I have no real interest in seeing The Passion of the Christ, other than to see if it really is as violent as they say that it is.

One of my friends said that for her it wasn't that the torture scenes were gruesome--she said she expected that much... it was that the torture scenes never seemed to end. You'd reach a point where you felt some relief from the intensity of the scene...but then it would continue. Is this true?

But Apocolyptico, I do want to see. I've fascinated with that period in South American history right up to the invasion and occupation by the West.


How violent are Mel Gibson movies?

I saw Brave Heart many years ago when a friend of mine told me it had some very violent scenes. I didn't think the scenes were all that violent.

My favorite "violent" Mel Gibson movie, or better yet....my all time favorite Mel Gibson movie will always be Mad Max Part 2 ( known as "The Road Warrior" in some countries).
Great flic, unbelievably good action scenes. A classic.

Just wanted to dip in and say I saw "Edge Of Darkness" even though I hate the title and usually Mel, but that movie was dope.

I would have walked out of Passion of the Christ if I hadn't gone with friends. It was hideously gratuitous. I suppose if you're a christian it may have been meaningful, but I left wondering what the hell the point was. And thoroughly disgusted.

CarrieMpls said:

As a Christian, I agree it was very gratuitous and violent. I've read the point of it was to try to accurately depict what flogging and crucifixion was really like. I usually don't mind violence in movies, but this was one that I could barely watch.

The torture scenes in Passion of the Christ are too long indeed. I only watched a bit, but my father watched a bit more and he said they were just too much. He's not a Christian though, so it might make a difference

You should def go see Apocalypto, not a fan of Mel Gibson the director OR the actor, but that movie is the BEST thing he made.

It was def his saving grace for being such an overrated personality.

And not to turn this thread into a P&R bait, but the thing I was mostly disgusted with about The Passion, was the obvious outrageous lie regarding Jesus' ethnicity.

I mean c'mon, already how about giving folks some credit here instead of insulting their intelligence.

Harlepolis said:

Refresh our memory (it's been a while since I've seen it). How was his ethnicity portrayed? You mean the fact that a white dude (Jim Caviezal [sp?])played him?

You answered your own question

Aelis said:

A true christian should be the most disgusted with that movie

CarrieMpls said:

I went with 2 christian friends and they walked out ~

I thought it was terrible

paintsprayer said:

Probably As I said, I didn't watch the whole movie so I don't even have a "full" opinion and didn't want to say anything out of respect to those who might see more to it and have watched the movie entirely.

I think I'll hold off on watching Apocholyptico.
I've read that the movie ends with the introduction of the Spaniards in a symbolic statement that, "you deserved to be conquered" considering the opening line in the movie about how a nation is not conquered from without but from within.

Am I wrong in what I've read? That it's ultimately a damnation on the 'new world' and and endorsement of Christian values which are, naturally, brought to the new world by Spain?

Lastly, based on your posts here and additional things that I have read, I will no longer entertain the idea of seeing the Passion either.

TheVoid said:

Don't, it is a horrible and extremely violent movie

His violent movies:

Mad Max: bizarre, cruel ultraviolence, but not bloody...
The Road Warrior: ultraviolence all over again, but not extremely bloody...

Lethal Weapon: classic cop film full of strong violence, almost as violent as one of those old Seagal's flicks...

Braveheart: perhaps the most violent medieval movie I've ever seen, and that's sayin' something...

Payback: the movie was pretty disposable, but it was as violent as the first Lethal Weapon, and that's a plus...


Passion of Christ: graphic gore, many thought the torture scenes were overlong and excessive...I loved that movie, that's all I can say...

Apocalypto: gorefest, I mean, GOREFEST...

GIBSON rocks, pure and simple. One of the few actors/directors who's not afraid of making "too violent" films; he just shows violence just as IT IS in real life; I have not seen his latest flick, though...is it worthy?

JoeTyler said:

But is the violence ever hypder-real or distracting from the storyline?

I didn't feel that it was on Braveheart, but Braveheart, according to my friends, pales in comparison to Passion and Apocholyptico.

CarrieMpls said:

I never saw the movie, being that I am not a fan of violent movies and I am not Christian. However, I did read that in of the 120 minutes of the movie, there were only 8 full minutes without some sort of violence.

CarrieMpls said:

I'm tellin' ya, we saw it on video and I was so glad I didn't bother going to the theatre to see it...it was absolutely dreadful, There's nothing particularly meaningful about gratuitous violence with little context provided and I totally agree that the whole thing came off as pointless. Mel needs his ignorant ass kicked for that hot mess of a movie.

I haven't bothered with any Gibson movies since then. I thought Braveheart was decent but I'm not really into violent movies generally speaking.

CarrieMpls said:

I can only speak for myself, Carrie, but Gibson's torture porn was of little faithful meaning to me.

I actually loved Apocolyptico.

Except for that brief cameo by Triumph the insult dog.

KoolEaze said:

That movie is GREAT!

Lammastide said:

All he was trying to do was make a movie concept of this old tradition:

Passion Play - A Passion play is a dramatic presentation depicting the Passion of Christ: the trial, suffering and death of Jesus Christ. It is a traditional part of Lent in several Christian denominations, particularly in Catholic tradition.

KoolEaze said:

Best action movie of all time...

johnart said:

what?

TheVoid said:

Don't be such a wuss. (j/k!)

The Passion Of The Christ is worth watching just once in a lifetime. But after that, I wouldn't want to watch every year on DVD or Blu-Ray at all.

I try not to support Mel Gibson in any way. I feel it's a moral issue. I'd sooner go see Roman Polanski's new movie than Mel's.

CarrieMpls said:

Forget about the religious side of it.

The political AND social side of it is what made me sad AND angry after watching the film. An innocent man was beaten AND killed for a crime he didn't commit.

Harlepolis said:

I hear you. This "white jesus" looked too damn Swedish.