Lightning strikes on set, warring critical opinions, and the role Monica Bellucci fought
to get. Maybe when you know the original meaning of "passion" it will all make
more sense. Here's what you don't know about Mel Gibson's most successful film.
While doing press ahead of the release of "The Passion of the Christ," Gibson
explained how he found himself at a particularly low point in his life
more than a decade earlier. He described it in a TV interview with Diane Sawyer,
saying that he was experiencing what he termed "spiritual bankruptcy."
Struggling with drug and alcohol addiction,
in this rock bottom moment he turned back to the Bible and the Catholic faith of his youth.
This also led to a new spiritual and artistic inspiration.
Gibson's faith is a subset of Catholicism known as Traditionalism, which among other things, rejects
the reforms enacted by the Second Vatican Council, AKA Vatican II, in the 1960s. Gibson has long been
vocal about his traditionalist beliefs, and even funded the founding of a private traditionalist
church in Malibu. His father Hutton was an author who belonged to a sect within traditionalism that
rejects the Pope's authority, though Gibson does not publicly share his father's position.
Traditionalism and its more radical sects have long put forth anti-Semitic views,
stoking concerns among Jewish and Christian leaders alike that the film would be a
vehicle for racist propaganda. It's a debate that's never really gone away.
Gibson's film is a cinematic version of the passion play, where dramatic interpretations
of the crucifixion and resurrection have been performed as part of Easter ceremonies for
centuries. But why is it called "The Passion?" For secular viewers, the use of the word might
be confusing, and even religious audiences may be unclear on the origins of the phrase.
Slate, in conjunction with the Oxford English Dictionary, published a brief
explainer for the word and its archaic usage in the leadup to the film's release in 2004.
In short, the Latin word passio, meaning "suffering," was used in Old English
religious texts in relation to the crucifixion for hundreds of years. The French word passion,
derived from the Latin and also used exclusively in relation to the crucifixion,
entered into the English lexicon after the Norman invasion of the 11th century.
From there, the word began to take on new connotations, no longer reserved solely
to describe the physical suffering of Jesus, but rather the emotional suffering of anyone.
The first published use of "passion" in the modern,
romantic sense may be in Shakespeare's play "Titus Andronicus." That soon
became the default definition of the word outside of its original religious context.
Gibson and screenwriter Benedict Fitzgerald wrote the script in English, but the intention was
always for the characters on screen to speak in the languages of the time and place. Latin for the
Roman soldiers, Hebrew for the Jewish leaders, and reconstructed Aramaic for Jesus and his disciples.
For Gibson, the language barrier was both a matter of authenticity — not just seeing the world as it
was, but hearing it as well — and of finding new power in an oft-told story. He explained in 2003,
"If you hear the words spoken as they were spoken at the time, it can kind of stun you."
"My heart is ready, father. My heart is ready." Originally, the plan was for the dialogue to not
only be spoken in dead languages, but to be un-subtitled as well.
Gibson said before the film's release,
"Caravaggio's paintings don't have subtitles, but people get the message."
Eventually, however, common sense won out and the film was released with subtitles. The task of
translating the script for the actors and writing those subtitles fell to Reverend William Fulco,
a Jesuit priest from Loyola Marymount University. Fulco worked to make the languages feel dynamic
and alive, using more vulgar forms of Latin for the Roman soldiers' dialogue than he used for an
aristocratic figure like Pontius Pilate. In an interview with the Chicago Tribune after
the film was released, Fulco acknowledged that there are a few pockets of the world
where Aramaic is still spoken, particularly among sects of Iraq-born Catholics. The form
that would have been spoken in the 1st century is considerably different from its modern equivalent.
Though the film's narrative and languages are steeped in the earliest days of the
first millennium, the film's visual style sought inspiration more than a thousand years into the
future — specifically, the Catholic art of the Italian Renaissance. Caleb Deschanel, the film's
Oscar-nominated cinematographer, describes how he and Gibson were inspired by the art of the 16th
century painter Caravaggio. They both admired the way the Italian master used light and composition,
and his depiction of distinctive faces and bodies. Deschanel shared his appreciation, saying,
"I'm drawn to the human face because it's so powerful."
Renaissance art also provided a different kind of inspiration, by way of what it often did not
depict: The physical violence at the heart of both Christ's ordeal and Gibson's film.
Deschanel shared that while art made prior to the 13th century is more explicit,
by Caravaggio's era in the late 1500s and early 1600s, things had changed, saying,
"At some point, the images became cleansed. The way the
story has been represented is very interesting."
That cleansed narrative, whether from the 17th century or the 21st,
is what Gibson's film brutality pushes back against.
When it came to casting the film's central role, Gibson sought out actor Jim Caviezel.
At that point, he was known for his appearances in films like "The Thin Red Line," "Frequency,"
and the 2002 remake of "The Count of Monte Cristo." Gibson's producing partner reached
out through Caviezel's agent and arranged a meeting, ostensibly to talk about a film project
titled "Mavericks." It was only after the meeting began, Caviezel later told the
National Catholic Register, that he and Gibson's conversation turned toward their shared Catholic
faith. Caviezel soon realized that he was essentially auditioning for the part of Jesus.
"You want me to play Jesus, don't you? And he said, 'Yeah.' And I said, 'Okay.'"
Though the part was Caviezel's to lose, Gibson offered him a chance to refuse it
the day after he accepted. Caviezel recalled in an interview with Christian Broadcasting Network,
"[Gibson] said, 'I want you to be aware of what
you're going to go through. You may never work again.'"
Both men understood that the character was not to be taken on lightly, and that the
actor playing Jesus would by necessity become a spokesman for the film and its intentions.
This was much like the controversies Willem Dafoe faced with Martin Scorsese's "The Last Temptation
of Christ." If the film were to fail or to offend its audience, the responsibility for
that failure would fall not just on the director but, somewhat unfairly, on the star as well.
Caviezel, though exhilarated and terrified at the prospect of playing Jesus,
had no qualms about taking the role. He shared,
"I told Mel, 'It's eerie. My initials are J.C. and I'm 33 years old.' That was it."
Jesus is, of course, the central character of the Passion, but not the only character.
One of the most important characters in the story is Mary Magdalene.
Gibson's choice for the role was Italian actress and model Monica Bellucci, a choice that may have
seemed unusual. Bellucci first became famous in her native country as a beautiful fashion model.
She was later best known to mainstream American audiences at the time for her roles in the first
two "Matrix" sequels, and to arthouse audiences for the brutal 2002 drama "Irreversible."
Surprisingly, though, Bellucci was the one who sought out the role and campaigned for it.
Even as people around her cautioned against it,
she told the London Evening Standard in an interview promoting the film's U.K. release,
"I did all I could to get an audition. People would say to me,
'Nobody will see it, nobody wants to produce or distribute it,
it'll make no money and it will raise controversy. Why do you want to do it?'"
Her answer to that question, much like those of Gibson and Caviezel,
is equal parts artistic and spiritual. She said,
"[Mary Magdalene] was just a sinner like you and me. Her humanity and weakness touched me."
"I like the dark sides of humanity."
Considering the spiritual nature of the film,
a retelling of the Passion being filmed outside of Rome by a deeply Catholic director and star,
it only makes sense that the set was a hotbed for matters of faith during production. Father John
Bartunek, a Catholic priest and former actor, visited the set at Gibson's request. He would
later publish his observations in the 2005 book "Inside the Passion." Speaking to the National
Catholic Register at the time of publication, he noted that though no one on set was pressured to
participate, star Caviezel received the Eucharist every day before filming. He also shared that Luca
Lionello, the actor playing Judas and a professed atheist, asked Father Bartunek to hear his
confession at the end of production. He also later baptized his children in the Catholic church.
Still, the positive atmosphere wasn't quite enough to protect Caviezel from some
awfully symbolic injuries during the film. He was famously struck by lightning while in costume,
while another member of the production, assistant director Jan Michelini, was struck twice.
Caviezel was whipped for real while filming the infamous scourging scene when one of the stunt
performers missed his aim. Later, he dislocated his shoulder while carrying his prop cross,
and contracted hypothermia while filming the crucifixion scene in frigid temperatures.
The name of the film was always intended to be simply "The Passion,"
but that changed in October 2003, just a few months before the film's projected release date.
Miramax Films objected to the use of the name. They owned the film rights to Jeanette
Winterson's 1987 novel "The Passion" and had already registered that title with the Motion
Picture Association of America. Winterson's novel is a metafictional take on the Napoleonic wars,
and while the word "passion" here is used in a more antiquated, expansive sense,
it has no direct connection to the crucifixion story. A film adaptation has yet to be produced.
Gibson changed the title to "The Passion of the Christ." The word Christ is translated
from the Greek christos, which is in turn derived from the Hebrew word mashiach,
meaning "messiah" or "anointed one." Though modern English usage of Christ
makes it sounds as if it were Jesus' last name, it is actually a title or designation.
Gibson's use of the article reinforces this more literal definition of the word Christ,
which also gives audiences a clue about the tone of the devout film they are about to see.
When the film began screening for critics shortly before its February 2004 release,
reception was mixed. Roger Ebert was moved by the power of the film's brutality,
calling it the most violent movie he'd ever seen in his four-star review.
He also reflected on his own Catholic upbringing, serving as an altar boy but
giving little thought to the significance behind the ceremony. Ebert shared,
"What Gibson has provided for me, for the first time in my life,
is a visceral idea of what the Passion consisted of."
Ebert concedes that the intensity of the film will alienate some audiences,
but counters that Gibson's violence is not meant to be thrilling, but endured, saying,
"If it grosses millions, that will not be because anyone was entertained."
Many critics besides Ebert certainly fell on the "not entertained" side of the divide,
finding the film's vision and intention to be excessive and distasteful.
As one reviewer wrote in The Guardian,
"I hope I will never be obliged to see something as dreadful again."
Meanwhile, Jonathan Rosenbaum was dismayed at how little the film values Jesus' teachings and
miracles, focusing only on the sickening violence. He wrote in the Chicago Reader,
"Its general disgust for humanity is so unrelenting that the military-sounding
drums at the end seem to be welcoming the apocalypse."
Ian Nathan wrote in Empire magazine that the film rips away the, quote,
"Sunday school niceties," and goes further, saying,
"Here lies undeniable power. This is the most brutal, vivid,
sustained depiction of torture ever mounted. It shocks and stuns with unflinching clarity. If
Gibson's sole purpose was to concoct a literalist depiction of gospel accounts, then he succeeds."
Beyond the film's controversial violence,
some critics found fault with what they considered to be sexist and homophobic undertones. This was
seen particularly in the film's depiction of Satan. Played by Rosalinda Celentano, the devil
appears to be a haunting woman with androgynous features cradling a hideous, deformed baby.
Gibson defends his vision of evil in a 2004 interview with Christianity Today, saying,
"I believe the Devil is real, but I don't believe he shows up too often with horns and
smoke and a forked tail. The devil is smarter than that. Evil is alluring, attractive.
It looks almost normal, almost good—but not quite [...] That's what evil is about,
taking something that's good and twisting it a little bit."
Critic Michael Carden, writing in the Australian Religious Studies Review,
called out this portrayal of Satan, and he and other critics also claimed to have found
homophobia lurking in the incessant violence inflicted upon Jesus' body,
claiming that it emphasizes an American masculine ideal. The late Christopher
Hitchens, no fan of the film at all, also called Gibson a, quote, "queer-basher."
Despite critical misgivings, an R rating, and the lack of a major distributor, the film was
an immediate massive success when released on February 25, 2004, earning over $125 million in
ticket sales during its first five days. The film would go on to gross $370 million in the U.S.,
plus $241 million overseas, an R-rated record that's still talked about.
"'Passion of the Christ,' then me. At least domestically.
We beat them overseas where there's no such thing as religion."
Most Hollywood blockbusters spend millions of dollars on publicity and marketing campaigns.
While "The Passion of the Christ" had a slick, dramatic trailer playing in theaters,
its gargantuan box office haul was due in no small part to unpaid,
grassroots marketing from churches and Christian groups.
Many American churches, particularly those practicing Evangelical Protestantism, embraced
this thoroughly Catholic treatment of the gospels as a way to witness to and convert nonbelievers.
Icon Productions held advance screenings of the film for select congregations around the
country and provided marketing materials for those churches to distribute. A still-extant
fan site even hosts maps showing areas of the country that were most interested in the film.
Discussion guides for Bible study groups are still available for sale, nearly two decades after the
film's release. For this religious, conservative fan base, the film was not just a well-made or
entertaining feature, but an inspirational vehicle for saving souls. Neither the film's
controversies nor its graphic violence was seen as a barrier to its greater purpose.
Unsurprisingly, a film so immediately controversial, so beloved and reviled,
so self-serious yet over-the-top in its violence and theatrics, "The Passion" was ripe for parody.
Seth MacFarlane's animated comedy "Family Guy" has parodied Gibson's film a number of times.
The most notable episode was in the Season 4 premiere, which aired in 2005.
Titular patriarch Peter Griffin, voiced by MacFarlane, finds himself in hot water with
Gibson after stealing a copy of "The Passion of the Christ 2" from Gibson's hotel room.
According to the show, Gibson's sequel, subtitled "Crucify This," is a modern day action comedy in
the vein of "Rush Hour" or Gibson's own "Lethal Weapon" series, this time starring Jim Caviezel
and Chris Tucker. The final satirical word on the film, ironically, was arguably the first.
"I'll deal with them myself."
"South Park" aired its Season 8 episode "The Passion of the Jew" just five weeks after the film
premiered in theaters. Creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone satirize not just the film, in their
usual sledgehammer style, but the culture war attitudes that had already sprung up around it.
When the show's quartet of nine-year-olds — Stan, Kyle,
Kenny, and Cartman — sneak into a screening, each of them has their own powerful reaction.
Stan and Kenny hate the film so much that they travel to Los Angeles to get their money back
from Gibson himself, only to find him bouncing off the walls, begging to be tortured. Kyle, who
is Jewish, is so horrified by the film's Jewish characters that he converts to Christianity.
Cartman, meanwhile, uses the film's legitimacy to indulge his fascist tendencies, going full Nazi.
Gibson's film and its incredible success has spawned an entire industry of spiritual sequels.
These faith-based films borrowed liberally from the "Passion" aesthetic and marketing tactics,
if not necessarily its craft or clarity of purpose. One of the first out of the gate
was 2006's "The Nativity Story," which faced its own uphill battle of controversy. In 2016,
Joseph Fiennes and "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" director Kevin Reynolds made "Risen," a Biblical
detective story about a Roman centurion sent to investigate claims of Christ's resurrection.
"With your own eyes, you've seen, yet you still doubt.
Imagine the doubt of those who will never see. That's what they face."
There has certainly been an uptick in Bible-based, sword-and-sandals films in the past two decades,
as well as the popular "The Chosen" series, which is now on its third season. However,
perhaps the real legacy of "The Passion of the Christ" and its grassroots church campaigns is
the blossoming of an entire shadow film industry dedicated to the Evangelical Christian audience.
The faith-based film production company Pinnacle Peak Pictures, formerly Pure Flix,
was founded in 2005 and struggled with a slate of post-apocalyptic dramas and family comedies.
This was until striking box office gold with the Kevin Sorbo-starring "atheism on college
campus" polemic "God's Not Dead" and its sequels. Many such films bypass theatrical runs entirely,
showing up instead on streaming services, cable channels, and in churches across the country.