Mel Gibson's Film About Christ Still Stirring Passions

(CNSNews.com) - A $25 million movie with the entire dialogue spoken in Latin and Aramaic and no English sub-titles continues to swirl in controversy because of its depiction of the last 12 hours in the life of Jesus Christ.

The Passion, directed by Mel Gibson and due for release next spring, has raised the ire of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which fears the movie will produce a fresh round of anti-Semitism. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) also objected to the film after seeing an early draft of the script.

On Monday, a spokesman for the New York City-based Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights told CNSNews.com that the attacks on the film are hypocritical. The Catholic League has no formal affiliation with the Conference of Catholic Bishops.

"If you made a movie blaspheming Christ, you wouldn't hear a word," said Louis Giovino, spokesman for the Catholic League.

Gibson's Icon Productions is paying for the film, which is dedicated to authenticity by featuring only the Latin and Aramaic dialogue with no English subtitles. The Passion will feature actor James Caviezel as Christ and actress Monica Bellucci as Mary Magdalene.

Larry Ross, a media liaison for Icon Productions told CNSNews.com: "The principal photography is finished, and the film is currently in post production.

"I haven't seen the movie, I haven't seen the script. But for the people who are objecting, the big question is: 'Have you seen the movie?'" Giovino asked rhetorically. "This movie is not even finished, it's not even out. Yet people are getting very upset and treating this like a huge surge of anti Semitism is going to come up because of it," he added.

The USCCB apologized to Gibson last week after some of its members had engaged in an unauthorized public critique of the film based on the draft of the script. "We regret that this situation has occurred and offer our apologies," said Mark E. Chopko, general counsel for the USCCB, in a statement.

Some members of the USCCB and the ADL had formed an ad hoc group of biblical scholars made up of nine Christian and Jewish academics. The group issued an 18-page report critical of Gibson's movie on May 2 and participated in articles in the New York Times and Los Angeles Times.

Chief among the group's complaints about the film was a concern that "a graphic movie presentation of the crucifixion could reawaken the very anti-Semitic attitudes that we have devoted our careers to combating."

In an open letter to Gibson in March, the ADL expressed "serious concerns" about the movie and sought assurances from Gibson that the film "will not give rise to the old canard of charging Jews with deicide and to anti-Semitism."

Icon Productions objected to the critiques, saying they were all based on the unauthorized theft of the draft.

Chopko of the USCCB agreed and announced that the bishops had "advised the scholars' group that this draft screenplay is not considered to be representative of the film and should not be subject to further comment."

Gibson personally responded to the allegations of anti-Semitism on June 13, declaring in a statement published in the entertainment trade paper Variety that "The Passion is a movie meant to inspire, not offend.

"My intention in bringing it to the screen is to create a lasting work of art and engender serious thought among audiences of diverse faith backgrounds," Gibson stated.

"If the intense scrutiny during my 25 years in public life revealed I had ever persecuted or discriminated against anyone based on race or creed, I would be all too willing to make amends. But there is no such record," Gibson added.

A telephone call to the ADL for reaction was not returned.

Giovino of the Catholic League noted the irony of all the controversy surrounding the film.

"When [Martin Scorsese's controversial film] The Last Temptation of Christ opened, [critics said] 'You should be open to other interpretations,' but now they are going crazy over a movie they have not even seen," Giovino said.

E-mail a news tip to Marc Morano.

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