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The controversy surrounding a film about the last twelve hours of Jesus of Nazareth’s life and crucifixion hasn't done anything to reduce takings at the box office.

The Passion of the Christ, the controversial feature directed, produced and co-written by Mel 'Mad Max' Gibson is opening across the UK. This extraordinary film currently holds the No.1 position at the US Box Office - a position it holds after nearly four weeks of release. So far the masive success of the picture means its running total now stands at $273, $272 and $465 Million

That means it has achieved the biggest five day US opening in the country's box office history, taking $125.2 Million and beating its nearest rival - Oscar winning Tolkien adaptation The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, which took $124.1 Million in December of last year.

Jesus of Nazareth

The Passion of the Christ is a film about the last twelve hours of Jesus of Nazareth’s life. The film opens in the Garden of Olives (Gethsemane) where Jesus has gone to pray after the Last Supper. Jesus resists Satan’s temptations.

Betrayed - as foretold in the scriptures - by Judas Iscariot, Jesus is arrested and taken back to within the city walls of Jerusalem where the leaders of the Pharisees confront him with accusations of blasphemy and his trial results in a condemnation to death.

The film is also the highest grossing independent film ever in the US beating My Big Fat Greek Wedding, which accumulated a total $241 Million at the US Box Office

In addition to this, it is also the highest grossing subtitled movie ever to be released in the US, even taking more than Ang Lee's Cow Yun Fat martial arts masterpiece Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon which accumulated a total $128 Million at the US box office. To top even that, the films' official website has also now recieved over half a billion hits!

Here's what some of the critics said about the film on it's initial release:

"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." - Emanuel Levy (EmanuelLevy.Com).

"Despite controversies swirling around the movie, one cannot deny that Gibson has made a stunning film, beautifully photographed in contrasting dark and golden hues by Caleb Deschanel." - Claudia Puig (USA Today).

"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?" - Jamie Russell (Channel 4 Film).

"If I were a Christian, I'd be appalled to have this primitive and pornographic bloodbath presume to speak for me." - Jonathan Rosenbaum (Chicago Reader).

"Mel Gibson shows once again that he's skilled at depicting violence. But you'd be hard pressed to find evidence of 'tolerance, love and forgiveness' that the director-co-writer insists he's trying to communicate." - Gene Seymour (Newsday magazine).

"...any power these explicit scenes have is in any case undermined by the absurd tweeness of the final moments." - Peter Bradshaw (The Guardian newspaper).

"It's a head-bashing experience, by turns exhausting, exhilarating, and infuriating." - Mark Kermode (Sight and Sound magazine.

"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." - Michael O'Sullivan (The Washington Post newspaper).

Biblical Times On Screen

The life of Jesus Christ has been portrayed many times previously on celluloid, drawing on Biblical sources to a lesser and greater extent. Here’s a few of the more notable (or should that be ‘notorious’ given the sensitive nature of the subject matter?) examples include:

Jesus Of Nazareth (1977)

Oscar nominee Franco Zeffirelli directs Jasper Carrot’s current sidekick (in TV’s The Detectives) and one time cast member of TV’s fictional eco-watchdogs Doomwatch, Robert Powell, as Jesus. This is a widely acclaimed version of the New Testament story, widely hailed by both critics and religious leaders worldwide.

This ambitious movie – which was a hit as a syndicated TV mini series across the globe - takes the viewer from before the birth of the Messiah, to the Crucifixion and beyond, witnessing his Resurrection. A star-studded international cast was assembled to portray the twelve apostles and the sinners and the saved, including: Olivia Hussey; Anne Bancroft; James Mason; Ian McShane; Laurence Olivier; Michael York (Logan's Run, Cabaret); Claudia Cardinale; Donald Pleasence; Christopher Plummer; Anthony Quinn; Ernest Borgnine; James Earl Jones; Ian Holm and Rod Steiger.

The Last Temptation Of Christ (1988)

Directed by Martin Scorsese (Goodfellas, Taxi Driver, Mean Streets, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Gangs Of New York, Casino etc...) and filmed entirely on location in Morocco, with a screenplay based on Greek philosopher Nikos Kazantzaki's controversial novel of the same name.

Hailed by US TV film critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert as "The Best Film of 1988" The Last Temptation Of Christ brings to life an alternative view of the life of Jesus Christ – principally portraying his vision of leading a normal human lifetime, rather than accepting his death.

The all-star cast includes Harvey Keitel (Reservoir Dogs, Mean Streets, Taxi Driver), Barbara Hershey, Harry Dean Stanton, David Bowie and stars Willem Dafoe (Light Sleeper) as Jesus.

Jesus Christ Superstar (1973)

Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's lavish stage musical was brought to life on the big screen by Norman Jewison – who produced and directed the picture. Arguably best known for the superb James Caan vehicle (the original) Rollerball. Stars Ted Neeley, Carl Anderson and Yvonne Elliman.

Filmed entirely on location – this time in Israel, the story once again focuses on the last week of Christ's life, his betrayal and crucifixion. The spin on the tale – songs aside – this time is that the action is seen from the point of view of Judas Iscariot.

Jesus Of Montreal (1989)

Lothaire Bluteau; Catherine Wihening; Johanne-Marie Tremblay and Remy Girard star in Denys Arcand's French language film based around a group of actors rehearsing and performing a new interpretation of the Passion for the stage. A huge hit all over the world Jesus Of Montreal won great acclaim at Cannes upon its release – where it won the Grand Prix.

The Robe (1953)

Directed by Henry Koster, The Robe is a true epic of – quite literally - Biblical proportions. The very first film to be made in Cinemascope, it portrays both the followers and opponents of Jesus after his death – and the ways they are affected by the robe handed down by him at his death on the cross. Starring hollywood heavyweights in the shape of Richards Boone and Burton, Dean Jagger, Victor Mature, Michael Rennie and Jean Simmons.

Monty Python’s The Life Of Brian (1979)

Terry Jones directs as well as features in the third feature film from BBC TV’s Monty Python’s Flying Circus team. Not actually a film about the life of Christ at all - that’s the point of the films central gag - The Life Of Brian manages to lampoon the Roman occupation, satirise Hollywood's depiction of all things biblical and have an anarchic poke at the perils of blindly following the crowd. Also stars John Cleese, Eric Idle, Graham Chapman, Terry Gilliam and Michael Palin.

There are rumours that the Python team are thinking of re-releasing 'The Life Of Brian in theatres, to coincide with the release of The Passion of The Christ in the UK. Time will tell.

The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)

Directed by George Stevens, David Lean and Jean Negulesco and featuring Max von Sydow (The Seventh Seal, Crimes and Misdemeanours, Flash Gordon) as Jesus Christ. Starring alongside the lead is a phenomenal cast, including: Michael Anderson Jr. Carroll Baker, Ina Balin, Martha of Bethany, Pat Boone, Victor Buono, Richard Conte, Joanna Dunham, José Ferrer, Van Heflin, Charlton Heston (Planet Of The Apes, The Omega Man, Ben Hur) as John the Baptist, Martin Landau (Space 1999, Crimes and Misdemeanours, Ed Wood), Angela Lansbury (Murder She Wrote), Janet Margolin and future Man From Uncle/Invisible Man star David McCallum, as the arch betrayer, Judas Iscariot.

Read a complete feature about The Passion of The Christ here.

Visit the official website: www.thepassionofthechrist.com

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