MEL GIBSON'S GREAT PASSION:
Christ's Agony as You've Never Seen It

ROME, MARCH 6, 2003 (Zenit.org).- Oscar winning actor-director Mel Gibson
is in Rome these days, working on a film on the passion of Christ at the
Cinecittà studios. The movie focuses on the last hours of Christ's life
and stars Jim Caviezel ("The Thin Red Line," "Angel Eyes," "The Count of Monte
Cristo") as Jesus. Gibson granted the following exclusive interview to ZENIT.

Q: What made you decide to do this project?

Gibson: It's been slowly coming on for about 10 or 12 years now. I'm a
pretty old guy, but if you go back 12 years I was 35. That's when I
started to investigate the roots of my faith. I had always believed in God, that
he existed, and I was brought up to believe in a certain way. But in my middle years, I kind of drifted, and other things took center
stage. At that point, I realized I needed something more if I was going
to survive. A closer investigation of the Gospels, of the story, of the whole
piece, was demanded of me. That's when the idea started to percolate inside my head. I began to see
it realistically, re-creating it in my own mind so that it would make sense
for me, so I could relate to it. That's what I want to put on the screen.

Q: So many movies about the life of Christ have already been made. Why make
another one?

Gibson: I don't think other films have tapped into the real force of this
story. I mean have you seen any of the others? They are either inaccurate
in their history, or they suffer from bad music or bad hair. This film
will show the passion of Jesus Christ just the way it happened. It's like
traveling back in time and watching the events unfold exactly as they
occurred.

Q: How can you be sure that your version is so accurate?

Gibson: We've done the research. I'm telling the story as the Bible tells
it. I think the story, as it really happened, speaks for itself. The
Gospel is a complete script, and that's what we're filming.

Q: This seems like a switch from the usual Mel Gibson productions. Your
specialty is action, adventure and romance. What made you decide to do a
religious film?

Gibson: I'm doing what I've always done: telling stories I think are
important in the language I speak best: film. I think most great stories
are hero stories. People want to reach out and grab at something higher,
and vicariously live through heroism, and lift their spirit that way.
There is no greater hero story than this one -- about the greatest love one
can have, which is to lay down one's life for someone. The Passion is the
biggest adventure story of all time. I think it's the biggest love-story
of all time; God becoming man and men killing God -- if that's not action,
nothing is.

Q: Who will want to see a film like this?

Gibson: I think everyone will. The story has inspired art, culture,
behavior, governments, kingdoms, countries -- it has influenced the world
in more ways than you can imagine. It's a pivotal event in history that has
made us what we are today. Believers and nonbelievers alike, we have all
been affected by it. So many people are searching for meaning in life,
asking themselves a lot of questions. They'll come looking for answers.
Some will find them, some won't.

Q: So this film isn't only for Christians?

Gibson: "Gandhi" was a blockbuster hit, but it wasn't just for Hindus.
This film is for everyone. For believers and nonbelievers, Jesus Christ is
undoubtedly one of the most important historical figures of all time.
Name one person who has had a greater impact on the course of history.

Q: But if this film is focused on bringing the Gospels to life, won't it be
offensive to non-Christians? For example, the role of the Jewish leaders
in Jesus' death. If you depict that, won't it be offensive?

Gibson: This isn't a story about Jews vs. Christians. Jesus himself was a
Jew, his mother was a Jew, and so were his Twelve Apostles. It's true
that, as the Bible says, "He came unto his own and his own received him not"; I
can't hide that. But that doesn't mean that the sins of the past were any
worse than the sins of the present. Christ paid the price for all our
sins. The struggle between good and evil, and the overwhelming power of love go
beyond race and culture. This film is about faith, hope, love and
forgiveness. These are things that the world could use more of,
particularly in these turbulent times. This film is meant to inspire, not
to offend.

Q: Even so, some people are going to think that you just want to "push your
beliefs on others." Is that true?

Gibson: I didn't invent this story. I do happen to believe it. It's
something that just gets inside of you and has to come out. I'm just
trying to tell it well, better than it's ever been told before. When you're
dealing with non-fiction, a director's responsibility is to make it as
accurate as possible. Open-minded people will appreciate it for what it
is.

Q: What about the violence? Won't people find some of the more graphic
scenes inappropriate?

Gibson: Some people might, but, hey, that's the way it was. There is no
gratuitous violence in this film. I don't think anyone under 12 should go
see it -- unless they're a very mature 12-year-old. It's pretty heavy.
I think we have gotten too used to seeing pretty crucifixes on the wall and
we forget what really happened. I mean, we know that Jesus was scourged,
that he carried his cross, that he had nails put through his hands and
feet, but we rarely think about what this means. Growing up I didn't realize what was involved in this. I didn't realize
how hard it was. The full horror of what Jesus suffered for our redemption
didn't really strike me. Understanding what he went through, even on a
human level, makes me feel not only compassion, but also a debt: I want to
repay him for the enormity of his sacrifice.

Q: What about the language barrier? You're filming in two dead languages --
Latin and Aramaic -- and you're not planning to use subtitles. Won't that
be a turnoff?

Gibson: Caravaggio's paintings don't have subtitles, but people get the
message. The Nutcracker Ballet doesn't have subtitles, but people get the
message. I think that the image will overcome the language barrier.
That's my hope. I'm just trying to be as real as possible. There is something
kind of startling about watching it in the original languages. The reality
comes out and hits you. Full-contact. I know we are only re-creating, but
we are doing the best we can to simulate an experience of really being
there. And I think it's almost counterproductive to say some of these things in a
modern language. It makes you want to stand up and shout out the next
line, like when you hear "To be or not to be" and you instinctively say to
yourself, "That is the question." But if you hear the words spoken as
they were spoken at the time, it can kind of stun you. I've seen that happen when we're working. It gets a
clarity to it through the acting, through the nuances of the characters,
the movement of the camera -- it's the movement, it's the timing, it's
everything. All of a sudden it's very, very clear to me. That's when I
cut and move on.

Q: When you finish this project, will it be a letdown to go back to less
sublime subject matter?

Gibson: No, it will be a relief to do something that's a little lighter.
There is a tremendous burden of responsibility in this one, not to sell
anything short. I just hope I can do justice to the story. You can't
please everybody, but then again, that's not my goal.