The Passion of the Christ

[baumer]

Yes, Omario, don't you know it was the Canadians who condemned Christ to die?  Says so in the Bible.

 

Blame Canada.

[Jessie]

If you look at this movie's adjusted box office weekend by weekend on a little over 3000 screens and no 3d, it's actually mind blowing just how massive this was.http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekend&id=passionofthechrist.htm&adjust_yr=2014&p=.htm

[Webslinger]

If you look at this movie's adjusted box office weekend by weekend on a little over 3000 screens and no 3d, it's actually mind blowing just how massive this was.http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekend&id=passionofthechrist.htm&adjust_yr=2014&p=.htm

 

You don't even need the adjustments. If an ultraviolent and subtitled movie opened in a dead month today and made $370 million, it would still be plenty mind-blowing.

 

I remember how insane it was watching the expectations for the film balloon over the months leading up to its release. First, it was going to be the flop that would destroy Mel Gibson's career, then it drew enough attention that it was clear it would be at least a minor hit, then there were rumblings over its potential to do the unthinkable and open at #1, then theatres were booking it like crazy, then it looked like $50 million would be a good bet for the Wednesday-to-Sunday gross, and then reports were in that it had already made $7 million from opening day matinees. When the dust finally cleared and it made slightly more in first five days than friggin' Return of the King did, there were really no more adjectives left to describe it.

 

...and even then, it was still making headlines for weeks about how people were having deeply moving experiences while watching it, how parents were completely and totally ignoring the R-rating and taking their entire families to see it (Stephen King wrote a great, very pointed column about it for EW), and how a few viewers had to be rushed to the hospital because they passed out while watching the film (and some even died). There hasn't been anything even remotely like it since.

Edited August 21, 2014 by Webslinger

[Lordmandeep]

Its interesting because if they made a better less violent movie, it likely would not have had made as much. 

[Jessie]

It's good to see other worldwide countries weren't dumb enough to fall for the gimmick

[Noctis]

Yea, a really shit film that relied on excessive violence.

[Joel M]

It's undeniably a beautiful film, I just love Gibson as a director. All his movies are visually striking. But I could never get past the way the violence is used. Sadly the message I got from all of this was kind of opressive and based on the audience feeling guilty for what's happening on screen. Which I guess is equally my fault as much as the movies. It's one of those cases where you just can't see the movie completely out of context. But it's so beautiful it makes me sad Gibson's career went downhill. Even if it's too late for him to be accepted again as an actor or a movie star he can still direct something new. I hope he does eventually.

 

B.

 

I also find the popular notion that all the religious people loved the movie and all the atheists despised it to be total bullshit. I remember the day I watched it in the theatre with my friends my mom was happened to be in the same show with a friend of hers, both of them very religious. When I saw them on the way out of the cinema they were both crying, my mom found the movie amazing and her friend absolutely hated it, it was too much for her. On the other hand all of my friends were not religious at all and most of them today are either atheists or agnostics. The movie hadn't such a huge emotional impact on them but most of them said it was a great movie.

 

In short Mel come back, we miss you.

Edited August 22, 2014 by Joel M

[Hilderic]

I am not a Christian and I didn't experience any mystical life-changing epiphany while watching this. However, I do consider the movie to be an absolute masterpiece, fully worthy of a 10/10. From a technical point of view, it's pretty much perfect. The beautiful cinematography creates a distant and otherworldly atmosphere sustained by a magnificent score. Combined with the use of ancient languages and the evocative scenery, it conveys a sense of heightened realism, mirroring the coexistence of the mundane and the momentous in the events depicted, which is almost hypnotic. Performances are strong across the board. Caviezel is admirable and Bellucci at her career best. The standout, however, is Morgenstern, rising to the challenge of portraying the ultimate grieving mother with harrowing bravura. The distressingly effective makeup needs no commenting upon.As I said, 10/10.

[The Futurist]

Great torture porn flick.Hostel had a better plot though but Passion was a great achievement, directing wise, great mood, great ciematography.Gibson is a master filmmaker and the movie is ver powerful.

[Goffe]

Boring and exploitative.

 

I had a few good laughs, though.

 

35/100

Edited February 29, 2016 by Goffe

[ShouldIBeHere]

Had nothing to add to this often-told story except the violence.

 

Some good cinematography, though.

 

"The Last Temptation of Christ" remains the king.

 

4/10