PASSION OF THE CHRIST

The Passion of the Christ^[3] is a 2004 American biblical drama film produced, co-written and directed by Mel Gibson and starring Jim Caviezel as Jesus of Nazareth, Maia Morgenstern as the Virgin Mary, and Monica Bellucci as Mary Magdalene. It depicts the Passion of Jesus largely according to the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. It also draws on pious accounts such as the Friday of Sorrows, along with other devotional writings, such as the reputed visions attributed to Anne Catherine Emmerich.^[4][5][6][7]

The film primarily covers the final 12 hours before Jesus Christ’s death, consisting of the Passion, hence the title of the film. It begins with the Agony in the Garden in the Garden of Olives (or Gethsemane), continues with the betrayal of Judas Iscariot, the brutal Scourging at the Pillar, the suffering of Mary as prophesied by Simeon, and the crucifixion and death of Jesus, and ends with a brief depiction of his resurrection. However, the film also has flashbacks to particular moments in Jesus’ life, some of which are biblically based, such as The Last Supper and The Sermon on the Mount, and others that are artistic license, as when Mary comforts Jesus and when Jesus crafts a table.

The film was mostly shot in Italy.^[8] The dialogue is entirely in Hebrew, Latin, and reconstructed Aramaic. Although Gibson was initially against it, the film is subtitled.

The film has been controversial and received largely polarized reviews, with some critics calling the film a religious classic while others found the extreme violence distracting and excessive. The film grossed over $612 million worldwide^[9] and became the fifth highest grossing film of 2004 internationally at the end of its theatrical run.^[2] It is the highest-grossing (inflation unadjusted) Christian film of all time.^[10] It received three nominations at the 77th Academy Awards in 2005, for Best Makeup, Best Cinematography, and Best Original Score.^[11]