.
==References==
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