Premise

From Yahoo News:

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Hollywood mogul Mel Gibson will release a new, low-violence version of his 2004 surprise mega-hit "The Passion of Christ" next month.

The star, dubbed Hollywood's most powerful figure since the huge success of the low-budget, graphically gory film, is trimming five to six minutes of violent scenes ahead of the film's March 11 reappearance on US screens, Daily Variety reported Thursday..

The original film raked in 370.2 million dollars in its North American run that began on Ash Wednesday one year ago, but Gibson noted that many people had avoided the film because of its grisly portrayal of Jesus Christ being tortured by Roman troops.

"There has been quite a demand by the religious community to bring (the film) back for Easter," Bruce Davey, Gibson's partner at Icon Productions, told Variety.

"And there has been a lot of discussion about the violence. Mel wanted to try and accommodate those people by making a version that is softer and gentler," he said.

"The Passion Recut," will be beamed onto 500 to 750 screens by distributor Newmarket Films, Variety said, adding that the new versions would not be lumbered with an audience age restriction.

The new less violent version of the film goes easier on the brutal details of the last days of Christ.

"There are no new scenes, and the cuts are limited to the more violent aspects of the film, if that's the right term. The scourging scene in particular has been substantially adjusted."

Premise

From Yahoo News:

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Hollywood mogul Mel Gibson will release a new, low-violence version of his 2004 surprise mega-hit "The Passion of Christ" next month.

"The Passion Recut," will be beamed onto 500 to 750 screens by distributor Newmarket Films, Variety said, adding that the new versions would not be lumbered with an audience age restriction.

The new less violent version of the film goes easier on the brutal details of the last days of Christ.

"There are no new scenes, and the cuts are limited to the more violent aspects of the film, if that's the right term. The scourging scene in particular has been substantially adjusted."

Hmm,I wonder what the chances of the "Passion Recut" being released on dvd are? Probably 100%.

Rivero

What a horrible fucking idea. Defeats the purpose of this film even existing, what's wrong with you Gibson???

Max Bottomtime

Will the new tagline be "The kinder, gentler crucifixion"?

Cameron

awful...if you can't stand to see it then you shouldn't believe it....i liked this movie...i hate to see it tampered with...i wonder if it will also have a english dub version...sheesh

The Infidel

So what is a "softer and gentler" depiction of what Christ went through? The guards take turns slapping him, put a crown of daisies on his head, then merely tie him to a cross with comfortable cotton rope?

FinkPish

Yes, shame on him for wanting to be able to show this to people who might have avoided it for the violent content! And shame on him for wanting to make more money from it! Fucking bastard!

/sarcasm

jaeufraser

Don't worry, in this version Jesus doesn't shoot first.

He wants to show an abrigded version for those who want to see it but can't stomach the violence. I see no problem with that...you can still get the important themes and meaning of the film with some of the violence cut out. As long as the original version is out there, who cares.

Jackskeleton

The idea of it only being five minutes long pops into mind.

Artman

I understand the idea behind it, but it still doesn't make sense to me. They better not try and release this version for the SE DVD...

Duder

Ugh. This is plain horrible. It essentially discredits the idea that the movie's violence not only served a point, but WAS the point. What next? Titanic: The Iceburg-less Cut? Or how about Y Tu Mama Tambien: The Sexless Edition?

Duder

No doubt. I've been waiting for news of a SE, and get this news instead. If they put the special features on the DVD release of this cut, I will be extremely disappointed.

DonnachaOne

I understand why he wants to do it... but isn't the horrid violence part of the point? It'll be just like every other passion play now.

I remember as a kid wanting to use fake blood in a passion play. They didn't want fake blood in the church, though. Then I made some comment saying we shouldn't have sacramental wine then or something...

pro-bassoonist

Exactly!!

Yet another evidence about the puritan, clogged-up, state of mind the American society currently has.

Pro-B

darkside

Considering the violence was about all this snoozefest had going for it I really can't see any logic in this decision.

What now we have a kid friendly torture and crucifixion for the whole family?

Thanks Mel.

talemyn

While I'm a fan of the original, I can understand why Gibson is doing this. His primary motivation for making this movie was to get a message out to people. If there is a group out there who can not or will not see it because the violence is too much for them, then it certainly makes sense to tone it down a little in order to reach that group with the message.

Like I said, I am happy with the first, cut, but this really does make sense under the circumstances . . .

caligulathegod

There have been many versions of Jesus that weren't 2 hour snuff films. It's not going to hurt this film to have it toned down.

QuiGonJosh

Yeah Mel, your movie is all bout the message!

I really hope Mel just goes and falls off a cliff or something. I'm sick to death of him and this piece of shit movie.

Sorry, but I just can't stand this.

[End Rant]

So, how bout those...bears.

DVD Polizei

The Passion Of The Christ: No Blood & Raptured Version

- 37-minutes total running time
- A fast and quick version, great for those expecting to be Raptured at any time
- A 3-hour featurette of Mel talking about carrying a cross
- Great for church get-togethers
- A must for Christian children's video collections
- A special 2-hour feature of Mel carrying a cross that he talked about for 3-hours in a previous featurette. That's it. He's carrying a cross for 2 hours. That's the entire feature.
- "M G" stickers to put on your car (next to your fish)
- A message to Satan
- Free sandals with 10 Passion Of The Christ proofs of purchase--can be the bloody and violent version or the new No Blood & Raptured Version.

Mr. Salty

But those were films that were made differently from the outset. So much of "The Passion" centered on the violence I can't imagine how a non-violent edit would make any sense. And yeah, it would be about 37 minutes long.

Bacon

Don't forget the G rated version of Pulp Fiction

QuiGonJosh

R-rated cut?

slowcloud

Well, the fact is, church groups and Christian parents have been showing this film to little kids who would normally not be subjected to PG-13 films. At least this will save some children the trauma of being subjected to this movie for the sake of "believing" and accepting Christ as their savior. For my two cents, I think the means of getting Mel's message across did not justify the end. It was a visceral, emotional argument in the place of a spiritual one, which is a real disservice to anyone who already has Christian values and beliefs. It may be interesting to see how the movie loses its impact in this new edited for violence version.

JM1

I never liked the original, found it just far too relentless and harrowing, it went too far. I am not a squeamish person and not religious by any means.

I watched the movie because whether you believe or not, the actual story is still a very good one.

I also find the views of religious people who say "how dare you complain about the violence, this is what Christ actually suffered for us" etc frankly offensive. As were the " people should be made to see this film" argument too.

As a young child growing up in a northern England town in a Roman Catholic school, I remember being taken into a darkened room with other boys and shown pictures of aborted foetus - ie abortion is bad. We were effectiveley being brainwashed.

As an adult, I cannot (and neither should anyone) allow anyone else to change my views and opinons. If they change they change because I want them to.

This film had the same effect on me as sitting in that darkened room all those years ago.

And I am surprised that after Gibson going to all that trouble not to compromise his vision of the movie, and defending it fiercely, that he is willing to butcher his own film.

Though I do not agree with the film, I would have more respect for him if he told the people who did not like the violence to go hang - this is the movie, you either watch it or you don't. The world ain't like Disneyland.

So, he is effectively saying that when it comes down to it his film is just a commodity, and can be altered, changed and compromised at will to make more money.

Sad. He has lost a lot of respect in my eyes.

mzupeman2

I can really see both sides of the argument here. And this is only the beginning. I'm sure this will catch a lot of criticism, in very much the same way we've been going on about it here already. A movie, where the violence was the tool used to show you what Christ went through, to truly get you to appreciate what he did.... is now being slimmed down to cut the violence.

As has been already said, Mel wants to get this movie out with a message. And although this movie has made enough money, I sort of think he is doing it for the message and not so much for the money. There's quite a lot of people who would have seen this movie, but didn't because of the things they have heard about it. They just couldn't bring themselves to watch this film because of what they have heard. And there's an awful lot of children I'm sure, that parents want to educate on the matter, but won't dare show them the film, as is.

But again, if they want to use this as an educational tool, just release it to DVD. You don't see them re-issuing 'Super Size Me's family edition to theaters do you? And that's just a knock against the theory that Mel isn't doing this for the money. It could have been a DVD release only, and then churches and parents could buy it and bring it home and watch it. Because lets face it, without all the violence, the 'heart' of the movie if you would call it that, is gone. Once a lot of that is cut out, that's ALL it will be... an educational film.

Before, even people who weren't religious could at least appreciate this film and appreciate the idea behind what Christ did. Now, some of the people who are older in age who wanted to see Passion, but didn't want to because of the violence... are really truly going to be robbed of the experience I would imagine as it was meant to be. This doesn't deserve a theatrical release.