Cash converters
More than spiritual: a cross outside Hollywood
Controversy over religious art is as old as the Bible itself – but it’s never been quite so profitable. Mel Gibson’s new movie The Passion of the Christ, dubbed the ‘Jesus Chainsaw Massacre’, has caused uproar. Critics have condemned it for portraying ‘pornographic’ violence and for being antisemitic, and Gibson predicted that it could end his career. In reality it grossed $125 million within a week of opening in the US and looks set to be a huge box-office success.
With amazing commercial acumen, Gibson has won support from the highly influential US Bible Belt community while enjoying bucket-loads of free publicity from the press debate about whether the film is hostile to Jews. There’s nothing like a good old-fashioned outrage to get bums on seats.
Always look on the bright side
The film, released in Britain on 26 March, is just one in a tradition of controversial biblical movies. The 1979 Monty Python film, Life of Brian, about a man who is constantly mistaken for Jesus, almost didn’t happen. The financial backers pulled out just days before filming was due to start because they were worried about the irreverent humour of the script.
When the film was finally made, religious leaders in America queued up to condemn it as ‘foul’, ‘blasphemous’ and ‘a disgraceful assault on religious sensitivity’. The complaints turned out to be the making of the movie: it opened in 600 cinemas rather than the originally planned 200 and grossed $140,034 in the first weekend.
In the UK, Christian groups began to picket Life of Brian before it was released, and some councils banned it from local cinemas. The Python team admit that the critics, far from damaging the film, gave it valuable publicity. John Cleese even joked on a US chat show: ‘They have actually made me rich. I feel we should send them a crate of champagne.’
Human frailty
Martin Scorsese’s 1988 movie, The Last Temptation of Christ, in which Jesus makes love to Mary Magdalene in a fantasy sequence, was always likely to attract criticism as it was based on the controversial 1955 novel by Nikos Kazantzakis. The author was excommunicated by the Greek Orthodox Church and the book was banned by the Catholic Church.
Condemned by virtually every Christian denomination in Britain and beyond, the film was picketed, boycotted, subjected to protests and bomb threats, and excluded from the titles carried by the huge Blockbuster Video chain. Even so, it grossed nearly $8.4 million in the US charts. Sixteen years on, it is still receiving critical acclaim and continues to be sold on DVD and video and shown in independent cinemas and TV.
Even Franco Zeffirelli’s 1977 six-hour epic, Jesus of Nazareth, attracted some hostile comment, despite its traditional depiction of Christ’s life. Critics said that the winsome, white, blue-eyed Jesus played by Robert Powell, was a Hollywood invention. Historians believe that, coming from the Middle East, the real Jesus would probably have had darker, curly hair, dark eyes and dark-skin. Despite this probable inaccuracy, the movie sticks closely to accepted religious teachings and nowadays is even recommended as a teaching guide for churches and Bible classes.
Troubling tradition
Mel Gibson’s new film, could be seen as part of a long tradition of ‘Lenten art’, covering the final period of the life of Jesus, from his arrival in Jerusalem to the crucifixion and resurrection. Since the Middle Ages, Passion Plays have depicted Christ’s last days – the Last Supper, being deserted by his disciples, then carrying his own cross up the hill, to die a criminal’s death.
Gibson’s movie takes the Passion Play to its utmost extreme, illustrating Christ’s suffering in horrifying detail. Hitler is said to have watched the world famous Passion Play in Oberammergau in Bavaria, Germany, where it has been performed every 10 years since 1634. It is claimed that Hitler said that the play sparked off his hatred of the Jews.
Critics have argued that Gibson’s movie is whipping up antisemitism by showing bloodthirsty Jews baying for the torture and death of Jesus Christ. Historians contest that the Jews played any such role in the story. Gibson, though, says he was ‘inspired by the Holy Spirit’ to produce The Passion of the Christ.
Now, as movie experts predict that this could be the highest grossing movie of all time, it is clear that, whatever the truth of the matter, your bank balance benefits greatly if you have God on your side.
