“The Passion of the Christ” is the newest depiction of the story of Jesus Christ and the hours prior to his crucifixion. Directed and produced by Academy Award winning actor Mel Gibson, the film takes on a more detailed, graphic and violent version of the torture that is said to have happened to Jesus.

The entire film was done in the ancient language of Aramaic, also known as a “dead language.” Aramaic is a form of Hebrew rarely spoken today. James Caviezel plays the role of Jesus as it has never been done before. In 1988, William Defoe attempted to play Jesus in the Martin Scorsese film “The Last Temptation of Christ.” Defoe’s performance was very good but was not as compelling as Caviezel’s. He has captured the innocence like no other Hollywood actor has. Caviezel’s impressive performance and his work with a new language is outstanding.

Each member of the ensemble could not have been cast any better. Monica Bellucci (Mary Magdalene) and Maia Morgenstern (the Virgin Mary) stayed true to their characters and played them exceptionally well. Throughout the movie the two were side by side and demonstrated great character, noting the scene where they take clothes to wipe the blood of Jesus off cobblestone where Jesus was whipped for 10 minutes of the film. Special effects in this movie were fantastic and untraceable, unlike the computerized and fake effects that are found in most films. There are several scenes where the faces of children slowly shape into devils and demons. These transformations not only look incredibly real, but they take on a new form of horror and evil.

There have been rumors and controversies over this film concerning the underlying tones of anti-Semitism and the light that the Jews were portrayed.

“I do not believe it’s an anti-Semitic movie. I believe that this movie has the potential to fuel anti-Semitism, to reinforce it,” said Abraham Foxman, national director of the Anti-defamation League, in an interview on ABC’s “Primetime.”

Mel Gibson stated in an interview with Diane Sawyer, “It’s about faith, hope, love and forgiveness. That’s what this film is about. It’s about Christ’s sacrifice. [Jesus Christ ] was beaten for our iniquities. He was wounded for our transgressions and by his wounds we are healed. That’s the point of the film. It’s not about pointing fingers.”

Overall, the film was excellent. If Gibson’s intention was to show how much pain one person can endure and still forgive his enemies, then he succeeded with flying colors.

This film is primarily a story that represents so much more than any religion or creed. It reminds us to consider the smaller things in life that mean so much more and to find the good in things that are bad.