The passion of the Christ
By: Neal King
Series: Controversies
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Published: 2011
Place of publication: Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire; New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 148
ISBN-13: 9780230294349
Subjects: PERFORMING ARTS / Film & Video / General; Passion of the Christ (Motion picture); PERFORMING ARTS / Film & Video / History & Criticism
Description: "The Passion of the Christ was the cinematic event of 2004. In the year leading up to its release it inspired one of the fiercest controversies, and perhaps the most significant exception to rules limiting the distribution of film violence and blood-letting, since the late 1960s. The film's unflinching depiction of the torture and crucifixion of Jesus was praised and deplored in equal measure as either scaling unprecedented heights of reverent iconography or plumbing new depths of gratuitous violence. At the same time, it provoked a nationwide storm of controversy for what many saw as its anti-Semitic portrayal of Jewish religious leaders.  Neal King's study of the controversies over The Passion of the Christ explores how conservative Christians united in support of Mel Gibson and in opposition to liberal, secular and Jewish critics. The resulting public battle in the US over the editing and rating of this film generated more controversy than over any other film in recent cinematic history. By chronicling the publicity campaign that made this film the highest grossing independent production of all time, King reveals how Gibson deployed tactics that date from the days of silent movies about Jesus and the Jews. In a close look at debates over the film's classification, he shows how religious groups inspired ratings boards, media watchdogs and government censors worldwide to break their rules and guidelines about violence and the depictions of prophets and other religious figures. Finally, study of the film's narrative and visual style shows how the choices made by director, cast and crew contributed to the biggest argument over Hollywood and anti-Semitism in decades, and how longstanding patterns in the production and marketing of stories of Christ helped one filmmaker to turn his statement of faith into a partisan, blockbuster event"--
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: Machine generated contents note:; title: Contents; title: Introduction; title: A Personal and Procedural Note; title: PART I: KEY DETAILS; title: Cast; title: Crew; title: Other Details; title: Ratings, by Nation; title: PART II: PRODUCTION AND MARKETING; title: The Turns of Events; title: The Needs of Groups; title: The Final Push; title: PART III: RATING CENSORSHIP; title: Deference in Hollywood; title: Support for violence; title: Defiance in New zealand; title: Titillation; title: Horror; title: The Fate of a Prophet; title: Conclusion; title: PART IV: EVANGELICAL RECEPTION; title: Dangers of Media Violence; title: Uses of Nedia Violence; title: The Scholars and Violence; title: Redemption through Media Violence; title: Stolen Fire; title: PART V: THE PLOTTING; title: Narrative Structure; title: Character Focus; title: Undermotivation; title: PART VI: THE SENTENCING; title: Synopsis; title: The Finished Version; title: Caiphas's Curse; title: PART VII: CONCLUSION; title: PART VIII; title: Appendix A: Christian Watchdog Sites; title: Appendix B: References.