The Passion of the Christ

The Passion of the Christ (or simply The Passion) is a 2004 biblical drama film produced, co-written and directed by Mel Gibson and starring Jim Caviezel as Jesus of Nazareth, Maia Morgenstern as the Virgin Mary, and Monica Bellucci as Mary Magdalene. It depicts the Passion of Jesus largely according to the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. It also draws on pious accounts such as the Friday of Sorrows along with other devotional writings, such as the reputed Marian apparitions attributed to Anne Catherine Emmerich. The film primarily covers the final 12 hours before Jesus Christ's death, consisting of the Passion, hence the title of the film. A sequel focusing on the resurrection of Jesus is in the works.

Plot
In this version of Christ's crucifixion, based on the New Testament, Judas expedites the downfall of Jesus by handing him over to the Roman Empire's handpicked officials. To the horror of his mother, Mary, Magdalen, whom he saved from damnation, and his disciples, Jesus is condemned to death. He is tortured as he drags a crucifix to nearby Calvary, where he is nailed to the cross. He dies, but not before a last act of grace.

Why It's Great

 * 1) It's one of, if not the most accurate representation of the Bible, as well as Jesus' Crucifixion.
 * 2) Phenomenal cinematography.
 * 3) While Jesus is getting tortured throughout the film, it actually looks like he's truly beaten up which makes the makeup amazing.
 * 4) Satan's appearance is actually terrifying and actually does scary things such as the infamous scene where he holds an ugly baby.
 * 5) The scene where Satan screams in his own defeat because Jesus died shows victory among Christians.
 * 6) It also depicts the Lord's Supper.
 * 7) Peter denying the Lord 3 times and Judas betraying Jesus and hanging himself on a land is also shown in the movie.
 * 8) The ending where Jesus has risen.
 * 9) Despite being made in the United States, it doesn't use the English language.

Bad Qualities

 * 1) It is extremely controversial, and is known to be one of the most controversial films to date, due to its violence. However, this was all done on purpose to accurately portray the Crucifixion. Mel Gibson, the film's director, even went as far as to say that the actual Crucifixion is far more violent than that of his film.
 * 2) It's not fully accurate, even though it manages to get many things right about the Crucifixion.
 * 3) * Satan doesn't actually spawn demons disguised as kids to torment Judas.
 * 4) * A very infamous example is where it showed Jesus making a table, which never happened in the Bible.
 * 5) The soundtrack can get extremely irritating to listen to, even at moments such as Jesus getting nailed to a cross.

Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 49% based on 278 reviews, with an average rating of 5.91/10.

Box Office
The film grossed over $612 million worldwide and became the seventh-highest-grossing film domestically at the end of its theatrical run. It is currently the highest-grossing Christian film of all time.