 When this Latin and Aramaic language film was announced, Mel Gibson stated that his intent was to release it without subtitles, letting the performances speak for themselves. However, subtitles were added later. Also, he stated that regardless of the cost of the project, that this would be "good for the soul".
During the scourging scene, James Caviezel accidentally got whipped twice. The first time knocked the wind out of him, and the second time hurt so much it caused him wrench his hand quickly from his shackles, scraping his wrist badly.
In an interview with Newsweek magazine, James Caviezel spoke about a few of the difficulties he experienced while filming. This included being accidentally whipped twice, which has left a 14 inch scar on his back. Caviezel also admitted he was struck by lightning while filming the Sermon on the Mount and during the crucifixion, experienced hypothermia during the dead of winter in Italy.
Assistant director Jan Michelini was also hit twice by lightning during filming.
James Caviezel experienced a shoulder separation when the 150lb cross dropped on his shoulder. The scene is still in the movie.
The figure of Christ during the crucifixion is actually James Caviezel, despite popular rumors - no animatronics were used. However, according to the movie`s official website, the movie`s make-up effects creator/producer Keith VanderLaan forged an articulated, rubber stand-in for Caviezel who could be suspended on the cross for certain wide shots to allow the actor some physical relief.
According to Mel Gibson, Maia Morgenstern, who played Mary, was pregnant during the shoot. She didn`t tell anyone, until one day she approached James Caviezel (Jesus) and said in broken English and a thick Romanian accent, "I have baby. In stomach."
It`s Mel Gibson`s hands that nail Christ to the cross during the Crucifixion scene. The decision for his small cameo in the film was explained by a quote from Gibson who said "It was me that put him on the cross. It was my sins [who put him there]."
On the first day of general release, Ash Wednesday, Peggy Scott, a 56 year old advertising sales manager from Wichita, Kansas collapsed of apparent heart failure while watching the crucifixion scene. She later died at the hospital.
This film had more pre-ticket sales than any other film in history.
Mel Gibson had a Canadian priest, Fr. Stephen Somerville, celebrate the Traditional Roman Catholic Latin Mass of the Apostolic Rite for the film crew each day before production began.
The film begins without opening credits. The title of the film is stated only in the closing.
James Caviezel was given a prosthetic nose and a raised hairline. His blue eyes were digitally changed to brown on film.
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# Foreseeing damage to box office, its release in Mexico had to be moved one week earlier (from March 25 to March 19) because pirate copies were already available a few days after it premiered in the USA.
Maia Morgenstern, who plays Mary (mother of Jesus), is only six years older than James Caviezel.
Mel Gibson`s foot was used in the scene where Mary Magdalene touches Jesus` foot.
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# There are several specifically Catholic influences in the film, such as the prominent role of Jesus` mother Mary; the Stations of the Cross; the floating cross on which Jesus was crucified; and the depiction of Satan.
In a rarity for Hollywood releases, re-entered the #1 spot at the box office for the weekend of Good Friday, 2004.
Malaysia did not ban the film as is commonly believed. The Malaysian government allowed Christians to the film. Tickets were allowed to be sold only by Christian churches.
Mel Gibson has stated that he will give $100 million of the film`s gross to the Traditional Catholic Movement.
During production the film was originally supposed to be titled simply "The Passion". However in October 2003, it was revealed the Miramax studios already had a movie in production with that title. Mel Gibson retitled the film "The Passion of Christ". He retitled it yet again a month later in November 2003 to "The Passion of the Christ".
This is the highest-grossing rated R film in US box office history earning $370 million.
This is the highest grossing foreign language film and/or subtitled film in US box office history. It is also the highest grossing religious film in worldwide box office of all time.
While the characters of the film mostly speak Latin and Aramaic, there are instances where Hebrew was spoken: a) The gathering of the Sanhedrin (Jewish chief Rabbis); b) Simon of Cyrene speaking; and c) The woman who gave water to Jesus to his way to Golgotha.
It would usually take over 10 hours to put James Caviezel into the scourged makeup.
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# Banned in Kuwait and Bahrain, for religious reasons (forbidding visual depictions of a prophet, as Jesus is considered a prophet in Islam, not the Son of God).
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# A year after the film`s initial release, a "toned-down" version retitled as "The Passion Recut" was released. Though some of the more graphic elements were removed, the MPAA still assigned the movie an "R" rating - so the version was distributed to theaters as "unrated".
Because of their experiences during film production, many of the cast and filming crew converted to Catholicism after the completion of the film. Among those who converted was an atheist who played Judas Iscariot.
The Bible verse from Isaiah 53:5 which appeared in the beginning of the film ("He was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; by His wounds we are healed") is abbreviated. Here is the full verse for those who are not familiar with the Bible: "But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed" (ESV).
A new type of fake blood with added viscosity was developed for Jesus` scourging makeup, which contained red dyes suspended in glycerin, fatty gums and a stabilizing base. It coincidentally made James Caviezel`s skin smell very sweet for numerous days, and had to be rubbed with alcohol.
Mel Gibson`s first writing credit.
# Originally, the second confrontation between Pilate and the Sanhedrin included a line where the Sanhedrin say, "His blood be on our heads and on the heads of our children!" Although this line comes from the Gospels, Mel Gibson removed the subtitle of the line to avoid further allegations of the movie having an anti-Semitic message. The actual line in Aramaic was left in the movie.
At actual Roman crucifixions, the nails were driven through the wrists and not through the palms as in the film. The structure of the hand is not strong enough to support the weight of the body and the nail would have torn through between the fingers. However, the Christian tradition shows the nails as driven through the palms. In the Bible, the nails were said to be driven into the hands of Jesus. Medically, the hands include the wrists. - Edit: Recent study of ancient crucifixions have revealed that it is likely that the nails were in fact driven through the hands as opposed to the wrists. The hands have a nerve running through the middle of them that would have caused unbelievable amounts of pain when the nail was driven through. To support the body`s weight, ropes were tied at the wrists and the elbows to tie them to the crossbeam, then the legs were broken causing the weight of their body to pull on the upper body, eventually resulting in death by slow suffocation.
Rated #1 of the 25 most controversial movies of all time. Entertainment Weekly, 16 June 2006.
According to the one of the commentaries available on the recently released "Passion of The Christ - The Definitive Edition" DVD, it`s Mel Gibson`s arms and hands we see tying the rope on the tree where Judas commits suicide by hanging himself.
SPOILER: In addition to the hand cameo in the scene where Jesus` hands are nailed to a cross, the film`s composer (John Debney) said in a magazine interview that Mel Gibson recorded the sound effects - cries and screaming - mixed with the music during the scene where Judas commits suicide.
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