"The movie that couldn't find a distributor a year ago is now poised to become this year's first surprise hit", says news writer Gabriel Snyder of Variety.Com.

The film, written and directed by Mel Gibson (the visionary behindBraveheart and The Patriot, among other films) comes out to the public on Feburary 25th. However, some theaters are already reporting ticket sell-outs. More amazingly, not a single adverisement has been aired on television for this movie.

The reason is obvious. The movie's title: The Passion of Christ

However, this is not your grandmother's church film (unless your grandma is unusually strong of heart and stomach). "The Passion" has been rated R for scenes of graphic violence, but isn't that what one expects from the director of Braveheart? The R-rating doesn't seem to be keeping audiences away, however.

This topic may be used for discussion of this most controvercial of films, however I strongly urge those who participate to avoid getting into a heated debate concerning either the film itself or the religious/spiritual implications behind its dramatic and shocking content. Also, don't forget to vote in the poll. Now, let's all have a nice civil conversation about a movie nobody will agree on. :rolleyes:

I have a feeling that most critics of the movie haven't even see it. (As the case was with a similar movie, The Last Temptation of Christ.)

I know I'll be watching it. It looks like it'll be a good film, but I'll just be going for the entertainment value more than anything. Just because it's a film based on a religious character, and that it'll irritate vocal elements of other religions due to their portrayal, I honestly don't care. I'm an atheist and I'm going for a good film, I'll only complain if it's as bad as The Patriot or Braveheart.

- Harold Q. Eastwood, wondering how Gibson'll fit the English in as villains this time.

contoversial...pffb. It's contraversial to people who arent christian. It's things like that that piss me off. Okay, how come no matter what, a movie based on religious beliefs becomes controversial? Everyone @#$%ing beats down on us man. It's totally @#$%ing unfair. If they dont like it...dont see it! I'm not by anymeans super duper religious, but I think it's totally unfair that a movie bases on christian religion becomes controversial and a movie based on oh say...some other religion overseas is viewed as a masterpiece! WTF?!! But hey...I'm down. I'm openminded, I could give a rats arse anyways...i'm just tired of being handed the short end of the stick because i believe in "god". Why am i bitter? because it's true. You all know it. I almost feel like i can't worship my god anymore without someone being an ass about it. I'm totally aware that religion has been one of the biggest causes for all the wars and deaths in the past...but ya know what...thats their damn fault for being so ignorant. Dont throw their shit on me.

Matt old boy, I kind of get the opposite treatment - Christian fundies whinging at various films for being immoral, whinging at me for being a filthy heretic. That said, since most of these lunatics have no taste in cinema I honestly don't care. That and I tend to find aggravating the more vocal elements of the Christian to be hilarious. *Laughs as he remembers his old "Blood for the Blood God!" T-shirt.*

Still, one of the arguments by the more... vocal elements of the Jewish community are worried that the apparent portrayal of the Jews in the film will result in the less-than-mentally-stable elements of the Christian faith carrying out "revenge" attacks for events shown in the film. From what I understand, it's an understandable fear but let's be honest, the only people who'd carry out assault influence by a film by Mel Gibson (Other than directed toward Mr. Gibson) shouldn't be allowed outside without minders anyway, if let outside at all.

Still, I stand by my previous comments. The only way I can see myself having a problem with the film if it's a bad film. Since it's a Mel Gibson movie, it probably will be, but that's because I think the man is a pillock and I'm just a little tired of my nation being portrayed as a race of Evil Bastards.

Also, as a side note, could you give a few titles of these films you refer to Matt? Call me curious.

- Harold Q. Eastwood, $%^&ing Giant Robots.

i'm just refering to where i live specifically, I'm sure its not that way everywhere. But a lot of people from my school were very much against the kind of stuff and made fun of a lot the people who worshipped it. So, Yea, it was pretty much my...wat do you wanna call it...high school rage coming back to me. XD So yea...flipping my wig there was a little uncalled for but uh..yea...i was just thinking about all the jerk offs from my school...woospie daisy. XD

I dun mean ta interupt ya two, consider'n that most of forum worships both of ya, but I'd like ta say a thingy.

I haven't dealt with either of your problems. I'm in a VERY rare part of the Southern Bible Belt, where most christians are very tolerant of non-christians like me. I think it's cause be the constant influx of new soldiers, often with different views, into the Bragg area. The worst I've dealt with is people who don't know what Aethists are, most of whom are easily educated on the matter. And most the folks I know that don't believe in Him don't go around starting crap about religion. Though that may just be because we're outnumbered, 50 to 1.

I don't want to see the movie. I don't like Mel Gibson movies. Braveheart was about as intresting as my history classes, violence aside. And Judo-Christian mythos bores me. Not enough warring gods to catch my intrest. But my dad says he's going ot force us to watch it, to "educate us on our culture". I plan to sleep through it.

yea yea i know..i'm a dumbass for loosin it. can we talk about something else now? ^_^

I might be gravedigging, but I wanna see that movie. If it could give someone a heart attack and die, I wanna see it!

Well... eh, yeah, you're gravedigging. Not to mention that your comment's... kinda sick. :wth: However, considering the fact that the media is still considering this a current issue, it's still relevant.

I don't want to see it, and I won't, and for a very simple reason. Really, I don't see what all the hype is all about. There HAVE been movies made about this before. Sure, they're about fifteen to thirty years old, but it HAS been done before. Hell, there was a CARTOON MOVIE MADE ABOUT IT! So, really, what DOES make THIS movie so special? Because it's more VIOLENT than the others? Whoop-dee-doo.

Personally, I am a Roman Catholic. And it pisses me off... absolutely pisses me off to no end to listen to these zealots in my local faith community that believe that watching the Passion is a matter of faith. Their belief is that if you see for yourself what happened (violence and such included), only THEN are you considered a true Christian. If you stomach all the blood, all the skin ripping off, and ugh, only THEN are you worthy of the faith.

Does that mentality scare anyone else? One of my fellow choir members told me that it IS a matter of faith, watching through the movie. These are her exact words, "If your beliefs are strong enough, you'll be able to sit through it without a problem." Let me tell you something. I have an EXTREMELY weak stomach, I'll admit. I don't care WHO would be nailed to the cross, I can NOT stomach the sight of it.

That said, you want a practical reason for me not going? How'd you like to be sitting in front of me when I unleash a hurl of devastating proportions all over your neck? :P In general, any movie with this much expected violence isn't my thing.

Hell, I've SEEN it. I'm a Christian, and it hit me in a lot of ways. My sister was bawlin' her eyes out during a good part of it... I couldn't blame her. Rated R for violence, obviously.

How did it "hit" you?

And yeh, the movie sounds demented after what my friends told me.

I think the real controversey (besides the fact there might be Anti-semetism in the movie) is that idiot skinheads can use the movie as an excuse to go kill Jewish people.

That's all I can really say now, since I havn't seen the movie myself.

I agree with Ian that you don't have to be a "full" Christian or whatever to see this movie. I think that's stupid. Stomaching all that stuff just so you can say that you can take it and are worthy of your belief is pretty stupid. And people who believe that are, frankly, are quite shallow in their beliefs. But I don't wanna start an argument about THAT here.

I agree with Matt too, that Christians seem to get a big lop of junk while other religions aren't as yelled-at or whatever, and it's rather unfair. I'm not whining about it or anything though.

And yeah, I'm Christian if you're wondering.

But I'd really like to see this movie. Apparently, unlike others, I love Mel's movies and this looks very promising. Never know, it might encourage me a little! :) Either way, I wanna see this.

I'm catholic. My family debates about seeing it and they'd rather not watch it. Deep inside, I feel like it may be a sin to watch it. But I dunno...maybe I'm just being paranoid.
I hear from some people that they basically took an event that may or may not have happened and sensationalized it. That the fat cats in Hollywood are in it for the money. And the MOICHENDISING, MOICHENDISING!
Pretty soon, they'll have Passion of Christ: The Lunchbox, Passion of Christ: The T-shirt, Passion of Christ: The Flamethrower, and so on.
(If any of you don't know which movie that line came from, shame, shame, shame...shame on YOU.)

The Canadians weren't the Great Satan in The Patriot. The English were, and despite that we were in the wrong in some ways, making the English out to be Church-burning villains doesn't sit well with me.
I may not be able to sing the national anthem all the way through, nor do I love the Royals, but I resent my nation being made out to be a bunch of viscous, murderous bastards.

As for the Christian faith getting crap, well, they get it about as much as the Muslims and the Jews. That said, I live in a very atheist part of the UK, but you do get the odd racist nutcase going around preaching the evil of "TEH J3W5!!!11" or the various unsavoury terms for Muslims which I shall not repeat here. Bloody BNP.
Meh, I tend to live by the principle that I have nothing against God, respect Jesus but I can't stand their fan clubs. :p

Mankey, I think you fail to realise that's all Hollywood is about - Money. If it was about making good, quality films The Lord of the Rings trilogy would have been completely accurate to the book, Pearl Harbour wouldn't have been a love story and the gentlemen who pitched the idea for the Tomb Raider films would have been shot the moment they set foot in the studio.

I doubt we'll be seeing all those various forms of merchandise, but the movie will generate vast quantities of money, which will mean it will be a success. A sequel, anyone?

- Harold Q. Eastwood, waiting for the cinematic version of Good Omens.

I want a movie that explains Psalms 137, verse 9.

"Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones."

Smashing my kids on a bunch of rocks'll make me happy? I've been wondering about that for years......

Ah, let me explain the best I can. Don't expect a beautiful essay, I'm not that smart, mind you...

Basically, that is a specific writer writing about war. This is not about God being this evil, "I demand human scarifce" kind of thing. Also, this was during a time where the Hebrews of this time were engage in many, many battles. So what would they pray for? To defeat the enemy. Not the kind of prayer I would make but then again, it was a different time period. In fact, this time period was when a lot of people were judged as nations, not as individuals. A completely different mindset than what we are used to today.

Well, it's not the best explaination I can give but that's basically the jest of it. That, or the writer was a bit sadistic.....

Uhh, Eastwood? I fail to see how what you quoted from me is relevant to what you said, and even if it does, in some way, I never meant any offence to anyone about anything. Just wanna be sure we're clear on that. If I DID offende anyone in anyway, I sincerely apologize. Although I don't see how I could've.

Just wanna be sure. I hate giving the wrong impression.

Well then, Mankey, perhaps you should stop wearing the Satanist logo on your jacket. I know it's a skateboarding logo (or something), but seriously... Satanists and skateboarders usually don't mix well. Actually, they're usually trying to kill each other... Which I've learned from several different conversations.

Anyhoo, on to Mel Gibson. If you ask me, I think this was Mel's way of saying he's up there in the faith. I mean, not many people can turn religion into a movie and make people like it.

But really, I don't think I'll ever see it. I'm a Quaker/Wiccan, and I DO believe in one God and all that stuff, just not the whole Virgin Mary bit. We of the oatmeal people enjoy an equillibrium of harmony between all, and if Quakers somehow managed to rule the world around that time while still being pacifists, I don't think the whole tying to the cross bit would have happened. But that's just me, off in my mind. Please ignore. ^_^ And honestly, I think the whole history was bloodier than they tell it in the Bible. (Yes, I have read parts of the Bible...)

I don't want to seem rude, but I heard that Mel Gibson did this with his own money and entirely outside of the hollywould aspect. I mean that he produced it himself and the other " fat cat" producers had nothing to do with it.

o.o...how does -that- work?

He payed people to produce it and actually let him use a movie studio.