The Passion of the Christ (2004)

The Passion of the Christ is a 2004 American epic biblical drama film co-produced and directed by Mel Gibson from a screenplay he wrote with Benedict Fitzgerald. It is the first installment of The Passion of the Christ film series. The film stars Jim Caviezel as Jesus, Maia Morgenstern as his mother Mary, and Monica Bellucci as Mary Magdalene. It depicts the arrest, trial and crucifixion of Jesus, largely according to the canonical gospels as well as additional accounts such as the purported mystical visions by Anne Catherine Emmerich and the Friday of Sorrows.

The film primarily covers the final twelve hours before Jesus Christ's death, known as "the Passion". It begins with the Agony in the Garden of Olives (i.e., Gethsemane), continues with the betrayal of Judas Iscariot, the Flagellation of Christ, the suffering of Mary as prophesied by Simeon, the crucifixion and death of Jesus, and ends with a brief depiction of his resurrection. The narrative is interspersed with moments in Jesus's life, such as the Last Supper and the Sermon on the Mount, and moments of Jesus' early life. The film was mostly shot in Italy. The dialogue is entirely in reconstructed Aramaic, Hebrew, and Latin. Although Gibson was initially against it, the film is subtitled.

The Passion of the Christ was released by Newmarket Films on February 25, 2004. The film was controversial and received polarized reviews; some critics called the film a religious and holy experience, praising the performances, direction, production values, and John Debney's score, while some found it antisemitic and the violence extreme. The film grossed $612.1 million worldwide against a $30 million budget, and became the fifth highest-grossing film of 2004 internationally at the end of its theatrical run. It is the highest-grossing (inflation unadjusted) Christian film of all time, as well as the highest-grossing independent film of all time. It was the highest-grossing R-rated film in the US, at $370.8 million, a record which remained unbroken for 20 years. It received three nominations at the 77th Academy Awards in 2005, for Best Makeup, Best Cinematography, and Best Original Score. Two sequels, The Resurrection of the Christ: Part One and Part Two, are due to be released in 2027, with a new cast.