The Passion of the Christ (2004)
TOMATOMETER
Critics Consensus: The graphic details of Jesus' torture make the movie tough to sit through and obscure whatever message it is trying to convey.
Critics Consensus: The graphic details of Jesus' torture make the movie tough to sit through and obscure whatever message it is trying to convey.
Trailer
Photos
Movie Info
This depiction of the last 12 hours in the life of Jesus opens with his betrayal by Judas, his condemnation by the Pharisees and his appearance before Pontius Pilate. Pilate defers to King Herod, but Herod returns Jesus. Pilate then asks the crowd to choose between Jesus and Barrabas. The crowd chooses Barrabas. Pilate washes his hands of the matter, and Jesus is forced to carry the cross through the streets to Golgotha where Roman soldiers crucify him. Although Jesus briefly fears that God, his … More
- Rating:
- R (for sequences of graphic violence)
- Genre:
- Drama
- Directed By:
- Ferdinand Zecca , Lucien Nonguet
- Written By:
- Mel Gibson , Benedict Fitzgerald
- In Theaters:
- Feb 25, 2004 Wide
- On DVD:
- Aug 31, 2004
- US Box Office:
- $370.2M
- Runtime:
Cast
as Jesus Christ
as Mary
as Mary Magdalene
as Claudia Procles
as Dismas
as Malchus
as Annas
as Malchus
as Gesmas
as Cassius
as Satan
as Caiphas
as Pontius Pilate
as Judas Iscariot
as Peter
as John
as Simon of Cyrene
as Janus
as Abenader
as Joseph of Arimathea
as Nicodemus
as Thomas
as James
as Herod
as Barabbas
as Scornful Roman
as Scornful Roman
as Brutish Roman
as Second Temple Office...
as The 5th Elder The Ac...
as Temple Guard
as Old Temple Guard
as The Roman
as Whipping Guard
as Pilatus
as Second Man
as Accuser
as Accuser
as Accuser
as Elder
as Elder
as Elder
as Elder
as Elder
as Elder
as Elder
as Eyepatch
as Grizzled Beard
as Man in Audience
as Woman in Audience
as Roman Soldier
as Roman Soldier
as Boy
as Boy
as Boy
as Boy
as Boy
as Young Jesus
as Seraphia
as Young Girl
as Woman
as Woman
as Baby
as Pilate's Servant
as Herod's Courtier
as Herod's Courtier
as Herod's Courtier
as Herod's Courtier
as Herod's Courtier
as Herod's Boy
as Herod's Court Woman
as Herod's Court Woman
as Herod's Court Woman
as Herod's Court Woman
as Herod's Court Woman
as Herod's Court Woman
as Herod's Servant
as Janus
as Second Temple Office...
Related News & Features
-
Mel Gibson Discusses His Judah Maccabee Project
– The Atlantic -
Further Reading: Marion Cotillard and Forest Whittaker in Abel Ferrara's Mary
– Rotten Tomatoes
The Passion of the Christ Videos
Photos
Friend Ratings
No Friends? Inconceivable! Log in to see what your friends have to say.
LoginCritic Reviews for The Passion of the Christ
All Critics (267) | Top Critics (51) | Fresh (131) | Rotten (136) | DVD (34)
Extremely violent, and powerful; for mature teens.
Gibson's passion is all over this film...but his resorting to mawkish, superficial tactics blows the tone off-course from time to time.
With a passionate zeal and the budget to back it, Mel Gibson has created a religious epic which is equally unique, inspirational, and repellent.
The film's lack of discretion robs the viewer of his or own conception of Christ's crucifixion. It is an exploitative disservice to "the greatest story ever told," that reduces that illustrious narrative to an extended torture episode.
It's a shame there isn't a good movie deep down in this excuse for gore and sadism.
All [Gibson has] done...is to trade in the Hollywood conventions of yesteryear for the crasser, more bloodthirsty conventions of today.
I emerged from The Passion of the Christ depressed and spiritually bruised.
More sensational than spiritual, this blood-soaked take on the Stations of the Cross retells the Gospels as a horror movie. You can't help asking: where has all the love gone?
If I were a Christian, I'd be appalled to have this primitive and pornographic bloodbath presume to speak for me.
For a filmmaker who wants to create an adaptation of the story of Jesus, Mel Gibson's motives seem ironically impure.
Easily the most controversial film of the year, Gibson's fil is a visually bold, relentlessly violent epos that suffers from a shallow, undernourished narrative and no characterizations to speak of.
By giving us the feeling of experiencing Jesus' thoughts, and by making us privy to his prayers, The Passion draws us toward Christ's full humanity like no film before.
Mr. Gibson has plucked at the rawest of nerves yet I cannot blame him. He is expressing himself through the medium of film and using the text of his bible as the basis.
Director Gibson tends toward populist impulses without much artistry or invention; he prefers bombardment to poetry.
A tormented movie about torment; loopy, over-reaching and occasionally suspicious. Simultaneously, it is a daring artistic endeavour.
A negative and spiritually underwhelming experience.
Incredibly intense, unflichingly realistic and powerfully moving...One of the all-time great cinematic achievements...God bless Mel Gibson.
One of the best films of this middle-aged decade.
Sick.
This most human of tales is sadly lacking humanity.
Audience Reviews for The Passion of the Christ
Unnecessary and gimicky. Is speaking throughout the movie in Latin and Aramaic somehow supposed to make the viewer feel closer to Christ? I wouldn't expect much more from a director with a bias against the people depicted in the film.
MoreSuper Reviewer
Criative and the best work by Mel Gibson in direction. We could see that the actors, and Gibson and Fitzgerald are a moving and an unique portrait of Jesus Christ. I understand and support the criative expression of filmmakers, after all, it's the seventh art, I also understand, what Gibson try recreate and show to the audience. But when, he show Passion's message, all the gore violence obscure Jesus' last hours and Mel's attempt of evangelize flaw. The Passion of the Christ, it's one of the most controversal and hard-to-watch movie that I ever saw. Rotten.
MoreSuper Reviewer
[img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon14.gif[/img]
Mel Gibson is an amazing film maker, his direction and visual style is breathtakingly realistic but surprisingly he doesn't offer any primary lessons to this narratively flimsy but strangely overwhelming story. What disturbs me the most about Passion of The Christ, other than the fact it's one of the most violent films i've ever seen and the subject matter at hand, is that I actually quite enjoyed it. From the technical side of things, it's breathtaking. The most being the incredibly done cinematography and Jim Caviezel's inspirational performance as the titiluar messiah. Jesus' torture I suspect will be difficult for some to digest but it is often exploitive to the audience as much as Christ. Due in most part to the fact it's a religious figure being tortured, and expecting us to know the back story already to establish an emotional connection without being given a character insight pre to the gory exploitation sequences. However even though the film has unbelievably very little substance, maybe it leaves the moral for us as an audience to decide, and I stand by my own opinion that it's a film about ambition and hope.
Super Reviewer
Passion of the Christ is actually an average film with good acting. I enjoyed the film, but didn't think it was a masterpiece. Jim Caviezel portrays Jesus Christ, and gives us a great performance. However the film is very violent as it shows the final hours in the life of Jesus Christ.. Compared to Gibson's Braveheart, The Passion of the Christ, this film is not as great as that one. Passion of the Christ plays out like a two hours torture flick more than anything. The film doesn't offer anything new in terms of telling is Jesus Christ's final hours, as we've all heard what happened a million time over. The cast do a great job, and the film is harrowing and difficult to watch. I liked the film, but I don't see it as a flawless film like so many people have seen this. The Passion of the Christ is a good film, but I felt that it was a hard film to watch because of the graphic violence. Despite my opinions on this film, I thought this was a well acted and directed film. For those looking for a good historical film, then this is your film. Passion of the Christ is a hard film to watch that is brilliantly acted, but as a whole, it didn't really stand out as an epic film. The film is worth watching, but like I previously stated, is one that will make you feel uncomfortable due to how violent it is. Not one of Mel Gibson's best films, but definitely not his worst, Passion of the Christ is a film that will have an effect on you no matter what religious convictions you have.
More
Super Reviewer
The Passion of the Christ Quotes
- Jesus Christ:
- It is finished.
- Jesus Christ:
- My heart is ready.
- Pontius Pilate:
- What is truth, Claudia? Do you hear it, recognize it when it is spoken?
- Claudia Procles:
- Yes, I do. Don't you?
- Pontius Pilate:
- How? Can you tell me?
- Claudia Procles:
- If you will not hear the truth, no one can tell you.
- Caiphas:
- I ask you now... Jesus of Nazareth. Tell us, are you the Messiah, the son of the living God? [everyone waits to hear]
- Jesus Christ:
- I AM. And you shall see the son of man sitting at the right hand of the power of God... and coming on the clouds of heaven. [everyone becomes shocked]
- Caiphas:
- Blasphemy! [tear his cloth in half] You have heard him, there is no need for witnesses! What is your verdict?
- 2nd Elder:
- Death! Give him death! [everyone begins to beat Jesus up and spit on him]
Discussion Forum
Discuss The Passion of the Christ on our Movie forum!