The Passion Of The Christ

[Pedro]

mmmm.

[cron]

The nose says it all:   Jezuz was da king of da Jewz.

[cine]

Aide: Pope did not endorse Gibson film

ROME, Italy (Reuters) -- In the latest twist in a saga involving the Vatican and Mel Gibson's controversial film about the death of Christ, Pope John Paul II's closest aide has denied reports the pontiff had praised the film's Biblical accuracy.

Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz, the pope's long-time private secretary, told the Catholic News Service Monday: "The Holy Father told no one of his opinion of this film."

In the past seven weeks, major world media organizations have written reports based on Church sources saying the pope liked the film and that he told aides that it was an accurate portrayal of Biblical accounts of Christ's final hours.

"The Passion of the Christ" is based on Gospel narratives and contains dialogue only in Latin, Hebrew and Aramaic, the vernacular of ancient Palestine. It opens on Ash Wednesday, February 25.

The movie, which covers the final 12 hours in the life of Jesus Christ, has come under fire from some Jewish groups that fear its story could foment anti-Semitism because it portrays Jewish authorities as largely responsible for Christ's death.

Dziwisz issued his denial after weeks of reports that the pope had told aides after seeing the film: "It is as it was."

Dziwisz told Catholic News Service: "The Holy Father saw the film privately in his apartment, but gave no declaration to anyone. He does not make judgments on art of this kind. He leaves that to others, to experts."

Supporters had seen the words attributed to the pope as an endorsement of the film's Biblical accuracy, but some Jews worried that they could harm Roman Catholic-Jewish relations.

On Sunday, columnist Frank Rich of the New York Times, who is Jewish, accused the film's producers of "roping him (the pope) into a publicity campaign to sell a movie."

Vatican spokesmen have repeatedly declined officially to confirm or deny the numerous reports over the past month.

Some Catholic and other Christian groups have defended the film, saying it sticks closely to accounts of the crucifixion as told in the New Testament.

The film has been shown to a select audience of Catholic officials in several private screenings in recent weeks.

Many Vatican officials have seen it in whole or part and have rejected charges that it is anti-Semitic.

Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos, head of the Vatican department in charge of priests, said in September: "I would gladly trade some of the homilies that I have given about the passion of Christ for even a few of the scenes of his film."

Gibson reportedly paid $20 million to $25 million of his own money to make the movie, but despite his status as a top box office draw and Oscar winner, Hollywood's major studios shied away from distributing it because of the controversy.

Gibson is a member of a traditionalist Roman Catholic group that rejects some of the reforms of the Second Vatican Council and still uses the old-style Latin Mass.

[modage]

"The Holy Father saw the film privately in his apartment, but gave no declaration to anyone. He does not make judgments on art of this kind. He leaves that to others, to experts."

well HOLY SHIT!  if HE aint an expert on the subject, who is?!!?

[cron]

"The Holy Father saw the film privately in his apartment, but gave no declaration to anyone. He does not make judgments on art of this kind. He leaves that to others, to experts."

well HOLY SHIT!  if HE aint an expert on the subject, who is?!!?

i think he meant theologists ,antropologists, historians ...

on the subject, here's a book worth reading

[SoNowThen]

I'm guessing he meant cinema experts...

[modage]

I'm guessing he meant cinema experts...

yeah i think he did too. but i was kidding.

[cron]

oh...  

[MacGuffin]

Gibson: 'Worst to come' over 'Passion'

ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) -- The controversy that has followed Mel Gibson's film about the death of Christ could be persecution or just inspired publicity, but the film-maker himself predicted "the worst is yet to come" on Wednesday at a meeting with 4,500 evangelical Christian pastors.

A day after reports that a high Vatican official denied that Pope John Paul gave a thumbs up to his film, "The Passion of the Christ," Gibson prepared to show it to another hand-picked audience, this time the Global Pastors Network conference meeting in Orlando.

As with past screenings, media were barred, as were Jewish groups worried that the film could incite anti-Semitism if it suggests Jewish authorities in Jerusalem 2,000 years ago were largely responsible for the crucifixion of the man Christians worship as the incarnation of God.

On Tuesday, an aide to the pope denied media reports that the pontiff had praised the film's Biblical accuracy, saying, "The Holy Father told no one of his opinion of this film."

Gibson did not mention the Vatican denial when he addressed the pastors. He thanked them for their prayers, but warned, somewhat ominously, "I anticipate the worst is yet to come. I hope I'm wrong. I hope I'm wrong."

Gibson said the film gestated in his imagination for 12 years as he meditated on the gospel stories of a God who became human so he could pay the price for human sin.

"He could have done it by pricking his finger and shedding a little blood. He didn't; he wanted to go all the way," Gibson said.

While Gibson thanked the pastors for their support, his publicity director, Paul Lauer, urged them to send youth groups to the R-rated flick when it opens on February 25 on 2,000 screens in the United States.

The rating, apparently based on the graphic depiction of the crucifixion, means those under age 17 must be accompanied by a parent or adult guardian.

Lauer predicted that if the film posts good numbers on its opening weekend, "I think there'll be a lot of powerful people in Hollywood saying, 'Somebody get me a Jesus picture.' "

[Chest Rockwell]

Man, this will either do really well because of the controversy, or do really bad. I kinda hope it does well; Mel seems passionate about it, and that's enough for me to back a movie, assuming it won't be a major piece of shit.

[Myxo]

Man, this will either do really well because of the controversy, or do really bad. I kinda hope it does well; Mel seems passionate about it, and that's enough for me to back a movie, assuming it won't be a major piece of shit.

It will make over 100 million.

Much more than that I'm not sure. There is an audience for 100 million though for sure.

[Ghostboy]

I love that new poster. Not so much the trailer, but again it's just commercializing it. I still love the original R-rated trailer from last year.

So you have me and SoNowThen and a few others who have hopes for this movie, and then everyone else who expects it to be terrible. Hopefully there will be some good debates here a month from now...

[SoNowThen]

I wasn't gonna say anything, but I had a chance to see this last week. I turned it down.

Some church folks got a temp print (I think everything was done except opening credits, and music), and invited a whole whack of people to screen it. My parents went. My Dad, whose taste is suspect, but if you keep him talking long enough will usually yield an intelligent discussion, seemed very --- I dunno -- normal with it. He definitely thought it was good. But we talked about it again today, and it seems like he just has nothing to say about it. But he did mention there's nothing cheesy about it, it seems pretty well made, etc etc.

Any any rate, I'm gonna wait to see it in theatres with everyone else. I've had the pain of trying to show people my rough cuts, and all you wanna do is explain "this and this will change, I know it doesn't work", so I gave old Mel the benefit of the doubt, and will see the best version he has to offer.

On a parting note, Pop said he felt the crucifiction in Last Temptation was oddly more effective. I guess in this one, Jesus stays clothed, which is of course, balony. So I dunno, you can show a man getting whipped nearly to death, but no cock shot? But I chalk it up to the fact that, had Mel had 7 years, and infinite amounts of money, he couldn't shoot anything that would come close to the power and grace that Marty could come up with in a day.

So it remains to be seen. I hope it's good...

[Chest Rockwell]

So you have me and SoNowThen and a few others who have hopes for this movie, and then everyone else who expects it to be terrible. Hopefully there will be some good debates here a month from now...

I'm with you, Ghostboy

[Pubrick]

Hopefully there will be some good debates here a month from now...

yeah as long as everyone doesn't subconsciously make it about butt sex again. sheesh.