Most controversial movies: No. 1
1 THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST
DIRECTED BY MEL GIBSON (2004)
THE PLOT You know the part in the Bible where Jesus gets betrayed, tortured, and crucified? That's it. That's all of it.
THE CONTROVERSY Gibson's intention — born of his deep Catholic faith — was to produce an unflinching depiction of Christ's suffering on behalf of mankind. What he succeeded at best, however, was igniting a culture-war firestorm unrivaled in Hollywood history. For months prior to its release, The Passion was both denounced and defended sight unseen amid reports that the film wasn't just brutal, but compromised by dubious biblical interpretation and anti-Semitic sentiment. Gibson refused to let concerned parties view and vet his self-financed film, even as he was giving Passion previews to Christians as part of an unprecedented church-targeting promo push. Ultimately, moviegoers pretty much got the experience they were expecting, while Gibson got a $370 million gross — plus a provocative new reputation.
Written and reported by Mandi Bierly, Jason Clark, Clark Collis, Steve Daly, Neil Drumming, Jeff Jensen, Paul Katz, Jeff Labrecque, Chris Nashawaty, Tim Purtell, Joshua Rich, Erin Richter, Josh Rottenberg, Christine Spines, Benjamin Svetkey, Alice Lee Tebo
