The Passion of the Christ, Mel Gibson’s controversial film
about the last 44 hours of Jesus of Nazareth’s life, opened
in theaters across the United States on February 25, 2004.
Not coincidentally, the day was Ash Wednesday, the start
of Lent for many Christian denominations.
The film stars Jim Caviezel as Jesus, Maia Morgenstern as
his mother Mary, and Monica Bellucci as Mary Magdalene.
Gibson’s original intention was to show The Passion of the
Christ without subtitles, in an attempt to “transcend the
language barriers with visual storytelling,” as he later
explained.
With dialogue entirely in Latin, Hebrew and Aramaic, the
film was eventually released with subtitles.
Jim Caviezel with director Mel Gibson.
Patrons stand in line for tickets for a morning showing of
"The Passion of the Christ," at Regal Cinemas in Buford, Georgia, February 25, 2004.
