The Passion

[Gauracandra]

This sounds soooo cool. For those that don’t know, Mel Gibson is really heavy Catholic. For instance, he only believes in mass done in Latin. I may be wrong on this, but I seem to recall he is so hardcore that he doesn’t even accept the existing Catholic church. One interesting thing, I never knew he was offered the role in “The Last Temptation of Christ.” And Jim Caviezel (another devout Catholic) is a fantastic choice for Jesus. Oh yeah, and apparently it won’t have subtitles. Cool /ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif

 

 

Mel Gibson is set to direct a movie about Christ's last 12 hours played out entirely in two ancient tongues - Latin and Aramaic - with no subtitles.

 

The formula hardly sounds like the recipe for a hit movie but Gibson thinks language should be no barrier for the film, titled THE PASSION.

 

’For me that's more real and hopefully I'll be able to transcend language barriers with filmic storytelling,’ Gibson said

 

 

 

Language 'no barrier' for Gibson's flick - in Latin

Mel Gibson is set to direct a movie about Christ's last 12 hours played out entirely in two ancient tongues - Latin and Aramaic - with no subtitles.

 

The formula hardly sounds like the recipe for a hit movie but Gibson thinks language should be no barrier for the film, titled Passion.

 

"For me that's more real and hopefully I'll be able to transcend language barriers with filmic storytelling," Gibson said.

 

"It's very visual and it's about something that has ... affected civilisation in every possible way you can imagine," the 46-year-old actor, a devout Catholic, added.

 

But Gibson, a perennial Hollywood favourite with lead roles in the hit Lethal Weapon series, Braveheart and more recently Signs, acknowledged his choice of languages for the new film was causing headaches as far as US distributors were concerned.

 

"No-one wants to touch something in two dead languages. They think I'm insane, maybe I am," joked Gibson, who was born in New York but grew up in Australia.

 

Gibson is very much of the old school and a Latin service is still held at the private chapel of his California home.

 

He also had some sharp words for the modern-day Catholic Church, rocked this year by allegations of child abuse.

 

"It's very easy to be shaken these days faith-wise. All this kind of paedophilia stuff in the United States, it's hard to hang on to a foundation with this stuff going on," he said.

 

Shooting will switch between the famous Cinecitta studios just outside Rome and cave-riddled Matera in southern Italy.

 

Gibson acknowledged he was filming "in the shadow of the dome" but brushed aside questions on whether the Vatican would approve of the film.

 

"I don't know what they like these days," he said, adding his priority was to make a credible film.

 

"Many people have told the story but ... it's like looking at it from the wrong end of the telescope, I mean Jesus either suffers from bad hair or it's inaccurate or you don't believe it," he said.

 

But Gibson, who turned down Martin Scorsese's offer of playing Jesus, has once again shied away from the role, giving it to Jim Caviezel, star of The Count of Monte Cristo and High Crimes.

 

"There's two things I wouldn't do on film and I said this when I was in my 20s - I will never play myself if it ever comes to that and I will never play Jesus."

 

 

[Gauracandra]

Gibson Passionate About Jesus Picture in Latin

Sun Sep 22, 9:07 PM ET

By David Rooney

 

ROME (Variety) - Mel Gibson has committed to return to the director's chair with "The Passion," starring James Caviezel in a chronicle of the final 12 hours in the life of Jesus Christ.

 

The directing gig will be the devout Catholic's first since winning multiple Oscars with "Braveheart" in 1995; he will also serve as a producer. Pre-production is under way, and the 10-week shoot will begin in Italy on Nov. 4.

 

No U.S. studio (not even Fox, where Gibson's Icon Prods. is based) has so far taken distribution rights to the spiritual drama, to be shot in Latin and Aramaic.

 

"Obviously, nobody wants to touch something filmed in two dead languages," Gibson explained at a news conference Friday at Rome's Cinecitta Studios. "They think I'm crazy, and maybe I am. But maybe I'm a genius.

 

"I want to show the film without subtitles," he added. "Hopefully, I'll be able to transcend language barriers with visual storytelling. If I fail, I'll put subtitles on it, though I don't want to."

 

'SEBASTIANE' IN LATIN

 

The only modern film in memory to have been performed in Latin was the late British avant-garde helmer Derek Jarman's "Sebastiane," which was set in the fourth century.

 

While Gibson was reluctant to reveal a budget, he said the film will be fully financed by Icon, describing the undertaking in rudimentary Italian as "buono per l'anima, non buono per il portafoglio" (good for the soul, not good for the wallet). The project clearly represents a labor of love for Gibson.

 

"The idea came to me 10 years ago and has been rambling around in my empty head, very slowly taking shape ever since," Gibson said. "I think this is a pretty timeless and timely story to tell, involving an area where there's turbulence now just as there was turbulence then because history repeats itself.

 

"I want to show the humanity of Christ as well as the divine aspect," he continued. "It's a rendering that for me is very realistic and as close as possible to what I perceive the truth to be."

 

GIBSON NOT ON SCREEN

 

Unlike in his first two features as director, "The Man Without a Face" and "Braveheart," Gibson will limit himself to off-camera duties on the biblical drama.

 

Remaining cast flanking Caviezel as Christ will be Italian actors. Gibson is in advanced talks with Monica Bellucci to play Mary Magdalene. Known for her roles in European pics like "Malena" and "Irreversible," the Italian star appears positioned for English-language breakout alongside Bruce Willis in Antoine Fuqua's "Tears of the Sun" and in the Wachowski brothers' sequel "The Matrix Reloaded."

 

Talks are also taking place with Sergio Rubini ("The Talented Mr. Ripley") to play the good thief Dismas, while Rosalinda Celentano has signed to appear as Satan.

 

CONSULTED WITH VATICAN

 

Reports in Italy's Catholic press indicate that Gibson has consulted with high-level theologians and Vatican officials to ensure maximum authenticity in the retelling.

 

Ben Fitzgerald and Gibson scripted from several sources, freely adapting the diaries of Anne Catherine Emmerich, collected in the book "The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ," Mary of Agreda's "The City of God" and the New Testament Gospels of Luke, John, Matthew and Mark.

 

The screenplay was translated into Latin and Aramaic by Los Angeles-based Jesuit linguistics professor Bill Fulco, who also will serve as on-set dialogue coach.

 

Principal locations will be the towns of Matera and Craco in Italy's southern Basilicata region, with extensive work on constructions on the Cinecitta backlot and four soundstages.