This movie is not a romanticized or sanitized depiction of the trial, scourging and crucifixion of Jesus. There are no halos of light around the heads of the apostles and no heavenly glow emanating from a painterly Christ on the cross. “The Passion of the Christ” is a bloody and scripturally authentic portrait of Christ’s suffering. The performances of Jim Caviezel as Jesus and Maia Morgenstern as Mary are powerful. The film portrays the last 12 hours of Christ’s life, interspersed with several flashbacks, and spoken entirely in Aramaic, Hebrew and Latin with subtitles. The realistic brutality of Jesus being beaten and nailed to the cross is gut-wrenching to watch. And the images of Mary mopping up her son’s blood from the cobblestones and standing at the foot of the cross with his blood spattered on her face are heartbreaking. Mel Gibson’s controversial film is a cinematic achievement, but it is far too intense for children to watch. (127 min.)

Rated R - 2004

Starring:
James Caviezel
Maia Morgenstern
Christo Jivkov
Francesco De Vito
Monica Bellucci
Mattia Sbragia
Luca Lionella
Hristo Naumov Shopov
Claudia Gerini
Fabio Sartor
Giacinto Ferro

Directed by:
Mel Gibson

Writers:
Benedict Fitzgerald (screenplay)
Mel Gibson (screenplay)