# 'The Passion is rated R. WTF?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-passion-is-rated-r-wtf/228298>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [February 9, 2004, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-passion-is-rated-r-wtf/228298 "2004-02-09T17:30:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2004, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-passion-is-rated-r-wtf/228298/41 "2004-02-11T18:29:35Z")

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> [@Skammer](#):
>
> I was also disappointed the first time I heard that the nails went through the hands, instead of the wrists. Similarly I was disappointed to see pictures from the movie of Jesus dragging his entire cross through the streets – in reality, the condemned only carried the crossbeam (the whole cross being much too heavy).
> 
> However, Gibson has said he deliberately went for the artistic depiction as opposed to the historically accurate, and it has been traditional in Christian art to have nails through the hands and Jesus carrying the whole cross. Not the choice I would have made, but I can live with it.

Speaking as one who got all excited hearing that it was going to be in the original languages, I am seriously dissapointed.

If you are going to take such pains as to make the actors learn Aramaic, why not go all out with the “historical realism”? (I use the words in quotes because the Gospels are religious works, not histories).

I’m not a Christian, but I don’t mind if they depict Jesus performing miracles and stuff - that is what the story says. As a Jew, I don’t care much if the movie is anti-Jewish in tone - some parts of the Gospels are, so it doesn’t bother me if they choose to depict that aspect (and I suspect the foofarah kicked up over that issue of being at least in part a deliberate publicity stunt).

But why, oh why, not try to make the thing as accurate as possible to the times, within the limits of the story imposed by the Gospels - if that is the evident intention, what with the Aramaic stuff and all? If he wanted to go for the traditional Christian depiction, why not just use English and be done with it?

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**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2004, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-passion-is-rated-r-wtf/228298/42 "2004-02-11T19:06:31Z")

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> [@Tars Tarkas](#):
>
> You have read the Bible? It’s not exactly Harry Potter…

If I used sig lines, that would be the one for me!

😃

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