Interest find on "Passion Of The Christ"

[pnorman]

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The actors in this film may be unknown to American Christians who never darken the door of a movie theater, or frequent pornography websites, but they are quite well-known to the rest of the Western world which does. In fact, to say that the actors and actresses who perform in “The Passion” are well-known is an enormous understatement. Three of the actresses who have key roles in this film are not only internationally renowned actresses, they are hardcore pornography stars! Monica Bellucci, who plays Mary Magdalene in Gibson’s “Passion” movie, is quite the rage as a European porn queen as well as “one of the hottest actresses in Hollywood” (according to one fan site). Monica Bellucci is no ordinary porn star, but performs in hardcore films such as the 2002 production, Irreversible. “Premiered at last years Cannes Film Festival, ‘Irreversible’ proved so shocking that 250 people walked out, some needing medical attention...

“Irreversible, directed by Franco-Argentinian director Gaspar Noe, describes a woman’s rape and her boyfriend’s bloody quest for revenge... The script consists almost entirely of expletives directed against homosexuals and women, and a scene in which Italian actress Monica Bellucci is raped lasts a horrifying 10 minutes. Shown anti-chronologically––the violent conclusion first followed by sequences taking the viewer back through events––the film delivers a stomach-churning opening punch set in ‘Rectum,’ a sado-masochist gay club.

“Fire wardens had to administer oxygen to 20 people (at the Cannes Festival) who fainted during the film - which includes a 10-minute depiction of sodomy and also contains graphic scenes of rape and murder...
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http://watch.pair.com/passion.html

PORN-STARS?? That's a sort of "odd" website that I haven't checke dout very carefully yet. But I imagine those "porn-stars" are exactly as described. I wonder how this would "play" to the True Believers?

pnorman

[Lautremont]

1. Irreversible is not a porn film by any stretch.

I believe porn is meant to be arousing. Irreversible is unsavoury, but stunning (and violent, certainly, but no more violent than a certain Jesus suffersploitation picture I can think of). There's no real nudity that I recall, which is probably another requirement for the coveted label of "porn."

And Monica Belluci is not a porn star.

[pnorman]

2. Thanks for the correction.

I try to cross-check this sort of "sensational" stuff before disseminating, but I got lazy. Still, they may not be "porn", but they'll no doubt "unsettle" most of those True Believers.

pnorman
PS: This is the first time I've ever posted in this Forum. I hope this sort of posting isn't "inappropriate" here.

[Lautremont]

3. I wouldn't think it was inappropriate,

but I'm an infrequent visitor to this forum, a heretic to boot, and a watcher of movies like "Irreversible," and so may not be the best judge.

[pnorman]

5. That was the reason for my query.

I generally describe myself as "NOT a card-carrying Christian", and that would work out to "agnostic" of some sort ("heretic" too!). I react pretty strongly to "Christo-Fascists", but I don't feel I have any conflict with "believers" per se. If they believe in something beyond self-interest, and are willing to fight for it, die for it, I sense a deep kinship.

And of course, DU is MY community too, and I don't want to needlessly give offense in ANY Forum.

pnorman
On edit: I was trying out this Valentine thingie, and I ended up giving MYSELF a Valentine! But I now see that I have TWO!! Allright, WHO is my secret admirer? (better be of the opposite sex!!)

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. I'm not sure if that site is suitable for linking to from DU

It seems to be a cult that eagerly denounces just about all other Christian sects as heretical, and its attitude towards Judaism looks frankly anti-semitic. It claims a large numbers of Jews are in reality followers of Satan:

Scripture is clear that the plans of the Synagogue of Satan shall utterly fail, and that they will ultimately be destroyed. What fraction of all Israel does the Synagogue of Satan represent? The Old Testament prophets foretold their proportions at the time they attack Jerusalem, whose rescue and restoration will be accomplished by the Lord Himself:
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And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein.

http://watch.pair.com/mystery-babylon.html

(their bold emphasis is retained)

Hang on, by page 3 of that, they're claiming the Protocols of Zion are real. This is definitely an anti-semitic hate site. How would you feel about asking the mods to lock this thread with an explanation that you found the bit about 'Passion of the Christ' by mistake?

[pnorman]

8. This is what originally brought me to that site:

"Council For National Policy": http://watch.pair.com/cnp.html There's a lot of valuable info there, and I had bookmarked it for that purpose. Later while browsing, I came across the reference to that Mel Gibson movie. More recently, and AFTER I had made this posting here, I did some further browsing. I came to the same conclusions that you did, but I draw back from banning links to objectionable sites --- just properly identifying and discussing them, strikes me as proper.

There was (is?) a website in Mexico, that "said all the right DU things", that was cited on DU a while back, and met with hearty approval here. But I had already known of it a VIRULENTLY anti-Semitic site, and I posted that here. So now it's MY turn to get corrected! Boo-Hoo! (and thanks for the heads up!)

pnorman

[EST]

4. "Passion" is little more than a torture/snuff flick.

The pitiful lies that people tell themselves so that they can mentally masturbate to scenes of horror, death and destruction, while nodding sagely and whispering about how "uplifting" and spiritually savory it all is, is so contemptible and pathetic that words often fail.

Most human beings have very few of the qualities that we consider to be the very essence of existence a cut above the bestial, however, I suppose we need be thankful that so many are willing to pretend to have some of those qualities some of the time.

A quarter century ago, I was convinced beyond question that true enlightenment would have bloomed throughout the population by now. I am ashamed and fearful that, for the most part, society has gone the other direction. From an assemblage of masters to a pack of hyenas-how sad.

[TechBear_Seattle]

7. Thus Gibson's interest in having Monica Bellucci

Perform in his film, I mean. :hi:

The script consists almost entirely of expletives directed against homosexuals and women, and a scene in which Italian actress Monica Bellucci is raped lasts a horrifying 10 minutes. Shown anti-chronologically––the violent conclusion first followed by sequences taking the viewer back through events––the film delivers a stomach-churning opening punch set in ‘Rectum,’ a sado-masochist gay club.

Sounds very much like Mel Gibson's brand of snake oil.

[Evoman]

9. Irreversible! A PORN movie!!!! WHAT!

Oh man...that movie is the complete opposite of a porn movie. Any person who thinks Irreversible is porn is seriously fucked up. It was horrific, and realistic, and made me sick for close to a week. Its all I could think about. Its the only movie with rape that I have ever seen that did not use rape as "exploitative"....both because of the brutality (who but the sickest fuck could find it enticing), and because of its position at the beginning of the movie (it was not the climax). When you see Belluci in later scenes (the movie is sort of like Memento, where you get the end first, and then move backwards in time), you feel so bad, because you understand what she is going to go through later and how her life, and her boyfriends, is going to be shattered. She is a great actress, in my opinion.

I do not recommend Irreversible....unless you want to feel absolutely terrible at the end.

On edit: At the end of the movie (the beginning of the story), there is the only real nude love-making scene with Belluci (and shes actually in the scene with her REAL boyfriend at the time). Even that scene is not enticing....simply because it seems so tender and such a sharp contrast to her treatment later.