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The Passion of the Christ

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After obtaining a draft of the screenplay, written by Gibson and Benedict Fitzgerald, the scholars found reasons to think the worst. ''The basic story line has [the high priest] Caiaphas and this hateful Jewish mob pursuing Jesus relentlessly,'' says Dr. John T. Pawlikowski, a professor at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, and the first scholar to review the script. (He was recently questioned by an investigator hired by Gibson's Icon Entertainment to determine the source of the screenplay leak.) ''We find this thematically contrary to biblical and historical scholarship.''

Then there were bits not found in the Bible at all. One sequence had Jews nailing together Christ's cross inside a temple. The script also had ''a cabal of Jews,'' says Pawlikowski, ''collecting money to help the process of doing in Jesus.'' A ''Passion'' source says those scenes do not appear in Gibson's current edit. But Korn, who saw a rough cut, believes ''The Passion'''s characterization of Jews remains troublesome. Gibson has screened the film for select audiences and is said to be making changes to address some criticisms (like adding subtitles). Yet the material may prove impossible to defuse. ''The film is straightforward Bible stuff,'' says the ''Passion'' source. ''Those who find the New Testament offensive may find 'The Passion' offensive.''

Controversial religious cinema is nothing new. Behold Martin Scorsese's ''Last Temptation of Christ,'' which newspapers refused to advertise, theaters refused to show, and Blockbuster refused to carry. ''Temptation'' and ''Passion'' are as different as water and wine -- the former was protested mainly by Christians for its depiction of a wholly human, temptable Jesus -- but both illustrate the marketing challenges faced by filmmakers who mine the Gospels. ''The moment you say you're going to make a movie about Jesus, people get upset,'' says ''Basic Instinct'' director Paul Verhoeven, who has long been attempting to mount a biblically revisionist biopic about Christ. He's also been wanting to make a Hitler movie, too, ''and the responses to both were identical -- fury.''

But Gibson's screenings have also generated some positive responses, so the uproar isn't the only factor studios will take into account when they hear his pitch in September. Some distributors may also want the film's international rights in order to make the proposition more profitable; it's unclear whether Icon will agree. ''The Passion'''s graphic violence might also prove a marketing challenge, especially since major studios have adopted limits on how they can promote such movies. But the ''Passion'' source -- who says Icon plans an aggressive grassroots push -- believes an R won't hurt box office potential: ''Christians sit through brutal depictions of crucifixion every Easter. If there was ever a time when the R were to become meaningless, it would be in this case.''

Another question is whether this uproar will damage Gibson's career. Most Hollywood insiders predict his stature will not be diminished -- barring increasing controversy. Says one studio chief, ''I think most people will see 'The Passion' for what it is -- a passion project.'' It remains to be seen whether audiences will share Gibson's fervor, or judge him for it.