15 Controversial Movies That Actually Live Up To The Hype

The Film:

A religious drama, this chronicles the last 12 hours of Jesus' life. It's entirely in Armaic, Hebrew and Latin and was directed by, of all people, Mel Gibson. It's still one of the highest-grossing R-rated films of all time.

The Controversy:

The film has been criticized for antisemitism, biblical inaccuracy and for focusing excessively on the violence and torture of Jesus. Mel Gibson's recent controversies and his much-publicized antisemitic rant didn't help matters.

Why It Was Right:

Religion is a sensitive issue and depictions of religious texts on-screen perceived as incorrect will understandably upset many. Therefore, religious films which prove controversial usually live up to the hype and Mel Gibson's brutally violent depiction of the death of Jesus is no exception.

The accusations of antisemitism are fairly accurate and the portrayal of Jews in this film is problematic to say the least. Mel Gibson's antisemitism makes the film a more uncomfortable viewing experience than it might otherwise have been.

As for the story's angle, it is going to prove divisive. The decision to focus entirely on Jesus' torture and subsequent crucifixion, instead of on his life, was an unusual decision. Many will disapprove of this creative choice, as well as the arguably gratuitous violence and torture scenes.

This is a difficult film to watch and opinions of the film's violence and narrative will vary from person to person.