http://www.nydailynews.com/09-07-200...p-104184c.html


Mel's 'Passion'-ate defense gives offense

The holy war over "The Passion," Mel Gibson's movie on Jesus Christ, is raging on all fronts. The Anti-Defamation League is condemning Gibson's latest defense of his movie, made in an article by Peter Boyer in the new New Yorker.

Part of the brouhaha stems from Gibson's interest in Anne Catherine Emmerich, a 19th-century Augustinian nun in Germany who recounted visions of Christ's Crucifixion that some regard as anti-Semitic. Gibson, who carries a piece of her habit as a relic, asks:

"Why are they calling her a Nazi? Because modern secular Judaism wants to blame the Holocaust on the Catholic Church. And it's revisionism. And they've been working on that one for a while."

"To me, this [comment] is classic anti-Semitism," ADL National Director Abraham Foxman told us.

Foxman, who survived the Holocaust because Catholic clergy baptized him to shield him from the Nazis, added, "I think [Gibson] is on the fringes of anti-Semitism."

Gibson also lays his lash on New York Times columnist Frank Rich. Responding to remarks about the Holocaust made in The Times by Gibson's father, Hutton Gibson, Rich accused the actor's camp of using "PR spin to defend a Holocaust denier."

Mel Gibson says of Rich, "I want to kill him. I want his intestines on a stick. ... I want to kill his dog." (Rich told us, through a Times spokeswoman, "I don't have a dog.")

The article says Gibson reluctantly took out a scene in which Caiaphas, a Jewish high priest, says of Christ, "His blood be on us, and on our children." The passage, from the Gospel of Matthew, has been interpreted by some as implicating the Jewish people in Jesus' Crucifixion.

"I wanted it in," Gibson tells Boyer. "But, man, if I included that in there, they'd be coming after me at my house, they'd come kill me."

The film, played entirely in ancient languages, has yet to find a distributor. But Gibson sees a halo around the controversy.

"Inadvertently," he says, "all the problems and the conflicts and stuff - this is some of the best marketing and publicity I have ever seen."

kvrdave?

Seriously, though...it sounds like Gibson needs to watch his own movie.

Question : Is Mel Gibson trying to be like Mike Tyson? Killing dogs? Killing people? And for such a God-fearing person, wanting to make a movie on Christ, he sure needs to follow the lesson of the bible - which nowhere does it say to kill people over a film.

Oh for heavens sake...everyone who knows Mel or has seen him interviewed enough knows that the "kill his dog" statement is taken out of context...he was obviously making a humorous remark and joking, but it loses all context when placed in print. Show me a video of him saying this with a straight face, and then I'll takes sides against Mr. Gibson.

Hard to believe that in a country where free speech is supposed to be the most prized of all rights, that so many are so quick to try and prevent Mel's movie from being seen by the public. It almost sounds like Fascism, doesn't it? And how ironic is THAT?!

It's sad that religion turns people into jokes. I wish they would just let him make the movie he wants. Everyone should just get over it. Who cares what your own ancestors did 2000 years ago?

I'm not worried, this movie is getting way too much publicity not to get released at some point, I can't wait to see it

Oh, I have no doubt we'll eventually see the film, but in what form? After Gibson finishes cutting out every scene that someone might take offense toward, will there be anything left to watch?

This whole thing is getting completely out of hand.

Mel was most likely not kidding when he said this. I have read several interviews where he responds with violent invective when the topic turns to the media's interest in his (crackpot) father.

Since Mel Gibson is financing "The Passion" himself, I'm pretty sure he has final cut. If he chose to cut a scene, reluctantly or not, it was his own judgment to do so, either to avoid further controversy or to make the film more palitable for potential distributers.

Abraham Foxman's need to play the "race card" at every waking moment (shades of Jesse Jackson) shows what kind of a person he really is.

Now I never thought bad about Jews when I found out the jews had him put to death.
Becuase it was the Jewish religous leaders who were behind it.
Today in the USA we have blacks killing blacks, so if the media reports that does that make the media anti-semedic?
And keep in mind the media is liberal.
What all this is about is the powers that be don't want anything
that is Jesus shown in these certain times.

I just got a headache reading that last post.

Come on people, even if it does have anti-Semitism(or anti-christian,anti-buddist,anti-Islam, anti-wiccan,or anti-any religon i forgot, i want to be fair) overtones,who cares let the thing get released. If something out there offends me, I do something others apparently don't know about, I DON't WATCH,READ,OR LISTEN to THE STUPiD THING. Its that easy.

Pathetic. Mel, just cut the movie the way they want. They obviously don't have an agenda, just look at all the cuts they forced on a non-Christian, anti-semitic movie like American History X... Oh wait...

I thought the recut of American History X was because Ed Norton didn't think he was getting enough screen time, so he locked the director out of the editing room?

The Director of AHX was so pissed I'm suprised he didn't Alan Smithee the project. I really wish I could have seen "his" vision.

I know plenty of Jewish people and honestly the ADL is an embarrasment to the fine members of the Faith/Race.

Blacks have NOTHING compared to the Race Card that the ADL plays againtst anyone who doesn't present those of the Jewish faith in a %100 positive light. I may have a disagreement with a person...doesn't mean I hate his/her whole race.

Mel...make your movie the way you see fit. I will take it at face value and will not judge anyone lest I be judged myself.

"Freedom of Speech is only available to those who are willing to pay the consequences." HHM 2003

He tried, but the DGA wouldn't let him because he wanted to use "Humpty Dumpty" instead of "Alan Smithee."

I'll wait for the director's cut on DVD.

That's what I said about House of 1000 corpses

Perhaps the films can come out together as a 2 pack?

Wish Mel wouldn't be subcuming to the pressure to cut the film, but I admit, he is gettting the press!

As I wrote above, Mel Gibson financed "The Passion" himself and can cut the movie anyway he wants. If he's making changes at this point, they are his decision. If you want to blame anyone, blame Gibson for not having a spine.

You ask if reporting about blacks killing blacks is anti-semitic. You do know what the definition of anti-semitic is, don't you?

All the publicity only helps this movie, If they would just leave it alone it might come and go quietly but causing all this stirr is going to get more people to hear about it and maybe see it.

So does that mean the next movies about Bugsy, Lansky or Dutch Schultz will protray them as positive role models in the community and an important part of the backbone American was built on?