Putting "The Passion" in perspective

[Paragon]

http://www.suntimes.com/output/answ-man/sho-sunday-ebert07.html

Q. Why not put a little perspective on the "Passion" box-office figures by comparing it to the biggest religious movie hits of all time, "The Robe," "Ben-Hur" and "The 10 Commandments"?

According to the Web site BoxOfficeMojo.com (go to www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/adjusted/), the adjusted, modern-day grosses for those films are $394 million, $590 million and $789 million respectively (and the American population was lot smaller back then).

I don't think Mel's film will even come close. Heck, even the latest "Lord of the Rings" film only clocks in at No. 49 on the all-time list.

Jim Judy, Washington, D.C.


A. Wow, you're right. It's three places below "The Bells of St. Mary's."

[izzie]

1. I still am not going to see it as,,,,,,,

I have seen enough painting of that and it is really not what the man was about.The right wing just love all that blood and all the bad in the Bible.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. I won't go see it either

I don't like gore and violence. That wasn't Jesus's message, anyway.

[muchacho]

3. I was gonna see it..

then I heard there was no car case scene.

[SpaceCatMeetsMars]

4. And no other religious film can beat "The Ten Commandments"

for great campy fun.

[lefty_mcduff]

5. So let it be written, so let it be done.

n/t

[SpaceCatMeetsMars]

6. A few fun trivia facts about "The Ten Commandments"

--In adjusted-for-inflation gross, this movie is the top grossing movie in the US that has not benefited from multiple releases. It is generally in the top 3 to top 10 of all-time top grossing films (depending on who made the list and how they accounted for re-releases), adjusted for inflation.

--14,000 extras and 15,000 animals were used in the production of the movie.

--The illusion of the Red Sea parting was achieved by using the same technique perfected for DeMille's version of Ten Commandments, The (1923): two blocks of gelatin were placed side-by-side, melted with blow-torches and shot in extreme close-up, and the footage was then seen in reverse.

--Ann Baxter's character's name was changed from Nefertiti to Nefertiri because Cecil B. DeMille was afraid people would make "boob" jokes.

--There is a longstanding rumor that future Cuban dictator Fidel Castro (I) is an extra in this film, possibly playing a soldier. In her book "My Lucky Stars", Shirley MacLaine recalls asking Castro if he indeed was in the film, and receiving an ambiguous answer.

[Mari333]

8. The best part of the Ten Cs movie for me

is the pagans dancing around the golden calf having a semi faux orgy..what a hoot..
and Edward G Robinson , who I always expect to pull out a submachine gun from under his robe.

[SpaceCatMeetsMars]

11. I love Edward G. Robinson too and also

Vincent Price is hilarious as the evil rat-snitch, and Yul Brynner is one of my all time-faves as well. And Anne Baxter is the greatest vamp.

[Mari333]

13. That movie is what made the Lions and Eagles clubs stick

all those Ten Cs monuments all over the front lawns of courthouses, and now we have this consitutional war going on to remove them
Perhaps the Passion will create a similar phenomenon..
Giant bloody flagellation statues of jesus with pieces of flesh falling on courthouse lawns?
wait. Catholic churches when I was a kid already have them.
My mother made us watch Bernadette of Lourdes everytime it was on. I kept trying to envision myself as a saint, and even dressed up in robes and went into the woods to see visions, but, alas, all I ended up seeing was trees and an occassional squirrel.

[SpaceCatMeetsMars]

18. I missed the Bernadette one

I did use to be fascinated with the blood and gore in the Saint's pictures and the crucifix and statues with the snakes in church. I also thought the devil lived under my bed, like most Catholic children. Then my mother went Fundie and things got even more scary, with all the end of the world stuff!

As an adult, I learned more about Jesus and his teachings through books, so have no interest in seeing "The Passion," mainly because I don't like Mel Gibson movies anyway and have more interest in something more intelligent on the topic.

[Mari333]

20. Oh ya this is old hat for some of us 50's catholic kids

seen all the gore already. Sheesh. St Catherine having her boobs cut off because she demanded she stay a virgin, St Bartholomew being roasted on an open pit, St Martin with arrows in him and bleeding to death
seen it all, no biggie for a pre Vatican 2 Catholic kid. Luckily, I sought therapy when I grew up..!

[SpaceCatMeetsMars]

21. Ah, I grew up in the

sixties and seventies, so was post-Vatican II! Wonder why more people aren't discussing Gibson's being against those basic reforms in all the reviews. To me he obviously wants to take people back to those days of fear and guilt.

There must be a lot of people who don't even know about him and his extreme regressiveness. I think a few people have made the connection between repressed sexuality and violence and what probably motivates this guy, but not many. He HAS expressed himself to be quite the homophobe for one thing!

[Solomon]

7. I saw the movie and it's gross. Gross gross gross.

The story is about life, Mel turned it into a story about death.
It had to be done however as I believe that "Jesus" is now becoming his own anti-christ. A culture war is looming about "Jesus". This is the beginning of the process whereby all former "gods" are trashed to make way for the new.

"Jesus" has been hijacked and is now used by people to justify war, death and destruction, something the opposite of what he represents.
As a physical force in the world, "Jesus" is NOT the "way and the life" right now. His time is up!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=111&topic_id=19470

[bryant69]

9. Well

I'm not sure in an election year we want to trumpet the slogan "Jesus's Time is Up."

Interesting theory, but I don't buy it myself.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[Solomon]

10. I'm not advocating that we "trumpet" it. I'm just merely stating an

observation. The manifestations of "God" always change with the times. "Jesus" is no different. He's had about 2,000 years and shortly his time will be up. Maybe he was good for the time he was created for, but he is not so good anymore. The hypocrits will cause him to crumble as they continue to insist that he is a war god.
History shows this over and over. Old "gods" are trashed when it becomes apparent that they no longer fit the times. The same thing will happen to "Jesus".

[bryant69]

12. And some crazy Republicans

Think that we liberals are anti Christian. Boy are they crazy!

Actually I personally believe you couldn't be more wrong; but then I am a Christian.

And I also don't believe that your personal philosphy is standard for liberals.

[Muddleoftheroad]

15. His time won't be up till Judgment Day

Believe what you wish, but hundreds of millions of Christians disagree.

[Solomon]

17. Hey Muddle. I was wondering where you were.

Check this out.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=111&topic_id=19470

[kar_the_terrible]

14. here's the problem with 'Passion'

Im not a Christian, so when I saw 'Passion' all I saw was a man being lashed to a cross and being tortured ... fortunately for me I had some knowledge of what the religion says to know what preceded and followed the events in the movie.. my girlfriend did not. I think the movie tells you to fill in the blanks with whatever you feel... WHICH IS VERY BAD. So people who think that the Jews did it are going to say.. "See? we told you so!", and we all know the 'Faith' supposedly being reaffirmed in people. As far a people of other religions are concerned who know nothing of the gospel..... they're going to think the guys who made the movie are some kind of sadists.

Ben Hur, and the Ten commandments are somewhat different.. they're the movies that prompted me to inquire more about another religion? Had I seen the passion beofre any of these movies, I would have gone the other way

[UTUSN]

16. My Puny Personal Boycott of the Movie

In a couple of weeks' confusion about whether to see it or not (was leaning FOR), I was decided by two people: O'REILLY and my elderly unofficial-nun sister, both of whom said that it was "nothing new" to anybody steeped in the traditionalist Cath scheme of things, except for the violence. So I decided to withhold the $7.50 from Saint Mel and his father. If these dudes reject Liberal John XXIII, whose changes from back THEN are not sufficient NOW, then I reject the GIBSON world view. Instead, I spent the money on alternative theology: Holy Blood, Holy Grail; The Templar Revelation; and Bloodlines of the Holy Grail. Am just starting them after finishing Kevin PHILLIPS's American Dynasty.

[SpaceCatMeetsMars]

19. Exactly, Pope John was the best thing to happen to the

Catholic Church and hopefully, there will be more progress instead of going backwards like Gibson and his friends want to. Too much fear and repression and not enough love and compassion is going around in this country.