The Passion of the Christ: A Look Back at Mel Gibson's Controversial Biblical Movie

      We examine the background of The Passion of the Christ…

      The Passion of the Christ has been surrounded by controversy since its announcement. While some viewers took issue with the film’s graphic violence and perceived anti-Semitic themes, many others praised Mel Gibson’s unique vision and his achievements with the film. Now, 20 years after its release, we reflect on the divisive religious movie and the behind-the-scenes events that underscore the difficult and often arduous nature of its production, as well as the remarkable occurrences that took place during filming.

      Mel Gibson invested his own finances into the project

      Released in 2004, The Passion of the Christ was Mel Gibson's second directorial effort. He made a significant impact with his 1995 epic Braveheart, but afterwards returned to acting in popular films like Lethal Weapon 4, Payback, and The Patriot. After a near decade-long hiatus from directing, Gibson chose to reinterpret the Passion story for today's audiences. However, when he sought financial support from major studios, all of them declined due to the film’s controversial subject.

      Seven major studios, including 20th Century Fox, Columbia Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Paramount Pictures, Universal Pictures, Walt Disney Pictures, and Warner Bros., opted out rather than participate in the project. Ultimately, Gibson and his company, Icon Productions, solely financed the film, investing approximately $30 million in production and an estimated $15 million on marketing.

      Mel Gibson warned Jim Caviezel about the role

      Prior to his breakthrough in Terrence Malick’s World War II film The Thin Red Line, Jim Caviezel mainly took on supporting roles. He was then approached by director Mel Gibson to take the lead in The Passion of the Christ. However, Gibson issued a serious warning, cautioning Caviezel that he might struggle to find work in the future. This concerned Caviezel enough to reconsider joining the film, but when a friend reminded him that he shared the same initials as Jesus Christ and would be 33—Jesus's age at His death—during filming, he decided to accept the role. Later, Caviezel revealed that since then, Hollywood has largely shied away from casting him in substantial roles.

      Caviezel faced intense challenges during filming

      To say Jim Caviezel endured a tough experience while filming would be an understatement. In various interviews, he shared the hardships he encountered on the set of The Passion of the Christ. Among the difficult situations he faced were a painful shoulder dislocation when the 150-pound cross fell on him, two accidental whip strikes during the scourging scene that left him with a 14-inch scar, contracting pneumonia due to exposure to freezing Italian winter conditions (with temperatures around 25°F/-4°C and 30-knot winds), and suffering from debilitating migraines caused by depth perception issues from one eye being covered in make-up. And that’s not all…

      Caviezel was struck by lightning multiple times

      Jim Caviezel was struck by lightning twice during the filming of the movie. These incidents occurred while shooting the Sermon on the Mount scene and during the crucifixion sequence. His hair ignited when he was hit, yet he miraculously sustained no serious injuries. During this same scene, assistant director Jan Michelini, who went to check on Caviezel afterward, was also struck by lightning.

      Originally, the film was not meant to have subtitles

      In various interviews, Mel Gibson expressed that his initial aim was to release The Passion of the Christ without subtitles, allowing the performances to convey the narrative through “filmic storytelling.” Given the familiarity of the Passion story, Gibson believed he should avoid contemporary languages and remarked on this unusual creative choice, stating: “I think it’s almost counterproductive to say some of these things in a modern language. It makes you want to stand up and shout out the next line, like when you hear ‘To be or not to be’ and you instinctively say to yourself, ‘That is the question.’” Nonetheless, subtitles were ultimately added prior to the movie's release for audiences to understand the dialogues spoken in Latin, Hebrew, and Old Aramaic.

      This film was Mel Gibson’s first venture into screenwriting

      A well-known actor in Hollywood, Mel Gibson successfully transitioned to directing with Braveheart. With The Passion of the Christ, he took on the added responsibility of co-writing the film with Benedict Fitzgerald. Utilizing the Gospel narratives of the New Testament as their primary source, Gibson and Fitzgerald initially penned the script in English before it was translated into Latin and reconstructed Aramaic by Professor William James Fulco of Loyola Marymount University. Fulco sometimes included intentional mispronunciations and incorrect word endings when characters spoke a language unfamiliar to them.

      At times, Jim Caviezel slept in full body makeup

      For the scourging scenes, it took the makeup team over ten hours to apply Jim Caviezel's extensive makeup. This included effects that depicted