The Passion of the Christ (2004)

All Critics (266) | Top Critics (51) | Fresh (134) | Rotten (137) | DVD (34)

If I were a Christian, I'd be appalled to have this primitive and pornographic bloodbath presume to speak for me.

March 5, 2008 Full Review | Comments (84)

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

Top Critic

A negative and spiritually underwhelming experience.

February 9, 2006 Full Review | Comment (1)

Wally Hammond

Time Out

Top Critic

[Gibson's] film, virtually stripped of Jesus's incandescent views, is little more that a record of one of the thousands of barbarities committed by the Romans in Judea.

March 18, 2004 Full Review

Stanley Kauffmann

The New Republic

Top Critic

Mr. Gibson has gone to a lot of sweat and expense to make a movie that doesn't say much of anything new.

March 4, 2004 | Comments (2)

Rex Reed

New York Observer

Top Critic

Whereas the words say love, love, love, the sounds and images say hate, hate, hate.

March 4, 2004 Full Review | Comments (6)

Andrew Sarris

New York Observer

Top Critic

Puts us in a situation where we can't help but feel Jesus's pain. If only Gibson had taken the time to tell more of us why it mattered.

February 27, 2004 | Comments (11)

Michael O'Sullivan

Washington Post

Top Critic

Extremely violent, and powerful; for mature teens.

December 28, 2010 Full Review | Comments (3)

Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Gibson's passion is all over this film...but his resorting to mawkish, superficial tactics blows the tone off-course from time to time.

August 24, 2010 Full Review

Jay Antani

Cinema Writer

With a passionate zeal and the budget to back it, Mel Gibson has created a religious epic which is equally unique, inspirational, and repellent.

July 6, 2010 Full Review

Matthew Pejkovic

Matt's Movie Reviews

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.

August 26, 2009 Full Review | Comments (16)

Cole Smithey

ColeSmithey.com

I love Jesus of Nazareth and Bible movies. This movie just plain tried too hard and used too many horrible devices.

April 29, 2009 Full Review | Comment (1)

Felix Vasquez Jr.

Cinema Crazed

All [Gibson has] done...is to trade in the Hollywood conventions of yesteryear for the crasser, more bloodthirsty conventions of today.

May 17, 2008 Full Review | Comments (2)

Thomas Peyser

Style Weekly (Richmond, VA)

I emerged from The Passion of the Christ depressed and spiritually bruised.

March 5, 2008 Full Review | Comments (44)

Philip French

Observer [UK]

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?

March 5, 2008 Full Review | Comments (5)

Jamie Russell

Film4

For a filmmaker who wants to create an adaptation of the story of Jesus, Mel Gibson's motives seem ironically impure.

July 14, 2007 Full Review

Joe Lozito

Big Picture Big Sound

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.

October 5, 2006 Full Review | Comments (2)

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

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.

September 27, 2006 | Comments (4)

Peter T. Chattaway

Christianity Today

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.

August 16, 2006 Full Review | Comments (3)

Jordan Hiller

Bangitout.com

Director Gibson tends toward populist impulses without much artistry or invention; he prefers bombardment to poetry.

May 26, 2006 Full Review | Comment (1)

Jeffrey M. Anderson

Combustible Celluloid

A tormented movie about torment; loopy, over-reaching and occasionally suspicious. Simultaneously, it is a daring artistic endeavour.

April 1, 2006 Full Review

Ian Nathan

Empire Magazine

• 1. Jesus Christ: It is finished.
  – Submitted by Alexandria P (21 days ago)
• 1. Jesus Christ: My heart is ready.
  – Submitted by Jared B (9 months ago)
• 1. Pontius Pilate: What is truth, Claudia? Do you hear it, recognize it when it is spoken?
  2. Claudia Procles: Yes, I do. Don't you?
  3. Pontius Pilate: How? Can you tell me?
  4. Claudia Procles: If you will not hear the truth, no one can tell you.
  – Submitted by Junko L (15 months ago)
• 1. Caiphas: I ask you now... Jesus of Nazareth. Tell us, are you the Messiah, the son of the living God? [everyone waits to hear]
  2. 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]
  3. Caiphas: Blasphemy! [tear his cloth in half] You have heard him, there is no need for witnesses! What is your verdict?
  4. 2nd Elder: Death! Give him death! [everyone begins to beat Jesus up and spit on him]
  – Submitted by David O (17 months ago)
• 1. Jesus Christ: Peter. [asking the disciples up] You could not watch one hour with me?
  2. John: Master, what has happened to you? Should I call the other Lord?
  3. Jesus Christ: No John. I don't want them to see me like this.
  4. James: Should we flee Lord?
  5. Jesus Christ: Stay here. Watch... pray.
  – Submitted by David O (17 months ago)
• 1. Jesus Christ: Take this and drink. This is my blood, spilled for you and for many. Do this in memory of me.
  – Submitted by Chris P (2 years ago)