The lavishly-dressed Jewish characters are othered as evil, scheming misers hungry for Christ's blood. New York Post reviewer Lou Lumenick called the film 'an impressive, ultra-violent - and deeply troubling - take on Jesus' final hours.' Although Gibson's cinematic passion play was well-received by the religious, many were concerned about its 'deeply troubling' elements.Īntisemitism appears throughout the final film in its cartoonish depiction of Jewish people. 'The Passion of the Christ' received tremendous support from the Christian community, particularly because of a marketing campaign that provided guides to church leaders about integrating the film's themes into their education initiatives and preaching.ĭespite this booming success amongst evangelicals, critics' reactions were fairly mixed. At the time, it was the highest-grossing R-rated release. It became a massive box office hit, accumulating over $600 million. Directed by Mel Gibson and starring Jim Caviezel, 'The Passion of the Christ' presented itself as an authentic and unflinching examination of Jesus' sacrifice told in Hebrew, Latin, and Aramaic languages. When 'The Passion of the Christ' was released on Ash Wednesday in February 2004, the reaction was overwhelming.

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