History YMMV / ThePassionOfTheChrist

** Amongst the global Christian audience, the film was received especially well outside in countries where Catholic and particularly Spanish influences remain predominant, such as Spain, Latin America and the Philippines, as its particular style of religious imagery resonate more strongly there because of two reasons. First, while many modern Protestants (and even modern Catholics in other countries) may be unnerved and turned off by the blood, it was in fact ''this'' flavor of Catholicism, focusing greatly on Jesus's suffering, torture and death, which Spain favored and introduced in their conquered territories, and thus it's a deeply influential part of Hispanic cultures today (you can note it in modern Spain, where entering a chapel can feel like entering a horror film, not to mention their Holy Week, which often features real penitents bleeding all over). Second, as Spain had forcefully Christianized its Jewish population even before their conquest of America started, this means these regions have historically negligible Jewish populations, so the question of anti-Semitism simply wasn't much of a local issue, with many of these people not being even aware that anti-Semitism in the movie exists or can be identified.

* MemeticMutation: [[https://i.redd.it/99oa9d4c6cj71.jpg A behind the scenes photo]] of Mel Gibson talking to a blood-covered Jim Caviezel is used as a way to describe FirstWorldProblems

** Amongst the global Christian audience, 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 perceived 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 regions have historically negligible Jewish populations, so the question of anti-Semitism simply wasn't much of a local issue, and many of these people aren't even aware that antisemitism in the movie exists or can be identified.

* IncorruptiblePurePureness: Jesus, of course. It's really telling when he's completely unfazed when Satan regards humanity (including the ones that persecute him) as hopeless to save, yet Jesus goes along with his execution. When Jesus is dying, he only sees humanity with sorrow not hate.

* CompleteMonster: Satan's ultimate goal is to destroy humanity out of spite.

* SugarWiki/DevelopmentHeaven: The film had a complete lack of spoken English, the spoken lines done in Latin and Aramaic (both languages now considered "dead").

* 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 perceived 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 regions have historically negligible Jewish populations, so the question of anti-Semitism simply wasn't much of a local issue.

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* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: While Creator/JamesCaviezel 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.

* {{Applicability}}: While Mel Gibson rooted the film in a very traditionalist Catholic viewpoint on the Gospels, it wound up resonating most strongly with evangelical Christians. In its depiction of Jesus' crucifixion before a braying mob, they saw a metaphor for their own perceived marginalization within wider society, with the promise that they would one day inherit the Earth.

* {{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.

* SugarWiki/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.
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** While Jesus' torture is over the top, these methods were historically used by the Romans.

* 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 might be a Satanic mockery of Mary and Baby Jesus, while others theorize the baby is the Anti-Christ, but the film itself has no answer.

* SacredCow: Among devout Christians, in particular conservatives across the world. Practically seen almost as sacred as the Bible itself. This is particularly true with Evangelicals in the United States and the predominantly Catholic and conservative Latin America.

** Jesus dying on the cross for all of humanity; and the immediate aftermath Satan screaming in impotent rage at its defeat.

* SacredCow: Among devout Christians, in particular conservatives across the world. Practically seen almost as sacred as the Bible itself. This is particularly true with Evangelicals in the United States and the predominantly and conservative Latin America.

* DarknessInducedAudienceApathy: The {{Gorn}} that this film is so infamous for is meant to make the viewers empathize with Jesus. And it does work quite well with some people, but not with others. Many viewers just stop caring after all the violence they see.

* 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 has no answer.

* 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 perceived 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 regions/countries have historically negligible Jewish populations, so the question of anti-Semitism simply wasn't much of a local issue.

* CrossesTheLineTwice:
** While watching this movie, it's too disturbing and depressing to notice this trope. It's darkly comical in hindsight though, just the sheer amount of violence Creator/MelGibson puts Jesus through.

* 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.

** Pay attention to the amount of blood Jesus loses, too. [[OverdrawnAtTheBloodbank The human body has about eight liters of blood in it, total. He loses at least twice this amount before he's even hauled off for crucifixion]]. FridgeBrilliance: He's God. Catholics have a reverence for the blood of Christ. That there's a lot of it makes it more significant.

* 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 has no answer.

** He is beaten up by Jewish guards, slapped around by the Sanhedrin priests, beaten up by the people in the Temple, scourged so bad by Roman soldiers that his ribs are bared, has a crown of thorns put on his head (and pushed into his eyes), whipped through the streets while carrying a cross, beaten up and pelted with stones by Jewish mobs, and - after they dislocate his arm to fit the cross - he is finally nailed to the cross. It CrossesTheLineTwice when the Roman officer orders his men to put the dying Jesus out of his misery by breaking his legs with a sledgehammer.[[note]] Though, of course, the Bible says that when the soldiers saw that Jesus was already dead, they didn't break his legs. Some scientists believe that when someone is crucified, breaking their legs would leave them unable to support themselves enough to breathe.[[/note]]

** Pay attention to the amount of blood Jesus loses, too. [[OverdrawnAtTheBloodbank The human body has about 8 liters of blood in it, total. He loses at least twice this amount before he's even hauled off for crucifixion]].
*** FridgeBrilliance: He's God. Catholics have a reverence for the blood of Christ. That there is a lot of it makes it more significant.

* 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.

** 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.

* SacredCow: Among devout Christians inp particular conservatives across the world. Practically seen almost as sacred as the Bible itself. This is particularly true with Evangelicals in the United States and the predominantly and conservative Latin America.

* SacredCowWork: Among devout Christians especially rightwingers across the world. Practically seen almost as sacred as the Bible itself. This is particularly true with Evangelicals in America and the predominantly and relativley conservative Latin America.