Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ

Mel Gibson’s highly controversial film on the last 12 hours of the life of Jesus opens today, Ash Wednesday. Reaction to the film is about as varied and passionate as such things get – we have reviews, news and thoughts collected here:

Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ: A Moneychanger in the Temple of the Arts
Gibson means every Word, but sincerity isn’t everything.
Posted in Blogcritics on March 18, 2004 08:57 PM

Mel Gibson’s Passion
Perhaps Mel Gibson’s Passion won’t launch anti-Jewish pogroms in the United States, but what effect will his film on a on movie-goers in other parts of the world?
Posted in Blogcritics on March 13, 2004 08:09 AM

The Passion of The Christ: triumph
Unmitigated triumph: that’s what Mel Gibson has achieved with The Passion of The Christ.
Posted in Blogcritics on March 8, 2004 06:14 PM

The Passion Of The Christ
My first review as a Blog Critic written on The Passion of The Christ from an unapologetically Christian point of view.
Posted in Blogcritics on March 8, 2004 04:57 PM

In the footsteps of the Gibsonian Male, and the Shakshooka recipe
1. Since the blogosphere rages now with this crucial question, What chapter and from which Testament — mind you, in my humble opinion there is only one Testament, the other is plain Bible — So the question is, from where…
Posted in Blogcritics on March 8, 2004 11:58 AM

Gibson’s Inspiration?
It’s a joke, son!!
Posted in Blogcritics on March 8, 2004 11:08 AM

The Passion Of The Christ
Just what we all want and need; another review of Passion…
Posted in Blogcritics on March 8, 2004 11:07 AM

Old Testament Film Next for Gibson?
While still officially attached to the fourth film in the Mad Max franchise, Mel Gibson has dropped hints recently that his next movie could be an adaptation of an Old Testament story:The first rumor flitting through the evangelical world is…
Posted in Blogcritics on March 7, 2004 04:12 PM

The Passion Of The Christ
I can count no less than three times during this film where I was doing all I could to choke back tears. And I’m agnostic!
Posted in Blogcritics on March 6, 2004 12:00 AM

The Duke De Mondo On The Passion Of The Christ
The Duke De Mondo waxes filmic with regards Braveheart’s Killing The Messiah, the follow up to the Oscar winning Killing The English And Wearing Kilts.
Posted in Blogcritics on March 5, 2004 08:00 PM

The Passion of the Christ (movie review) Powerful visual poetry
In which ol’ Al tries valiantly to review the actual movie up on the flippin’ screen without shoehorning every danged political, social and religious agenda into the deal
Posted in Blogcritics on March 5, 2004 02:13 AM

THE PASSION OVER “THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST”
After all the controversy and debate over this movie, I am at a loss as to what the fuss is all about….
Posted in Blogcritics on March 4, 2004 11:39 PM

Talk about The Passion
I don’t know why I was surprised that yet another story about Jesus won’t die. A week has gone by since the opening of The Passion of The Christ, and tonight I had the misfortune to hear Pat Robertson and…
Posted in Blogcritics on March 4, 2004 02:25 AM

Spielberg & Gibson: Two Men, Two Films
Why can’t today’s foremost Holocaust-awareness advocate speak out against the anti-Semitism of The Passion of the Christ?
Posted in Blogcritics on March 4, 2004 01:48 AM

The Passion of The Christ
I think TIME put it best with the title “The goriest story ever told” (March 2004 issue). It is the goriest story ever told, and Mel Gibson made sure it was shown in full detail.
Posted in Blogcritics on March 3, 2004 06:56 AM

The Passion Of The Christ
I’m glad I’m finally through with The Passion Of The Christ, I must say. There were some parts that were hard to watch, and I had to turn my head away, especially when they knocked Jesus’ hands against the cross….
Posted in Blogcritics on March 2, 2004 05:40 PM

“Number of the Beast” Stalks Passion
If the lightning strikes on the film set weren’t Sign enough from the Almighty, then surely this is: The number 666, which many Christians recognize as the “mark of the beast,” is appearing on movie tickets for Gibson’s film at…
Posted in Blogcritics on March 2, 2004 01:59 PM

The Passion of My Christ
By request, here follows my review of The Passion of The Christ. As a disclaimer, I am a Christian of over slightly more than one short year and am no expert. Instead, I count on God working within my heart…
Posted in Blogcritics on March 1, 2004 08:10 PM

Mel Gibson takes it easy on the Jews
Gibson could not have made an honest presentation of the source material that showed the Jews more favorably than what he did.
Posted in Blogcritics on March 1, 2004 06:02 PM

Safire Slams Passion: “The bloodiest, most brutal example of sustained sadism ever presented on the screen”
Okay, back to Mel: the NY Times remains consistent in its disapproval of The Passion. Conservative commentator William Safire sees the fim as inflaming anti-Semitism: The word “passion” is rooted in the Latin for “suffer.” Mel Gibson’s movie about the…
Posted in Blogcritics on March 1, 2004 12:01 PM

The Passion appeals to the unwary
Another type of defender hails from the ‘it is just a movie’ school of thought.
Posted in Blogcritics on March 1, 2004 01:31 AM

“Passion” is the Last Refuge of Scoundrels
Governor John Rowland, R-Connecticut, who is under criminal investigation for robbing the state blind, praised “The Passion of the Christ” on Sunday.
Posted in Blogcritics on February 29, 2004 07:27 PM

Nasty, Brutish And Anything But Short
TOH & I went to see The Passion of the Christ last night. Neither one of us is a devout Christian, but we were both quite curious. I have some comments about both the film and the (pre-)reaction to it….
Posted in Blogcritics on February 29, 2004 02:34 PM

The Violent Passion of The Christ
The Passion of The Christ relies on violence, violence and more violence to get an emotional response from the audience.
Posted in Blogcritics on February 29, 2004 07:26 AM

How to Get Yourself Killed At The Passion of Christ
Start up a chorus of “Always Looking On the Bright Side of Life” as the movie wanes.
Posted in Blogcritics on February 29, 2004 12:54 AM

A Catholic Tells Mel “No”
I told you the NY Times is not digging Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ. Today they have a Catholic writer, Mary Gordon, voicing her displeasure with the movie: I can look at “The Passion of the Christ” only…
Posted in Blogcritics on February 28, 2004 07:31 PM

Blood and Boys
I freely admit that’s an ugly, sensationalistic title, but what an interesting coincidence that two reports on child molestation by Catholic priests were released today, just two days after Mel Gibson’s deeply “Catholic” bloodbath of a film about the last…
Posted in Blogcritics on February 27, 2004 04:42 PM

Mel Gibson defends his Passion of the Christ on Tonight Show
LOS ANGELES (news) – Mel Gibson said Thursday that his film “The Passion of the Christ” was unfairly prejudged for a year before its release — but he forgives his critics. Gibson told Jay Leno on NBC’s “The Tonight Show”…
Posted in Blogcritics on February 27, 2004 03:38 PM

White Lamb Down
A recent poll found that 2/3 of Americans favor public executions. Right now, millions are paying for the privilege of witnessing one at cinemas around the country.
Posted in Blogcritics on February 26, 2004 10:32 PM

The Passion of the Bloggers
Judith Weiss has just about everything you could want to know about The Passion of the Christ.” Shockingly, no British people get their asses kicked in this movie… but then, Mel Gibson isn’t actually starring in this one. On a…
Posted in Blogcritics on February 26, 2004 01:00 PM

The Passion: NY Times Squeeze Play
The NY Times’ view of Mel Gibson’s new film The Passion is clearly not a positive one. Not even talking into account their reviewer’s mostly negative reation, the paper catches Gibson in something of a “hammer and anvil” squeeze between…
Posted in Blogcritics on February 26, 2004 10:31 AM

WISDOM FROM TEXAS
Who woulda thunk it? A wise Texan — and one with a law degree, no less. Commenting on yesterday’s item, Blood Money, a former federal assistant prosecutor from Houston writes: “I’m not certain I agree with your characterization of ‘The…
Posted in Straight Up on February 26, 2004 10:25 AM

The Passion: A Review
The story is highy moving to people. Despite all that is done to Jesus, he still prays to his father to forgive his torturers. Even as lashes rip into his skin, he begs for the Heavenly Father to forgive them.
Posted in Blogcritics on February 26, 2004 08:43 AM

The Passion of the Christ
This is, honestly, one of the most powerful films I’ve ever seen… [Edit] Posted in Blogcritics on February 26, 2004 03:50 AM

Cashing In On Christ
You’ve seen the movie, but do you have the witness card, lapel pin, original soundtrack, and coffee mug? [Edit] Posted in Blogcritics on February 26, 2004 12:18 AM

Thanks, Mel!
Way to go, you bonehead! [Edit] Posted in Blogcritics on February 25, 2004 09:30 PM

Mel Gibson’s Passionate Hatred For Jews
Mel Gibson is on a mission – and not from God – to make a movie so violent in nature that to not be driven to madness over the death of Christ would be impossible.
Posted in Blogcritics on February 25, 2004 01:27 PM

BLOOD MONEY
Is it safe to say that anyone who buys a ticket to “The Passion of the Christ” is paying Mel Gibson blood money? Whether the term is defined as 1) “compensation paid to the family of a murdered person,” or…
Posted in Straight Up on February 25, 2004 10:28 AM

~SPOILER ALERT~ It’s just like the Book
Is the movie Anti-Semitc? I don’t know – is the Bible?
Posted in Blogcritics on February 25, 2004 10:14 AM

The Friday Morning Listen – Ash Wednesday Edition
…or maybe the Mel Gibson Edition. [Edit] Posted in Blogcritics on February 25, 2004 09:33 AM

Our Passion
So today is the big day. Ash Wednesday and the official opening of Mel Gibson’s the Passion. I’ve heard all the arguments and noted the following: Some people are against anything biblical or religion and will find fault no matter…
Posted in Blogcritics on February 25, 2004 03:58 AM

“The Passion” – A Review for Jews
I went to see “The Passion” tonight, and I would like point out a few things to those of you considering seeing it. First, on an entertainment level, it isn’t much of a movie in the traditional sense, so if… [Edit] Posted in Blogcritics on February 24, 2004 02:22 PM

The Passion: “Religious splatter art film”?
Wow, you don’t often see reviews this passionately disparate and disparately passionate, and the line – I guess predictably – seems to be drawn between believers and nonbelievers: “One of the cruelest movies in the history of cinema,” says the…
Posted in Blogcritics on February 24, 2004 11:35 AM

Mel Gibson and The Passion of the Christ – Don’t shoot the messenger
In essence then, people are demanding that Gibson place a loyalty to modern liberal political values ahead of his belief in Jesus Christ. Make your representation of the Bible fit in with what we want to hear.
Posted in Blogcritics on February 24, 2004 12:18 AM

The Critics Speak
Advance reviews of The Passion of Christ by people who have actually seen it.
Posted in Blogcritics on February 22, 2004 06:31 PM

Monitoring Mel
I have no particular preconceptions going into the frenzy over Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ film. I think he has been great in any number of movies and I do not minimize his talents as a director. I…
Posted in Blogcritics on February 21, 2004 04:14 PM

Gibson film contretempts continue
. . .For the record, both Alberto Michelini and Navarro are members of Opus Dei.
— Vatican reporter John Allen
Posted in Blogcritics on February 20, 2004 07:36 AM

The Greatest Jesus Movie Ever Made
You’d think the Jesus Genre would be a goldmine of cinematic quality –after all, the story basically writes itself. But you would be wrong. [Edit] Posted in Blogcritics on February 19, 2004 12:14 PM

Mel Gibson’s Passion
Two nights ago Mel Gibson was interviewed by Diane Sawyer on ABC’s “Primetime” about his new movie the ‘Passion’, scheduled to open Ash Wednesday, Feb. 25th. Mel has received an incredible amount of flak for his new movie including accusations…
Posted in Blogcritics on February 18, 2004 04:45 PM

“Last Temptation of Christ” deja vu – pray tell, have we traveled this path before?
Mel Gibson’s fabricated “The Passion of the Christ” controversy is reminiscent of 1988 Martin Scorsese classic……
Posted in Blogcritics on February 17, 2004 01:58 PM

Lethal Jesus
The Pope probably did say something like, “It is as it was.” Big whip. The Pope also passes out souvineers, but that doesn’t make him Ronald McDonald, anymore than saying ‘nice flick’ makes him Roger Ebert.
Posted in Blogcritics on February 11, 2004 12:49 AM

PASSION FRUIT
In Mel Gibson’s new movie “The Passion”, Justin Timberlake portrays a Roman Centurion who rips off Antonio Banderas’ breechcloth in a climactic final moment during the crucifixion. Meanwhile, Mary Magdalene, played by a tearful Anna Nicole-Smith, is consoled by Jesus’…
Posted in Blogcritics on February 4, 2004 09:09 AM