Subject: MEL GIBSON'S passion for "THE PASSION" >Date: Thu, 9 Oct 2003 08:14:22 -0500 > > > > > > > MEL GIBSON'S passion for "THE PASSION" > > > > > > > > > > > > How ironic that when a movie producer takes > > > artistic license with historical events, he is > > > lionized as artistic, creative and brilliant, but when > > > another takes special care to be true to the real-life > > > story, he is vilified. Actor-producer Mel Gibson is > > > discovering these truths the hard way as he is having > > > difficulty finding a United States studio or > > > distributor for his upcoming film, "The Passion," > > > which depicts the last 12 hours of the life of Jesus > > > Christ. > > > Gibson co-wrote the script and financed, directed > > > and produced the movie. For the script, he and his > > > co-author relied on the New Testament Gospels of > > > Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, as well as the diaries > > > of St. Anne Catherine Emmerich (1774-1824) and Mary of > > > Agreda's "The City of God." > > > Gibson doesn't want this to be like other > > > sterilized religious epics. "I'm trying to access the > > > story on a very personal level and trying to be very > > > real about it." So committed to realistically > > > portraying what many would consider the most important > > > half-day in the history of the universe, Gibson even > > > shot the film in the Aramaic language of the period. > > > In response to objections that viewers will not be > > > able to understand that language, Gibson said, > > > "Hopefully, I'll be able to transcend the language > > > barriers with my visual storytelling; if I fail, I > > > fail, but at least it'll be a monumental failure." > > > To further insure the accuracy of the work, Gibson > > > has enlisted the counsel of pastors and theologians, > > > and has received rave reviews. Don Hodel, president of > > > Focus on the Family, said, "I was very impressed. The > > > movie is historically and theologically accurate." Ted > > > Haggard, pastor of New Life Church in Colorado > > > Springs, Colo., and president of the National > > > Evangelical Association, glowed: "It conveys, more > > > accurately than any other film, who Jesus was." > > > During the filming, Gibson, a devout Catholic, > > > attended Mass every morning because "we had to be > > > squeaky clean just working on this." From Gibson's > > > perspective, this movie is not about Mel Gibson. It's > > > bigger than he is. "I'm not a preacher, and I'm not a > > > pastor," he said. "But I really feel my career was > > > leading me to make this. The Holy Ghost was working > > > through me on this film, and I was just directing > > > traffic. I hope the film has the power to evangelize." > > > Even before the release of the movie, scheduled > > > for March 2004, Gibson is getting his wish. "Everyone > > > who worked on this movie was changed. There were > > > agnostics and Muslims on set converting to > > > Christianity...[and] people being healed of diseases." > > > Gibson wants people to understand through the movie, > > > if they don't already, the incalculable influence > > > Christ has had on the world. And he grasps that Christ > > > is controversial precisely because of WHO HE IS - GOD > > > incarnate. "And that's the point of my film really, to > > > show all that turmoil around him politically and with > > > religious leaders and the people, all because He is > > > Who He is." > > > Gibson is beginning to experience first hand just > > > how controversial Christ is. Critics have not only > > > speciously challenged the movie's authenticity, but > > > have charged that it is disparaging to Jews, which > > > Gibson vehemently denies. "This is not a Christian vs. > > > Jewish thing. '[Jesus] came into the world, and it > > > knew him not.' Looking at Christ's crucifixion, I look > > > first at my own culpability in that." Jesuit Father > > > William J. Fulco, who translated the script into > > > Aramaic and Latin, said he saw no hint of > > > anti-Semitism in the movie. Fulco added, "I would be > > > aghast at any suggestion that Mel Gibson is > > > anti-Semitic." Nevertheless, certain groups and some > > > in the mainstream press have been very critical of > > > Gibson's "Passion." > > > The New York Post's Andrea Peyser chided him: > > > "There is still time, Mel, to tell the truth." Boston > > > Glove columnist James Carroll denounced Gibson's > > > literal reading of the biblical accounts. "Even a > > > faithful repetition of the Gospel stories of the death > > > of Jesus can do damage exactly because those sacred > > > texts themselves carry the virus of Jew hatred," wrote > > > Carroll. A group of Jewish and Christian academics has > > > issued an 18-page report slamming all aspects of the > > > film, including its undue emphasis on Christ's passion > > > rather than "a broader vision." The report disapproves > > > of the movie's treatment of Christ's passion as > > > historical fact. > > > The moral is that if you want the popular culture > > > to laud your work on Christ, make sure it either > > > depicts Him as a homosexual or as an everyday sinner > > > with no particular redeeming value (literally). In our > > > anti-Christian culture, the blasphemous "The Last > > > Temptation of Christ" is celebrated, and "The Passion" > > > is condemned. But if this movie continues to affect > > > people the way it is now, no amount of cultural > > > opposition will suppress its force and its positive > > > impact on lives everywhere. Mel Gibson is a model of > > > faith and courage. > > > > > > Please copy this and send it on to all > > > your friends to let them know about this film so that > > > we'll all go see it when it comes out. > > > > > > > > _____ >
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