Despite all the well-discussed violence in Mel’s Passion, I couldn’t help but get all worked up whenever Magdalene was in a scene. Do you think that works as a counterpoint, or maybe Mel’s trying to convict me of my own sinful corruption (“Jesus is dying here, and all you can think of is boinking Monica Belluci!”), or just had already cast Monica and there’s no damn way to keep her from looking hot on screen?
Btw, where did the notions arise that Magdalene was also the adultress (the one who never got stoned) as in The Passion, or a prostitute? Never could figure that out.
“The Passion” was not a film that studio execs (pardon the pun) had a lot of faith in. I mean, let’s face it – religious tale, subtitled through and through, no explosions or car chases – it’s done very well DESPITE what industry insiders might have thought.
(I mean, really. If the studio had ANY faith at all in the film, they’d had waited to release it in the summer, instead of dumping it into theaters in February. Early in the year is typically the Kiss of Death to box office numbers.)
The only real X Factor was Mel Gibson’s involvement in it. Having already won Academy Awards for his previous directorial efforts, it was probably hard to say no. So the execs bit the bullet to keep Mel on good terms, and bankrolled what they probably thought was going to be a money pit.
Fast-forward to casting time. Mel says he wants a woman to play Mary Magdalene, has to look such-and-such a way, etc. The studio execs notice a beautiful young woman that’s been getting rave reviews for her recent appearance in “The Matrix Reloaded.”
Studio execs figure casting said woman might help staunch a little bit of the bleeding. They probably encourage Mel to give her a screen test, which she aces.
An early Pope Gregory (the Great?) gave a homily combining (I think) Mary of Bethany, Mary Magdalene, the sinful woman who washed JC’s feet with her hair in Luke’s Gospel (an act repeated by Mo’B in John) and the Adulteress saved from stoning.
Check out DeMille’s 1927 King of Kings- Magdalene & the Adulteress were both yummy!
See also Cecil’s Column on Myriam of Magdala. He states it’s from the VI Century but does not identify the quite-fallible Pontiff responsible (though I don’t think it was so much made “dogma” as just made the Provisional Official Explanation of a preexisting popular belief; I sure wasn’t taught that in C-School).
Of course, now we have The DaVinci Code bringing back up a variant on the Madeleinean mythology. This is one of those angles that’s never going away (until/unless when/if da Man does come back )
Also, Monica Bellucci is hardly a newcomer. She’s been a star in Europe for years and has been doing a fair number of English-language films for the last four years.
Yes, but only recently has she been doing any work in the States. Her first major role in America was Tears of the Sun and it’s not like more than 15 people even saw that.
If we’re conjecturing why Gibson chose her for the role…well, is there any reason why he shouldn’t have?
Ok, you’ve got to see this site – however, regarding the links, note the “firm caveat: Only mature women should view these websites and only for the purpose of verifying our report”. For inquiring grandmothers only!!!
Little did I know that Monica Bellucci “is not just a typical porn star, but perhaps the most vile in the history of mass-market movie-making”.
Excuse me, I have some thoughts that need tending to…
Okay, there’s messed-up and then there’s whoever is responsible for that site (I couldn’t find anyone to take the bla–credit for its informative articles.
Monica Bellucci is a very attractive woman. Interestingly, while I made numerous amusing comments to myself while watching The Passion of the Christ, I made no comments about her physical appearance. However, one of the first comments I made during the film was, “Jesus is one fine looking man.”
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