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# Gibson film ‘Passion’provokes, perturbs This past week, Q-line asked
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/gibson-film-passionprovokes-perturbs-this-past-week-q-line-asked/
- Published: 2004-03-06T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T03:56:31.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Entertainment, Santa Monica, #archive-import

“What do you think of ‘The Passion’ and why?” Here are your responses: ■ “Mel Gibson made a box-office classic for all time. Bigger than ‘The Ten Commandments.’ Bravo, Mel.” ■ “If there is a God, as Moses described, and there is a Christ, as Matthew, Mark, Luke and John described, then I believe there would be more love involved in the world and less room for greed. I personally give praise to the creator of the universe every time I look out at the ocean. A beautiful piece of work by a power so great — it is beyond the comprehension of mortals.” ■ “I saw ‘The Passion.’It is the worst movie I have ever seen. Historically, the Gibson family has been nothing but anti-Semitic. The movie is very anti- Semitic. I don’t think it should have ever been shown. This is not a good film.” ■ “‘The Passion’ is a horrible movie that should have been rated X for violence. Anybody that takes a child to see this should be charged with child abuse. If I want to see a slasher film, I’ll go to a slasher film.” ■ “This movie was beautiful, perfectly portrayed, and I cant wait until Mel Gibson does another film, which I hope will be the miracles of Christ. I think everyone should see this film, especially the young, so they can get an idea of what this man went through for all of our souls.” ■ “I think that the film Mel Gibson made is really what needed to be done for years. Every other film I have seen about the Bible has been boring or car-toonish. Nobody has really taken them seriously. I have real respect for Mel Gibson now. I think he heard a calling to make this film. I think this is truly what happened. I think that Christians need this movie. We believe that this happened. We believe it with all our hearts.” ■ “I think ‘The Passion’ is an immensely important film, whether or not you choose to engage in the political debates that have obscured its intended message. Unfortunately, it has proven near impossible to enter the theater and take in this movie — and movies are really just pieces of art, intended to provoke thought and conversation — without forming some kind of preconceived notion about the morality of the subject and way in which it is depicted. Form your own opinion. It is not a film for the faint of heart, and anyone who has read one iota about the film before knows that going in. Whether you agree with the manner in which the story is revealed, you must admire the passion with which the director reveals it. In this day and age of overt commercialism and gratuitous violence for violence sake, it is refreshing to see a film in which the auteur just lays it all out there. It’s art, people. Like it or loathe it, but discuss it. That’s the point.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 6, 2004.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/030604.pdf?ref=smdp.com)