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Look at Controversy Surrounding New Gibson Film "Passion"

Aired February 18, 2004 - 11:18   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: We want to talk right now about what's hot in Hollywood. Mel Gibson's film "The Passion of Christ" opens on 2,000 screens a week from today, Ash Wednesday.
And seldom has such a movie been such a lightning rod for controversy before the film ever getting shown to the public. The film depicts the final 12 hours of Jesus Christ's life in brutal and violent detail.

Now critics charge "The Passion" emphasizes anti-semitic elements of the gospels and will inevitably lead to a backlash. The bottom line is that Jews are directly blamed for the suffering and death of Jesus.

Let's talk to film critic Michael Medved. He join us from Seattle this morning. Michael, thanks very much for joining us. Good morning to you.

MICHAEL MEDVED, FILM CRITIC: My great pleasure, good morning.

LIN: All right, Michael, what is interesting, you are not only -- you not only cover films, you not only cover culture, you are an Orthodox Jew, a practicing Jew. And you got to see a preview -- not of the final product, but I think last summer what was available, what was sent out to the critics.

MEDVED: I did indeed. And I've to tell you I think this entire controversy is ridiculous, it's damaging to the Jewish community. I think some of the Jewish leaders who condemned "The Passion" before they even saw it, before the film was even finished, have really done a disservice to our community.

It is clearly not a work of hatred. It is a work of love and religious affirmation, of Mel Gibson's own faith. Since he's spending his own money it seems difficult to me to try to indict him for putting that faith on screen.

(CROSSTALK)

LIN: Do you think the circumstance of it, the fact he financed it with his own money, the fact that, you know, that he had so much control over the production. And then when he was finally done with some segments of it, that he sent it out to targeted Christian audiences to get feedback.

MEDVED: Well it wasn't just to Christian audiences. He showed way back in -- last fall, he showed the film to representative of the Anti-Defamation League in Houston and leaders of the Jewish community.

The problem here, this is that this is not a film made for the Jewish community. It's a film made that's made for that 85 percent of Americans who are professing Christians.

And I think it's perfectly legitimate for Mel to try to reach people through Christian organizations who normally are disgusted with the kind of product that Hollywood puts forward.

What I find ironic is Hollywood has done all kind of degrading, horrible stuff. I mean encouraging mutilation and incest and disgusting behavior of ever sort. This has been less controversial than this movie which is a very, very traditional exposition of Christian faith.

LIN: Well why do you think the Jewish leaders then were so quick to attack? what's the agenda?

MEDVED: Well because -- first of all, it's what they do. I mean I think you talked about the need for publicity for the film. Mel didn't need that. He's the most revered movie star in the world, according to a recent Gallup Poll.

What does happen is the groups like the Anti-Defamation League actually speak out about this as a basis for fund raising and for promoting their own high profile. And I think it's been a terrible mistake.

I think it's interesting that Abe Foxman of the ADL has retreated from any charge that either Mel or the movie is anti-semitic.

LIN: I mean because you think people might perceive it as an overreaction or overcompensation?

MEDVED: Yes. It's a ridiculous overreaction.

When the movie come out next week, people are going to go see it. And they're going to say what was this whole thing about? The movie doesn't even use the term in its subtitles "Jew" or "Jewish." I think it uses it maybe once or twice.

But the idea that the movie blames the Jews? I mean, Mel has been very clear -- and the movie is very clear that all humanity is to blame for Christ's death, that that was part of the plan from the beginning and part of Christ's plan to die to atone.

LIN: What do you make of the marketing strategy? I mean it's presold now, at least 30 million tickets have been sold and bought up by different churches around the country.

MEDVED: I have got to tell you it's a confirmation of something I've been argue about for more than a decade which is that there is an eager religious audience out there for faith-affirming pictures that Hollywood was ignoring.

The only time they would make a Biblical movie would some type of assault like "The Last Temptation of Christ." This movie proves that if you build it, they will come, as they say in "Field of Dreams." That if people make more faith-affirming films there will be an audience to support them.

LIN: Worth seeing?

MEDVED: I think it's eminently worth seeing. I think it's by far the most artistic and challenging Biblical film, the least silly Biblical film ever made.

LIN: Really?

MEDVED: And certainly vastly superior to "The Last Temptation of Christ" which, by the way, was more anti-semitic, aside from being anti-Christian, by far than anything in "The Passion."

LIN: Well, Mel Gibson's profile, obviously being so famous, obviously adds to the fire. So we'll see what happens.

MEDVED: There's no question about -- the film's going to be a huge blockbuster hit. And 99 percent of Americans, including many of us in the Jewish community, want to congratulate Mel Gibson for making this film and for having the courage to stick to his convictions.

LIN: Michael Medved, thank you very much.

MEDVED: Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired February 18, 2004 - 11:18   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: We want to talk right now about what's hot in Hollywood. Mel Gibson's film "The Passion of Christ" opens on 2,000 screens a week from today, Ash Wednesday.
And seldom has such a movie been such a lightning rod for controversy before the film ever getting shown to the public. The film depicts the final 12 hours of Jesus Christ's life in brutal and violent detail.

Now critics charge "The Passion" emphasizes anti-semitic elements of the gospels and will inevitably lead to a backlash. The bottom line is that Jews are directly blamed for the suffering and death of Jesus.

Let's talk to film critic Michael Medved. He join us from Seattle this morning. Michael, thanks very much for joining us. Good morning to you.

MICHAEL MEDVED, FILM CRITIC: My great pleasure, good morning.

LIN: All right, Michael, what is interesting, you are not only -- you not only cover films, you not only cover culture, you are an Orthodox Jew, a practicing Jew. And you got to see a preview -- not of the final product, but I think last summer what was available, what was sent out to the critics.

MEDVED: I did indeed. And I've to tell you I think this entire controversy is ridiculous, it's damaging to the Jewish community. I think some of the Jewish leaders who condemned "The Passion" before they even saw it, before the film was even finished, have really done a disservice to our community.

It is clearly not a work of hatred. It is a work of love and religious affirmation, of Mel Gibson's own faith. Since he's spending his own money it seems difficult to me to try to indict him for putting that faith on screen.

(CROSSTALK)

LIN: Do you think the circumstance of it, the fact he financed it with his own money, the fact that, you know, that he had so much control over the production. And then when he was finally done with some segments of it, that he sent it out to targeted Christian audiences to get feedback.

MEDVED: Well it wasn't just to Christian audiences. He showed way back in -- last fall, he showed the film to representative of the Anti-Defamation League in Houston and leaders of the Jewish community.

The problem here, this is that this is not a film made for the Jewish community. It's a film made that's made for that 85 percent of Americans who are professing Christians.

And I think it's perfectly legitimate for Mel to try to reach people through Christian organizations who normally are disgusted with the kind of product that Hollywood puts forward.

What I find ironic is Hollywood has done all kind of degrading, horrible stuff. I mean encouraging mutilation and incest and disgusting behavior of ever sort. This has been less controversial than this movie which is a very, very traditional exposition of Christian faith.

LIN: Well why do you think the Jewish leaders then were so quick to attack? what's the agenda?

MEDVED: Well because -- first of all, it's what they do. I mean I think you talked about the need for publicity for the film. Mel didn't need that. He's the most revered movie star in the world, according to a recent Gallup Poll.

What does happen is the groups like the Anti-Defamation League actually speak out about this as a basis for fund raising and for promoting their own high profile. And I think it's been a terrible mistake.

I think it's interesting that Abe Foxman of the ADL has retreated from any charge that either Mel or the movie is anti-semitic.

LIN: I mean because you think people might perceive it as an overreaction or overcompensation?

MEDVED: Yes. It's a ridiculous overreaction.

When the movie come out next week, people are going to go see it. And they're going to say what was this whole thing about? The movie doesn't even use the term in its subtitles "Jew" or "Jewish." I think it uses it maybe once or twice.

But the idea that the movie blames the Jews? I mean, Mel has been very clear -- and the movie is very clear that all humanity is to blame for Christ's death, that that was part of the plan from the beginning and part of Christ's plan to die to atone.

LIN: What do you make of the marketing strategy? I mean it's presold now, at least 30 million tickets have been sold and bought up by different churches around the country.

MEDVED: I have got to tell you it's a confirmation of something I've been argue about for more than a decade which is that there is an eager religious audience out there for faith-affirming pictures that Hollywood was ignoring.

The only time they would make a Biblical movie would some type of assault like "The Last Temptation of Christ." This movie proves that if you build it, they will come, as they say in "Field of Dreams." That if people make more faith-affirming films there will be an audience to support them.

LIN: Worth seeing?

MEDVED: I think it's eminently worth seeing. I think it's by far the most artistic and challenging Biblical film, the least silly Biblical film ever made.

LIN: Really?

MEDVED: And certainly vastly superior to "The Last Temptation of Christ" which, by the way, was more anti-semitic, aside from being anti-Christian, by far than anything in "The Passion."

LIN: Well, Mel Gibson's profile, obviously being so famous, obviously adds to the fire. So we'll see what happens.

MEDVED: There's no question about -- the film's going to be a huge blockbuster hit. And 99 percent of Americans, including many of us in the Jewish community, want to congratulate Mel Gibson for making this film and for having the courage to stick to his convictions.

LIN: Michael Medved, thank you very much.

MEDVED: Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com