The Passion of the Christ

This article is about the film. For the religious incident on which the film is based, see Passion of Jesus. For the set of paintings, see The Passion of Christ (Strasbourg).

The Passion of the Christ
The Passion of the Christ poster
Theatrical release poster
Directed byMel Gibson
Screenplay by
Based on
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyCaleb Deschanel
Edited by
Music byJohn Debney
Production
company
Distributed by
Release date
  • February 25, 2004 (2004-02-25)
Running time
127 minutes[2]
CountryUnited States
Languages
  • Aramaic
  • Hebrew
  • Latin
Budget$30 million[3]
Box office$612.1 million[3]

The Passion of the Christ is a 2004 American epic biblical drama film co-written, co-produced, and directed by Mel Gibson. It stars Jim Caviezel as Jesus of Nazareth, Maia Morgenstern as Mary, mother of Jesus, 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 Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich.[4][5][6][7]

As per the title, the film primarily covers the final 12 hours before Jesus Christ's death, known as "the Passion". It begins with the Agony in the Garden of Olives (i.e., Gethsemane), continues with the betrayal of Judas Iscariot, the brutal Scourging at the Pillar, the suffering of Mary as prophesied by Simeon, the crucifixion and death of Jesus, and ends with a brief depiction of his resurrection. The narrative is interspersed with moments in Jesus's life, such as The Last Supper and The Sermon on the Mount, and moments of Jesus' early life. The film was mostly shot in Italy.[8] The dialogue is entirely in reconstructed Aramaic, Hebrew, and Latin. Although Gibson was initially against it, the film is subtitled.

The film was controversial and received polarized reviews from critics; some regarded the film a religious and holy experience, praising the performances of the cast, production values, and John Debney's musical score, while some found it to be antisemitic and the graphic violence to be extreme and emotionally draining. 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.[3] It is the highest-grossing (inflation unadjusted) Christian film of all time, as well as being the highest-grossing independent film of all time.[10][11] As of 2023, it is the highest-grossing R-rated film in the USA, with $370.8 million.[12] It received three nominations at the 77th Academy Awards in 2005, for Best Makeup, Best Cinematography, and Best Original Score.[13] A sequel centered on the resurrection of Jesus is in development.[14][15]

  1. ^ Goodridge, Mike (February 23, 2004). "The Passion of the Christ". Screen International. Archived from the original on June 8, 2024. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  2. ^ "The Passion of the Christ (18)". British Board of Film Classification. February 18, 2004. Archived from the original on September 22, 2013. Retrieved June 2, 2013.
  3. ^ a b c "The Passion of the Christ (2004)". Box Office Mojo. 2004. Archived from the original on January 29, 2009. Retrieved February 5, 2009.
  4. ^ O'Malley, John (March 15, 2004). "A Movie, a Mystic, a Spiritual Tradition". America. Archived from the original on October 5, 2011.
  5. ^ Corley, Kathleen E.; Webb, Robert Leslie (2004). Jesus and Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ. A&C Black. pp. 160–161. ISBN 0-8264-7781-X.
  6. ^ Gracia, Jorge J. E. (2004). Mel Gibson's Passion and philosophy. Open Court. p. 145. ISBN 0-8126-9571-2.
  7. ^ Dimare, Philip C., ed. (2011). Movies in American History: An Encyclopedia. Abc-Clio. p. 909. ISBN 978-1-59884-296-8.
  8. ^ "The Passion of the Christ". Movie-Locations
  9. ^ "The Passion of the Christ". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on June 13, 2020. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
  10. ^ "Christian Movies at the Box Office". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on August 29, 2019. Retrieved April 23, 2019.
  11. ^ Barker, Stephen (October 17, 2020). "The 10 Highest-Grossing Independent Films Of All Time". ScreenRant. Archived from the original on October 11, 2022. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  12. ^ "Top Lifetime Grosses by MPAA Rating — R". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  13. ^ Gibson, Mel (February 25, 2004), The Passion of the Christ, archived from the original on January 28, 2017, retrieved September 1, 2016
  14. ^ Brew, Simon (February 24, 2023), Passion Of The Christ 2 set to be on eve of production, archived from the original on April 18, 2023, retrieved April 18, 2023
  15. ^ Legacy, Spencer (January 14, 2023), The Passion of the Christ 2 Reportedly Begins Filming This Year, archived from the original on April 18, 2023, retrieved April 18, 2023