Several notable Americans who have seen the film offer candid remarks in favor of it. We've assembled them here because they've largely been ignored by the liberal news media, who promote the agenda of the movie's enemies.

• Charles Chaput - Archbishop, Denver, CO
  
• Linda Chavez - President, the Center for Equal Opportunity
  
• Matt Drudge - Internet reporter and proprietor of the Drudge Report
  
• Joseph Farah - Internet editor and CEO of World Net Daily
  
• John P. Foley - Archbishop; Pres. Council of Social Communications
  
• Kathie Lee Gifford - Former co-host: Live with Regis and Kathie Lee
  
• Jack Graham - President, the Southern Baptist Convention
  
• Ted Haggard - President, the National Association of Evangelicals
  
• Don Hodel - President, Focus on the Family...
  
• David Horowitz - Pres. Center for the Study of Popular Culture
  
• Dario Castrill?n Hoyos - Cardinal; Prefect Congregation for the Clergy
  
• Deal W. Hudson - Publisher and editor of Crisis magazine
  
• David Limbaugh - Attorney; author, Absolute Power
  
• Rush Limbaugh - Nationally syndicated radio personality
  
• Michael Medved - Film critic; former synagogue president
  
• Barbara R. Nicolosi - Screenwriter; columnist
  
• Michael Novak - Theologian; chair, American Enterprise Institute
  
• Robert Schuller - Host, The Hour of Power television program
  
• Cal Thomas - Nationally syndicated columnist; political speaker
  
• Jack Valenti - President, the Motion Picture Association of America

Charles Chaput, OFM Cap.

Archbishop of Denver; CO

"an extraordinary work of art and extraordinarily faithful to the Gospels."

Return to Index

Comments of Archbishop Charles Chaput, as interviewed by Thom Beal of the Rocky Mountain News:

Beal: You defended Mel Gibson's film The Passion of Christ from the charge of anti-Semitism before seeing it.

Chaput: I have since seen it.

Beal: At the time, you hadn't seen it when you warned critics not to rush to judgment.

Chaput: I don't know what the final version of the movie is going to look like because I saw a rough cut.

Beal: And what do you think?

Chaput: I thought it was an extraordinary work of art and extraordinarily faithful to the gospels. If I was critical of the film's detractors it's because I think it's unwise for any group to try to intimidate either the church or people of Mel Gibson's faith from speaking very clearly what they believe to be true. You know anti-Semitism is a terrible sin; it's a sin the church has repented from and will need to continue to repent from if and when there are examples of it in church life. But to clearly proclaim our belief that Jesus is the messiah and that he suffered, died and rose from the dead is for us something we have a duty to proclaim. We can't be intimidated from proclaiming it. It seems to me the rush to judge the film before it was even completed was an act of intimidation to prevent Christians from doing what they need to do.

I can't speak for Mel Gibson, of course, but I think making the movie was for him an act of faith. I think it's a hugely significant personal venture for him. I think it's important for him to listen to the criticisms that come his way, but I also think he should be free to pursue his best judgments on the matter.

Beal: The Anti-Defamation League and Rabbi Marvin Hier, the dean and founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, have also objected to the film on the grounds that it is anti-Semitic and that, once released to the public, it could inflame anti-Semitic sentiment.

Chaput: I don't agree. I think some members of the Jewish community have felt that any passion play, any depiction of the passion whatsoever, automatically begins in anti-Semitism. If such a case occurred the church would act to show how it is wrong and a sin. But with Gibson's film, certainly the version I saw, this isn't the case.

Linda Chavez

President, Center for Equal Opportunity; syndicated newspaper columnist and political analyst; author; head of the Civil Rights Commission for the Reagan Administration

"The Passion of Christ is an incredibly powerful interpretation of Christ's last hours on earth."

Return to Index

Comments of Linda Chavez:

Two weeks ago, I was invited to a private screening of a rough cut of the film at the Motion Picture Association in Washington, D.C. While I certainly can't lay claim to being a Biblical scholar or an authority on anti-Semitism, I do think much of the controversy is overblown, fed by fear -- some of it legitimate in the context of a recent increase in anti-Semitism in Europe and elsewhere.

The movie is both beautiful and harrowing. The dialogue is entirely in Aramaic and Latin with few subtitles, but the story is familiar enough not to need much interpretation for anyone who has read the Gospels....

While Caiaphas and most of the Pharisees are cast as antagonists in the film, other Pharisees are seen leaving the Sanhedrin trial in disgust when some witnesses make obviously false charges against Jesus. All of the protagonists of the film are Jews as well, and Gibson's movie shows a very Semitic-looking Jesus, actor James Caviezel, not a fair-haired, blue-eyed version like those depicted in most previous movies. The only characters who come off as demented sadists are the Roman soldiers who torture Christ after Pilate orders him beaten -- and these truly seem to be possessed of the Devil, who appears as a specter-like character throughout the film.

"The Passion of Christ" is an incredibly powerful interpretation of Christ's last hours on earth. It is clearly a project of love on Gibson's part, one that should inspire -- not anti-Semitism -- but much soul-searching on the part of Christians as to their own culpability in Christ's suffering.

Matt Drudge

Internet reporter and proprietor of the Drudge Report; author of The Drudge Manifesto

"This is the ultimate film. It's magical."

Return to Index

Comments of Matt Drudge -
Interview on MSNBC's Buchanan & Press:

This is the ultimate film. It's magical. Best picture I have seen in quite some time, and even people like Jack Valenti were in the audience in tears at this screening. There was about 30 of us. It depicts a clash between Jesus and those who crucified him, and speaking as a Jew, I thought it was a magical film that showed the perils of life on earth...

[On those who have attacked The Passion of Christ] They haven't seen the darn film and those of us, every single person in there, and I'm not talking about tears, I'm talking total tears. It is something Mel Gibson stood back at the end and took questions for about an hour, and he is -- he told me he's tired of Hollywood. That this is it. He's going to do it. He's going to do it his way, and this film, I tell you, is magic. It's a miracle. It's a miracle...

It's the best picture I have seen in a long time and just don't take my word for it. You will see it. Total tears by grown men and women in Washington, D.C. in the middle of a summer afternoon.

Joseph Farah

Internet editor and CEO of WorldNetDaily.Com

"a monumental artistic achievement by a filmmaker of increasing stature.?This is Mel Gibson's artistic triumph."

Return to Index

Comments of Joseph Farah:

I saw a movie this week that moved me, changed me, inspired me and deepened my faith.

I was blessed to be part of a small group of people invited to a screening in Washington of Mel Gibson's "The Passion of Christ"...

Before seeing the picture, I had read quite a bit about this movie. I had read it was controversial. I read some considered it anti-Semitic. I had read there was great concern expressed over the story.?

But let me tell my Jewish friends: You have nothing to worry about in this movie. Drop it. Forget it. Don't waste another minute concerning yourselves with it. It is a wonderful, inspirational Christian movie that in no way takes any potshots at the Jews as a people.

It is a thoughtful, sobering, accurate recounting of the torture, death and resurrection of Jesus as told in the Gospels. Nothing more. Nothing less.?

To take issue with this movie is, essentially, to take issue with the Gospels, to take issue with the Christian faith and to take issue with a monumental artistic achievement by a filmmaker of increasing stature.?

Yet, the New York Times has tried to savage the movie. The New Republic is attempting to do it now. Others will certainly jump into the fray, having been stirred to passion by Abraham Foxman and the ADL.

They will all fail. They will all look foolish in the end. This is Mel Gibson's artistic triumph. It is his spiritual triumph. It is an act of faith that I believe will be rewarded.

It's time to get out of the way. It's time to let the artists finish this movie their way. It's time to stop all the idle gossip about it. It's time, simply, to wait ? to give this film a chance to speak for itself.

John Foley

Archbishop; President, Council of Social Communications, Vatican City

"very faithful to the Gospel."

Return to Index

Comments of Archbishop John P. Foley:

From what I could see of the trailers, it seemed to be an excellent film.

I don't think they would be well-founded criticisms because all the material in the film comes directly from the Gospel accounts. There's nothing in the film that doesn't come from the Gospel accounts.

If they're critical of the film, they would be critical of the Gospel.

Foley acknowledged that he had not seen the entire film, but said "in what I saw there was nothing objectionable. It was very faithful to the Gospel."

Kathie Lee Gifford

Former co-host of the TV talk show, Live with Regis and Kathie Lee; singer

"the most powerful film ever made."

Return to Index

Comments of Kathie Lee Gifford:

All I saw was a 4 minute trailer from the film but that was enough for me to predict that Mel has made the most powerful film ever made -- it is simply indescribable. Mel is being unfairly persecuted for making this film by the very same people who scream "bigot," "intolerant," "racist" at everybody else. It's a sad commentary on this world that he is being so tormented for something that he has every right to do -- as an artist in a free country and a devout Catholic in a country where he is supposed to have the freedom to express and practice his own faith. And he's made the movie with his own money! Mel has amazing conviction and courage and I'm truly inspired and encouraged by him. Please let him know if you feel the same way -- he deserves all the encouragement we can give him.

Jack Graham

Pastor, Prestonwood Baptist Church, Dallas; President, Southern Baptist Convention

"The movie is biblical, powerful and potentially life-changing."

Return to Index

Comments of Dr. Jack Graham:

The movie is biblical, powerful and potentially life-changing.

The thing that I'm most excited about is the opportunity it's going to give those of us who preach the cross to explain the meaning of the cross and message of the cross to untold millions of people who are going to be asking questions about the cross and why Jesus died....

There's no question it is the most hard-hitting display and demonstration of the crucifixion. The movie clearly portrays Christ as laying down his life voluntarily. Jesus was laying down His life in love for the sins of the world. "No man takes my life from me, but I lay it down of my own accord."

Gibson portrayed Jesus as crawling, laying Himself down on the cross. It was an incredible demonstration of the love of God and the heart of Jesus to give Himself as a sacrifice.

Ted Haggard

Pastor, New Life Church, Colorado Springs, CO; President, National Association of Evangelicals; author of Confident Parents, Exceptional Teens and other books

"Mel Gibson is the Michelangelo of this generation."

Return to Index

Now, I didn't know about the other sources, but I do know Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and the reason Mel Gibson was here is he wanted to know if we thought the movie was consistent with the account in Matthew, Mark, Luke And John. And I can tell you it is a beautiful, wonderful account. It stays very closely to the scripture?Mel Gibson is an incredible artist. He's done a wonderful job communicating a great story.

Mel Gibson is the Michelangelo of this generation.

Don Hodel

(pictured with wife, Barbara)
President, Focus on the Family; Secretary of Energy and of the Interior for the Reagan administration; past president, Christian Coalition

"the most powerful portrayal of the passion I?ve ever seen or heard about."

Return to Index

I was very impressed. It?s certainly the most powerful portrayal of the passion I?ve ever seen or heard about. The movie is historically and theologically accurate.

David Horowitz

President, Center for the Study of Popular Culture; editor, Front Page; author, Radical Son and other books

"It is as close to a religious experience as art can get."

Return to Index

Comments of David Horowitz:

It is an awesome artifact, an overpowering work. I can't remember being so affected by a film before. It is extremely painful to watch and yet the violence is never gratuitous. You never feel like you want to take your eyes off the screen. It is a wracking emotional journey which never strays from its inspirational purpose. It is as close to a religious experience as art can get.

It is not anti-Semitic, as the film-burners have charged. Two illustrative details: Jesus is referred to in the film as "rabbi," and there is never any distancing of Jesus or his disciples from their Jewishness. (One point missed by ignorant bigots like Fredericksen whose only familiarity with The Passion of Christ is with a stolen script) is that while the film is in Aramaic -- a brilliant effect that enhances the symbolic resonance of the story -- it has subtitles. Second detail: A Jew carries Jesus' cross along the terrible route to Golgotha and shares his miseries. But yes the film is also faithful to the Gospels and therefore the Pharisees are Jesus' enemies and they and their flock do call for Jesus' death (and why wouldn't they since Jesus was a threat to their authority and their beliefs?).

But all this is to miss the point. This is a Christian parable. The cruelty, intolerance and lack of compassion of human beings is limitless -- and we who have lived through the Twentieth Century know this all too well. The moral of this Christian story -- of Mel Gibson's film -- is that we all killed Jesus -- Jew and Gentile alike -- and tortured him, and we do so every day. But if you believe the vision that Gibson has rendered so searingly and so well, Jesus forgives us for that very act. Whosoever will give up cruelty and love his brother will enter paradise. That is the message that Gibson has framed in his extraordinary work. The effort to shut down his film before it opens is just another station of the cross.

Dario Castrill?n Hoyos

Cardinal; Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy, Vatican City

?It is a film that leads the viewer into prayer and reflection, into heartfelt contemplation.?

Return to Index

Comments of Dario Cardinal Castrill?n Hoyos:

?Gibson?s artistic choices make the film faithful to the meaning of the Gospels, as understood by the Church.?

as interviewed by Italian journalist Antonio Gaspari:

Antonio Gaspari: I understand that you have already seen Mel Gibson?s new film, The Passion of Christ. What were your impressions?

Cardinal Castrill?n Hoyos: As I watched this yet unfinished version of the film, I experienced moments of profound spiritual intimacy with Jesus Christ. It is a film that leads the viewer into prayer and reflection, into heartfelt contemplation. In fact, as I told Mr. Gibson after the screening, I would gladly trade some of the homilies that I have given about the passion of Christ for even a few of the scenes of his film.

Gaspari: So many films have already been made about the life of Jesus Christ. What is the value of this one?

Castrill?n Hoyos: With this film, Mr. Gibson has achieved something truly extraordinary. He has used the marvelous technology available through our modern means of communication to make the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ come alive for the people of our times. What is more, the film as a work of art ? the performances, the dazzling cinematography, the sounds, lighting, and pacing? is just as powerful as the message it contains.

Gaspari: Even six months before the expected release date ?The Passion of Christ? has stirred up a great deal of controversy. Do you have any reservations in recommending the film?

Castrill?n Hoyos: I would like all our Catholic priests throughout the world to see this film. I hope all Christians will be able to see it, and all people everywhere.

Deal W. Hudson

Publisher and editor of Crisis, a monthly Catholic magazine; columnist; author of The Future of Thomism

"I've just witnessed the rebirth of great Catholic art in our time."

Return to Index

Comments of Deal W. Hudson:

It's going to be a classic. It's going to be the go-to film for Christians of all denominations who want to see the best movie made about the Passion of Christ.

I've just witnessed the rebirth of great Catholic art in our time.

From an aesthetic standpoint, the film is beautiful. Its visual narrative carries traces of the long tradition of Christian art, from the very earliest Christian styles and medieval iconography up to pre-Raphaelite images. As for the casting, it's fabulous: The faces of the actors carry the movie. Only two are even moderately well-known stars, Jim Caviezel as Jesus and Monica Bellucci as Mary Magdalene. Both are powerful in their roles, but the face of Maia Morgenstern, playing the role of Mary, the mother of God, will stay with you the rest of your life. She makes you forget you're watching a movie.

The movie is both beautiful and brutal, and frankly, it isn't easy to watch in places (especially the scourging scene). You want to turn away, but then you see that Mary, His mother, is watching... and so you continue to watch as well.

And what about all the alleged anti-Semitism? I didn't see any kind of anti-Jewish bias in the film. If anything, it was the unspeakable brutality of the Roman soldiers that enraged me. Of course, that doesn't make me hate modern-day Italians. Nor do I hate the French when I see a film about the brutality of the French Revolution. Simply put, there's no reason to be concerned that this movie will spark any sort of anti-Jewish campaign.

The Passion of Christ is a great work of art. Mel Gibson has given a beautiful gift to the Church and to God.

David Limbaugh

Internet columnist; attorney; author of the book, Absolute Power

"viewing it makes you feel almost like a live witness to the historical events as they unfolded."

Return to Index

Comments of David Limbaugh:

The movie, which depicts the final 12 hours in the life of Jesus Christ, was so deeply moving and profound one cannot do justice to it by attempting to describe it in words.

The closest I can come to a description is to say that viewing it makes you feel almost like a live witness to the historical events (abbreviated from 12 hours to two hours) as they unfolded. It was not like watching a movie from a detached perspective, but being inescapably drawn into the realism of the action.?

Certain Jewish groups are criticizing the movie, saying it is anti-Semitic and will inflame anti-Semitic sentiments among those who view it. While anti-Semitism in the world is real and we've even witnessed a disturbing resurrection of its infernal irrepressibility throughout the world in recent years, this movie is not an example of it. Quite the opposite.

The movie endeavors to show the historical events "as they went down," without any editorial comment or innuendo, and especially without judgmentalism. It is not about blame and finger pointing, but love and redemption. It does not convey a message of selective condemnation, but universal hope. After all, as sinners, we are all culpable in Christ's death, as Gibson points out, careful to confess his own responsibility.

I believe one of Mel Gibson's main purposes is to use the medium he knows best to spread the Gospel message, which is essentially one of love and eternal life. And the way Gibson has decided to share that message is to focus on the price Christ paid to redeem mankind. ?

Rush Limbaugh

Nationwide radio personality, author of The Way Things Ought to Be and other books

"My stepdaughter cried for the last thirty percent of the movie. It's that powerful."

Return to Index

I really didn't want to give you all the details of the movie, but I did want to tell you its effect on us. My stepdaughter cried for the last 30% of the movie, for example. It's that powerful.

It is very intimate. It doesn't matter if you're religious or atheistic or a snake handler. This movie will hit you in the gut. It has themes about man's inhumanity to man. It's also about one man standing by what he believes to be true - no matter the cost - and enduring.

Michael Medved

Film critic; former synagogue president; radio commentator; columnist; author of Hollywood vs. America and other books

"intense, persuasive, believable, by far the most moving, substantive and successful adaptation of Biblical material ever attempted by Hollywood."

Return to Index

Comments of Michael Medved:

Recently, I watched a rough version of this work in progress, and it represents by far the most moving, substantive, and artistically successful adaptation of Biblical material ever attempted by Hollywood.

washingtonpost.com: Michael Medved, welcome to washingtonpost.com. You have seen this unfinished movie. First off, how is it as a film? Is it well-done, believable? Second, the controversy. Can you explain what that is all about? Michael Medved: Yes, I have seen the movie. As a work of film it's remarkable, though flawed. Most Biblical movies are laughable -- reminiscent of "The Life of Brian" -- but "The Passion of Christ" is intense, persuasive, believable. The controversy, meanwhile, centers on charges from people who have never seen any version of the film that it is anti-Semitic. Those charges are unfair and inappropriate, in my opinion.

Anti-Semitic charges: But you admit that Mel Gibson has not allowed Jewish leaders (Foxman, etc.)-- who have specifically requested to see it -- to be at a screening? Nobody would confuse them for film critics, if that is what Gibson is worried about. Michael Medved: He has excluded people who have condemned his film publicly before they even saw it. That makes sense to me. I don't see that Abe Foxman and Co. have displayed the least bit of open-mindedness or good faith.

Washington, D.C.: What concessions were made in order to find a distributor? Rating? Michael Medved: I know of no concessions that have been made or will be made. Mel is trying to make the greatest film he can, with uncompromised and uncompromising integrity.

Washington, D.C.: Well how does the film portray the Jews? Specifics, please? Michael Medved: For specifics, read the Gospels (particularly John and Matthew). The term "the Jews" is never used in the film since nearly all its characters are, of course, Judean (with a few brutal Romans in the mix as colonial oppressors).

Washington, D.C.: Why did Gibson decide to make this movie? Michael Medved: He's a devoted Catholic, the father of seven. He wanted to use his fame, celebrity and power for a higher religious purpose.

Washington, D.C.: Barbara Nicolosi described Passion by saying "It is a devout, act of worship from Mel and his collaborators -- in the way that Handel's Messiah and Notre Dame were artistic acts of worship in previous times." Do you agree with that assessment? Michael Medved: Handel's "Messiah" is a timeless masterpiece that will live forever. Gibson's movie is a superior and emotionally devastating work of cinematic art. Is it on the same level as "Messiah"? Probably not, but I can't think of a movie (certainly not a Biblical movie) that is.

Barbara R. Nicolosi

Screenwriter; columnist; Director, Act One: Writing for Hollywood, an educational program to train Christian screenwriters for mainstream entertainment industry careers

"The Passion of Christ is high art. It is the greatest movie about Jesus ever made. The Passion is a miracle."

Return to Index

Comments of Barbara R. Nicolosi:

The Passion of Christ is a stunning work of art. It is a devout act of worship from Mel and his collaborators - in the way that Handel's Messiah and Notre Dame were artistic acts of worship in previous times.

Let's get the controversy out of the way right at the top. The film is faithful to the Gospel, particularly St. John. It is no more anti-Semitic than is the Gospel. There are at least two members of the Sanhedrin who come forward to protest on Jesus' behalf during the sham trial. The Romans are just as guilty of cruelty and hatred against Jesus in the film. And best of all is a final look right into the camera of Mary, holding her dead Son. She is looking at all of us with a kind of , "Look what you've done"/This is for you" expression. A cinematic Pieta worthy of Michelangelo.

Having seen the film now, I can only marvel that the attacks are pretty much demonic. Hopefully, the devil will end up spitefully biting his own tail on this one-- as he does in The Passion of Christ by inciting on the executioners of Christ, and thus being complicit in his own ultimate defeat. The Passion of Christ is high art. It is the greatest movie about Jesus ever made. In the discussion following the film, Mel and co. were asking us how mainstream theater audiences would react to the film. I told them, "Who cares? What you have here is so much more than just a product to sell. It will live forever, regardless of whether it is a commercial success for you or not."

For those of us who love Jesus, The Passion of Christ is devastating to watch. It is so good, I almost couldn't stand it. There is one moment on the way of the cross sequence, in which the whole tragedy unfolding devolves into a vicious riot of hatred between Romans and Jews with the Savior on the ground in the middle of it getting it from both sides. It was so frenzied and terrible, I wanted to run from the room...

Every Christian needs to see this film at least once. Just to remember, in our current comfort zones while evil is closing in, the price that was paid for us. On my way home from the screening, I found myself praying in the car, "Jesus, I'm so sorry, I forgot..." How many films have led you to compunction lately? The Passion of Christ is a miracle.

Michael Novak

Theologian; George Frederick Jewett Chair in Religion and Public Policy at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, Washington, DC; author; diplomatic service for Democratic and Republican administrations

"the most powerful movie I have ever seen. 'The Passion of Christ' dwarfs any previous biblical film."

Return to Index

Comments of Michael Novak:

It is the most powerful movie I have ever seen. In the days since watching that rough cut, I have not been able to get the film out of my mind. Although I have read many books on the death of Jesus, and heard countless sermons dwelling on its details, I would never have believed a human being could suffer as much as Gibson's Christ does. Seen through the perspective of the mother of Jesus, as this film allows the viewer to do, the suffering is doubly painful--for with her, we watch the unbearable scourging, gustily delivered by the Romans at Pilate's orders nearly to the point of death...

On the cross, the Christ of Gibson's movie is offering forgiveness, reconciliation, and unity. To blame his suffering on others' sins, instead of one's own, would be to join the boisterous soldiers who inflicted on him all the pain that viewers will hardly be able to watch...

The sounds of the unfamiliar tongue put the viewer outside any one time or place, in a kind of timeless, universal space. The mood "The Passion of Christ" generates is meditative and contemplative. The tone is awe. One finds one's emotions hushed. For minutes after the film ended, the audience at the showing I attended did not speak or move. We felt part of an indescribably important human moment. We had been drawn into an axial point of silence and wonder.

Such is the power of a genuine work of art--and in its artistic integrity, "The Passion of Christ" dwarfs any previous biblical film.

But the making of a film about the death of Jesus Christ is a public event, and it has public consequences that need to be considered. Before I saw "The Passion of Christ," I was sympathetic to the worries about the film strongly expressed by the Anti-Defamation League and other Jewish organizations.

On August 8, representatives of the Anti-Defamation League attended a private screening of the rough cut in Houston and, on August 11, released a new statement that still attacks the film "in its present form." Their interpretation of the movie does not square with the film I saw.

Dr. Robert Schuller

Pastor, Crystal Cathedral, Garden Grove, CA; host, The Hour of Power television program; author, Turning Hurts into Halos and other books

"a powerful masterpiece."

Return to Index

You have a powerful masterpiece here.

Cal Thomas

Nationally syndicated columnist;
political speaker

"a soul-stirring film that deserves wide distribution and viewing."

Return to Index

As one who has seen virtually every modern biblical epic - from Cecil B. DeMille's The Ten Commandments to the two-part Jesus miniseries on CBS three years ago - I can say The Passion of Christ is the most beautiful, profound, accurate, disturbing, realistic and bloody depiction of this well-known story that has ever been filmed.

It is a soul-stirring film that deserves wide distribution and viewing. Its message is not just for Christians, but for everyone.

Jack Valenti

President, the Motion Picture Association of America; author, essayist and lecturer

"genuinely moving, serious, a compelling tale..."

Return to Index

I don't see what the controversy is all about. This is a compelling piece of art. I just called Kirk Douglas and told him that this is the movie to beat.

You can quote me?Mel Gibson's The Passion of Christ is not anti-Semitic...I found it genuinely moving, serious, a compelling tale.