Wednesday, February 25, 2004
All the Reviews for The Passion of The Christ
"This is the most powerful, important and by far the most graphic interpretation of Christ's final hours ever put on film."
-- Richard Roeper, EBERT & ROEPER
"Irrespective of your religious beliefs, Mel Gibson’s brutal depiction of the most renowned story of sacrifice and love is distressing to the very core."
-- Urban Cinefile Critics, URBAN CINEFILE
"As a work of cinema, The Passion of the Christ possesses a majestic beauty within its horror, one that comes most effectively through a tiny, solitary drop of rain."
-- Collin Souter, EFILMCRITIC.COM
"The Passion of the Christ is a rare thing indeed, then: a work of art that succeeds as a film, as a message, and, yes, as a labor of love."
-- Eric D. Snider, ERICDSNIDER.COM
"If this will be the most watched version of the Passion in history, then Gibson, through a passion of his own, has met an enormous responsibility head-on with a job well done."
-- Craig Roush, KINNOPIO'S MOVIE REVIEWS
"The Passion doesn't suffer from the airless, pious airs that drag down most biblical dramas: It has a muscular, pounding energy and lyrical, almost gothic beauty."
-- Rene Rodriguez, MIAMI HERALD
"The buzz is that this film is a life changing experience, and is anti-Semitic. I disagree on both counts. It is however, a powerful and effective illustration of John 3:16."
-- John Venable, SUPERCALA.COM
"One thing is certain: Gibson has delivered a film so visceral, so unwavering in his commitment, that it makes most other Jesus movies look pale and tepid."
-- Robert Trussell, KANSAS CITY STAR
"Intense."
-- Bob Strauss, LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS
"This is a good film, well-made, well-told and it is clearly a personal triumph for Mel Gibson."
-- Peter Sobczynski, CRITIC DOCTOR
"Controversy aside, it is dramatically intense, skillfully constructed and often harrowing, in ways that should have an impact on people of any or no particular faith."
-- Chris Vognar, DALLAS MORNING NEWS
"...captivating and provocative in its exquisite spirit. The Passion of the Christ is an ambitious and visceral undertaking that demands acceptance."
-- Frank Ochieng, THEWORLDJOURNAL.COM
"[A] stunning film, sometimes remarkably moving — at times sublimely beautiful, often sickeningly brutal, but never banal, nor specifically blameful."
-- Austin O'Connor, LOWELL SUN
"An unquestionable work of conviction that should outlast the controversy and trigger constructive dialogue for years to come."
-- Sean O'Connell, FILMCRITIC.COM
"A powerful, wrenching experience that makes all previous films on the subject, from The King of Kings (1927) to Jesus Christ Superstar (1973), look like Sunday School pageants, and it's not for the squeamish or the immature."
-- Jim Lane, SACRAMENTO NEWS & REVIEW
"The bottom line is that The Passion of the Christ is an astonishing cinematic achievement, utterly riveting from start to finish."
-- David Nusair, REEL FILM REVIEWS
"Never dull -- no mean feat, given that it spends two hours telling a story whose end is widely known -- and features performances that range from coarsely effective to phenomenal."
-- Maitland McDonagh, TV GUIDE'S MOVIE GUIDE
"Religion is always a delicate and personal issue, but great filmmaking is great filmmaking, period."
-- Kevin N. Laforest, MONTREAL FILM JOURNAL
"Diminishing returns set in after the first series of beating, but the film is a stunner, a must-see whatever your beliefs."
-- Harvey S. Karten, COMPUSERVE
"An all-consuming force. It never lets up."
-- Jeffrey Huston, MIXED REVIEWS
"Despite controversies swirling around the movie, one cannot deny that Gibson has made a stunning film, beautifully photographed in contrasting dark and golden hues by Caleb Deschanel."
-- Claudia Puig, USA TODAY
"There are scenes in The Passion that will remain forever with those who see it."
-- Terry Lawson, DETROIT FREE PRESS
"A film of artistic ambition and devotion."
-- Lisa Kennedy, DENVER POST
"Will rightfully be considered a landmark achievement not only for the passionate responses it is causing but because Gibson was able to give one of the oldest and best-known stories in literature such contemporary resonance and power."
-- Louis B. Hobson, JAM! MOVIES
"Powerful and upsetting."
-- Chris Hewitt, ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS
"Even though it is relentlessly intense, at times even deeply moving, The Passion ultimately leaves you numb."
-- Karen Hershenson, CONTRA COSTA TIMES
"A preeminently important cinematic expression of faith — probably one of the most important religious films of all time."
-- Steven D. Greydanus, DECENT FILMS GUIDE
"Using ancient languages, vivid images and visceral violence, Gibson has brought new life to one of civilization's oldest narratives."
-- Jack Garner, ROCHESTER DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
"You may not believe in the events that transpire in The Passion of the Christ, but it's hard to deny the grim potency with which they've been captured."
-- Phoebe Flowers, SOUTH FLORIDA SUN-SENTINEL
"It is, in a word, powerful."
-- Michael Elliott, MOVIE PARABLES
"A dramatically powerful statement."
-- Duane Dudek, MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL
"it's a brutally beautiful (or would that be beautifully brutal?), unnerving, and frustrating film that will undoubtedly offer up more questions than answers."
-- Spence D., IGN FILMFORCE
"The most compelling message of this unflinching, powerful, and haunting movie is that in Jesus' name we are obligated to extend our compassion to victims everywhere."
-- Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, SPIRITUALITY AND HEALTH
"Serves as a powerful condemnation of any organized religion that aspires to governance or allow clerics to preach contempt and whip sheepish followers into a frenzy."
-- Rob Blackwelder, SPLICEDWIRE
"Mel Gibson’s personal vision of the persecution and death of Christ is relentless, brutal... and brilliant."
-- David Foucher, HERE BOSTON
"One of the most overpowering experiences I've ever had in a movie theater, the film is a brutal, blood-soaked plea for compassion and forgiveness in the face of monstrosity."
-- Sean Burns, PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY
"Gibson makes many of the key scenes work."
-- Robert Denerstein, DENVER ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS
"The Passion of the Christ, while not a perfect film, will touch many emotions in those who see it. Some people may be offended, while others may be inspired. "
-- Bob Bloom, JOURNAL AND COURIER (LAFAYETTE, IN)
"Working with premier cinematographer Caleb Deschanel, Gibson effectively hurls us into Christ's living nightmare, creating a mesmerizing twilight zone that is creepy and utterly unforgettable."
-- Joe Baltake, SACRAMENTO BEE
"[Gibson] has made a serious, handsome, excruciating film that radiates total commitment."
-- Richard Corliss, TIME MAGAZINE
"Controversy aside, The Passion is ultimately a movie -- and a masterful one at that, obviously the work of an extremely talented filmmaker."
-- Paul Clinton, CNN
"A gripping, powerful motion picture -- arguably the most forceful depiction of Jesus' death ever to be committed to film."
-- James Berardinelli, REELVIEWS
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