Bloody, controversial - why don't they like it ?

The packed cinemas across the US for Mel Gibson's "The Passion Of The Christ" don't seem to be going down well in Guardianista country - 'two hours of almost uninterrupted gratuitous brutality' says one commentator.

I'm the kind of person who faints when surgery is shown on TV, so we won't be queuing for tickets. But surely the whole point of the violence is that it's an attempt to accurately depict what Jesus suffered for our sins (always excepting Patti Smith's). The whole point of Christianity is that 'God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life'. Hardly gratuitous then.

A low budget production, unknown actors, subtitles, dialogue in an obscure language (Aramaic is still spoken in some parts of Syria, Iraq and Iran) and buckets of blood - just the kind of thing a liberal luvvie should get off on.

But when it comes to bloody and controversial they appear to prefer stuff like this.

"Ian, a middle-aged journalist, takes twentysomething Cate, a family friend, to a Leeds hotel room and abuses her. Halfway through the 90-minute play, the Soldier arrives and subjects Ian to verbal threats and rape. Cate escapes. A mortar bomb crashes into room, the Soldier sucks out Ian's eyes and then commits suicide. Cate returns with a baby that's been given to her by a victim of the war raging outside. It dies, and Ian tries to eat it. Now blind and hungry, Ian finally dies. Rain pours in on his head ..."

Nothing gratuitous about that. As Jonathan Miller pointed out "You pays your money and they eats their eyes".

I'm surprised the Guardianistas haven't yet discovered the writings of the Venerable Anne Catherine Emmerich, from whose visions of The Dolorous Passion Of Our Lord Jesus Christ Mel Gibson apparently drew his inspiration. A quick tour round the links on this site to subjects such as sexual immorality, a reference to George Bush's proposals to prevent homosexual marriage - I could write the article myself.

UPDATE - came across a review (well sort of) of the Passion at this rather touching blog.