page_title: The Passion of the Christ
section_title: Filming
hierarchical_section_title: The Passion of the Christ / Production / Filming
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Altstadt von Matera, Italien English: Matera, Italy.
context_page_description: The Passion of the Christ is a 2004 American biblical drama film produced, co-written and directed by Mel Gibson and starring Jim Caviezel as Jesus of Nazareth, Maia Morgenstern as the Virgin Mary, and Monica Bellucci as Mary Magdalene. It depicts the Passion of Jesus largely according to the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. It also draws on pious accounts such as the Friday of Sorrows along with other devotional writings, such as the reputed Marian apparitions attributed to Anne Catherine Emmerich.
  The film primarily covers the final 12 hours before Jesus' death, consisting of the Passion, hence the title of the film. It begins with the Agony in the Garden in the Garden of Olives, the betrayal of Judas Iscariot, the brutal Scourging at the Pillar, the suffering of Mary as prophesied by Simeon, the crucifixion and death of Christ, and ends with a brief depiction of his resurrection. However, the film also has flashbacks to particular moments in Christ's life, some of which are biblically based, such as The Last Supper and The Sermon on the Mount, and others that are artistic license, such as when Mary comforts Jesus and the scene where Jesus is crafting a table.
context_section_description: The film was produced independently and shot in Italy at Cinecittà Studios in Rome, and on location in the city of Matera and the ghost town of Craco, both in the Basilicata region. The estimated US$30 million production cost, plus an additional estimated $15 million in marketing costs, were fully borne by Gibson and his company Icon Productions. According to the DVD special feature, Martin Scorsese recently finished his film Gangs of New York, and Gibson and his production designers constructed part of their set using Scorsese's set. This saved Gibson a lot of time and money.
  Gibson's film was released on Ash Wednesday, February 25, 2004. Icon Entertainment distributed the theatrical version of the film, and 20th Century Fox distributed the VHS/DVD/Blu-ray version of the film.
  Gibson consulted several theological advisers during filming, including Fr. Jonathan Morris. A local priest visited the set daily to provide counsel, Confession, and Holy Communion to Jim Caviezel, and Masses were celebrated for cast and crew in several locations. During filming, assistant director Jan Michelini was struck twice by lightning. Minutes later, Caviezel also was struck.
caption: Matera, Italy
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