History YMMV / ThePassionOfTheChrist

* IronWoobie: The film is about what may as well be the UrExample.

* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids: See the description on the main page.

** [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids Hearing children in the movie theater while watching the film.]]

* AdaptationDisplacement: Averted, of course. The source material ''is'' a huge best-seller, after all.

* SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments: After Jesus is nailed to the cross, the soldiers flip the cross over to make sure the nails are secured from the reverse. At this point, Jesus should be flat on his face - as if everything else he's been through wasn't enough - but, as Magdalene sees (and us from the angle) Jesus is about an inch or so above ground, high enough for him to turn and gaze at her. Something like that is normally impossible without something like, say, divine intervention? Heartwarming to know that, while all the suffering is part of the plan, it could be interpreted as God's sign that he hadn't abandoned Jesus.

* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: The film was received especially well outside the United States in countries where Catholic and particularly Spanish colonial influence remains predominant, such as Mexico and other Latin American countries and the Philippines in Asia. Its particular style of religious imagery resonated more strongly in these regions because of the lack of percieved ValuesDissonance, mainly for two reason: First, while many modern Protestants and even modern Catholics in the West may be unnerved and turned off by the blood, it was ''this'' flavor of Catholicism, focusing greatly on Jesus's suffering and death, which was introduced to Latin America and the Philippines by missionaries in the late Middle Ages, and thus a deeply influential part of their cultures today. Second, these countries have historically neglible Jewish populations, so the question of anti-Semitism simply wasn't much of a local issue.

* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: The film was received especially well outside the United States in countries where Catholic and particularly Spanish colonial influence remains predominant, such as Mexico and other Latin American countries and the Philippines in Asia. Its particular style of religious imagery resonated more strongly in these regions because of the lack of percieved ValuesDissonance, mainly for two reasons: first while many modern Protestants and even modern Catholics in the West may be unnerved and turned off by the blood, it was ''this'' flavor of Catholicism, focusing greatly on Jesus's suffering and death, which was introduced to Latin America and the Philippines by missionaries in the late Middle Ages, and thus a deeply influential part of their cultures today. Second, these countries have historically neglible Jewish populations, so the question of anti-Semitism simply wasn't much of a local issue.

* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: The film was received especially well outside the United States in countries where Catholic and particularly Spanish colonial influence remains predominant, such as Latin America and the Philippines in Asia. Its particular style of religious imagery resonated more strongly in these regions because of the lack of percieved ValuesDissonance, mainly for two reasons: first while many modern Protestants and even modern Catholics in the West may be unnerved and turned off by the blood, it was ''this'' flavor of Catholicism, focusing greatly on Jesus's suffering and death, which was introduced to Latin America and the Philippines by missionaries in the late Middle Ages, and thus a deeply influential part of their cultures today. Second, these countries have historically neglible Jewish populations, so the question of anti-Semitism simply wasn't much of a local issue.

* CriticalDissonance: Reception to the film was understandably split down the middle by critics due to its subject matter. However, a good portion Christian filmgoers view the film as an excellent adaptation of this part of the New Testament.

* CrowningMomentOfAwesome: All the suffering that Christ goes through in the film makes the resurrection scene that much more effective.

* HeartwarmingMoments: After Jesus is nailed to the cross, the soldiers flip the cross over to make sure the nails are secured from the reverse. At this point, Jesus should be flat on his face - as if everything else he's been through wasn't enough - but, as Magdalene sees (and us from the angle) Jesus is about an inch or so above ground, high enough for him to turn and gaze at her. Something like that is normally impossible without something like, say, divine intervention? Heartwarming to know that, while all the suffering is part of the plan, it could be interpreted as God's sign that he hadn't abandoned Jesus.

* VisualEffectsOfAwesome: While Jim Caviezel did [[DyeingForYourArt injure himself at times]], the flagellation is done by combining realistic make-up and visual effects to make it seem as if flesh is being torn. Also, once Jesus is nailed, when it's full-bodied it's a life-like animatronic, enough to make bystanders in the Italian set worried for the "actor's" health.

* MisBlamed: The Anti-Semitic claims in particular and certain historical variances. Whatever Gibson's personal views this film is largely no better/no worse then [[Literature/TheBible the work]] it's based on. It enjoyed broad support from Church leaders across denominations precisely because it was felt to be a [[JustForPun faithful]] adaptation, and most support includes the note that they did ''not'' feel it promoted anti-Semitism, nor did they think it should have.
** Complaints that it focuses on Jesus' capture and execution are particularly odd, since that is literally [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passion_%28Christianity%29 the title of the movie.]]

* CompleteMonster: Satan screaming [[TheDevilIsALoser his head off in a tantrum]] at the few Jesus saves. That's right, ''the few''. The vast [[HumansAreBastards majority of mankind]] is [[NoSympathyForGrudgeholders still doomed]] as [[DependingOnTheWriter Universalism is not explictly shown to be in effect]], they can [[ThisIsUnforgivable now choose to damn themselves]]. Having caused nothing but [[ForTheEvulz but misery for mankind]] before then, driving everyone to their deaths, all while [[EvilGloating smirking at their demise]], and [[CessationOfExistence total destruction]], the fact that ''some'' got saved causes the devil [[VillainousBreakdown to really flip out]].

* BrokenBase: The amount of violence and detail surrounding the crucifying of Jesus. While it is mostly accurate to how bloody actual ones were, some have argued that the film focuses too much on it and not enough on the reasons as to why Jesus went through them, and why his sacrifice meant so much to humanity.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Mary. While this is especially true for Catholics, Maia Morgenstern's performance has been credited with increasing Evangelical devotion to Mary.

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: Jesus is not actually the messiah, he is a well-meaning charlatan with delusions of granduer who blasphemes against the established Jewish religion, makes terroristic threats to destroy the temple, and foments insurrection against the peaceful Roman occupation by convincing his followers to stop paying tribute to the emperor. He dies of his injuries on the cross. The storm, of course, can be explained as a regular freak accident, and Jesus’s resurrection at the end is a fanciful dream of his bereaved followers rather than an actual occurrence.

* DesignatedHero: Jesus. He persuades his followers not to pay their taxes (which the government uses to do things like build roads and fund the military), foments insurrection against the Roman occupation (which, at the time, seems to be entirely peaceful; we only see examples of brutality after Jesus's arrest), proclaims himself the true king of the Jews (despite being nothing but a peasant carpenter; this also challenges the authority of Herod, the legitimate king), and threatens to destroy the temple (which, in modern times, would be considered religious intolerance and making terroristic threats). It's honestly a wonder he wasn't executed sooner.

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: Jesus is not actually the messiah, he is a charlatan who blasphemes against the established Jewish religion, makes terroristic threats to destroy the temple, and foments insurrection against the peaceful Roman occupation by convincing his followers to stop paying tribute to the emperor. He dies of his injuries on the cross. The storm, of course, can be explained as a regular freak accident, and Jesus’s resurrection at the end is a fanciful dream of his bereaved followers rather than an actual occurrence.

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: Satan and her evil old man baby, never again referenced. Just Jesus looking out, seeing Satan, and Satan has something in her arms...''ahhh-get-it-away-it's-horrible-and-I-have-no-words-to-describe-the-horror.'' Some claim it'd might be a Satanic mockery of Mary and Baby Jesus, while others theorize the baby is the Anti-Christ, but the film itself ha no answer.

* Tearjerker: Besides Mary and Mary Magdalene's horrified tears of pain, we have a divine tear shed as we see a single drop of rain fall (from a god's eye view camera no less) just after Jesus dies.

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: Satan and her evil old man baby, never again referenced. Just Jesus looking out, seeing Satan, and Satan has something in her arms...''ahhh-get-it-away-it's-horrible-and-I-have-no-words-to-describe-the-horror.'' For obvious reasons, Satan's baby has already been referenced under NightmareFuel.
** According to religious sources, it's supposed to be a Satanic mockery of Mary and Baby Jesus.
** Several people watching the movie identified the baby as the Anti-Christ.

* OlderThanTheyThink: Some Biblical scholars think that the Gospels of Luke and John in particular (partially) try to absolve the Romans of responsibility for the Crucifixion so that Christians would not be considered enemies of the Roman Empire.
** Not ''this'' movie, though! Check out the smirks and leers on the torturers' faces as they thoroughly enjoy their work. These Romans are so eager to be cruel that you start wondering [[KickTheDog what they do]] to [[ItAmusedMe keep from getting bored]] when they ''don't'' have Jesus to torture. Considering that they were the ones to invent GladiatorGames, the predisposition for cruelty is perhaps not that far off.
** Romans hated the Jews with passion, and the Jews returned the honor. This is why the Jewish Revolts ended with such bloodshed, enough to be scary even to people from their age, who were no slouches when it came to death and destruction.