Mel Gibson movie about crucifixion of Jesus Christ
Mel Gibson brings movie to city's church leaders
By KAMON SIMPSON- THE GAZETTE
www.gazette.com/popupNews.php?id=408774
Actor Mel Gibson has been getting closer to God.
On Thursday, that led him to Colorado Springs, where he visited New Life Church and Focus on the Family and previewed his upcoming film, “The Passion.”
Gibson, star of such films as the “Lethal Weapon” series and “Braveheart,” said it was his Christian faith that inspired “The Passion,” which depicts the final 12 hours in the life of Christ.
“I’m not a preacher and I’m not a pastor,” Gibson said. “But I really feel my career was leading me to make this. The Holy Ghost was working through me on this film, and I was just directing traffic. I hope the film has the power to evangelize.”
Although the film won’t be released until March, Gibson brought it to Colorado Springs — a national hub of evangelical Christianity — for one day to make sure its depiction of the Gospel was acceptable to leaders at Focus on the Family and to hundreds of church leaders, including Ted Haggard, New Life’s pastor and president of the National Evangelical Association.
“It conveys, more accurately than any other film, who Jesus was,” Haggard said based on clips he viewed at New Life. “You can’t help but be upset when you realize the gravity of what Jesus went through.”
As a Hollywood superstar, Gibson carries quite a bit of gravity himself. As word spread he was at Focus on the Family screening the film, almost 300 giddy staff members and visitors gathered outside the visitor’s center, hoping to catch a glimpse and get an autograph.
Gibson financed the $25-million film, which is seeking a distributor. He co-wrote the script, directed and produced the movie, which stars James Caviezel, a lesser known actor, as Christ.
On Thursday, he received feedback on the film, which has generated a buzz because it was shot in the Aramaic language of the time. Gibson, who has said the film will “transcend language barriers with visual story telling,” wants to release it without subtitles.
But subtitles were in place during Thursday’s showing for a small audience at the Focus on the Family visitor’s center, and local religious leaders told him those subtitles should stay in place to help spread the movie’s message to those not familiar with the story.
Based on the reaction of those who saw the film, they enthusiastically endorse it.
“I was very impressed,” said Don Hodel, president of Focus on the Family. “It’s certainly the most powerful portrayal of the passion I’ve ever seen or heard about. The movie is historically and theologically accurate.”
Wearing a gray shirt and black slacks, Gibson appeared on stage at New Life Church before the screening to address an audience of more than 800 ministers gathered for the Life Giving Leadership Conference, an annual event.
He was candid in relating how events more than a decade ago led him to become a more committed Christian.
“I’ve been pastor at New Life Church for 18 years, and I don’t remember anyone displaying a fear of God on our platform the way Mel did today,” Haggard said.
A Catholic, Gibson attended Mass every morning during shooting because “we had to be squeaky clean just working on this,” he said.
“It was a strange mixture of the most difficult thing I’ve ever done, along with this incredible ease,” Gibson said. “Everyone who worked on this movie was changed. There were agnostics and Muslims on set converting to Christianity.”
When Haggard thanked Gibson for making the film, Gibson said, “I was afraid not to.”
I've gotta say - I do admire Gibson for making this film. It was obviously an important project for him.