Censor to vet controversial 'Passion of the Christ' film today

By REBECCA BARRY

The chief censor will watch the controversial Mel Gibson biblical epic The Passion of the Christ today as Christian groups begin to book out cinemas in anticipation of its release.

Funded, scripted and directed by Hollywood acting veteran Gibson, The Passion - which traces Jesus Christ's last days - has provoked polar opposite reactions from religious groups who have attended preview screenings overseas.

While many Christian organisations welcome the film as a powerful evangelical and documentary tool, some members of the Jewish community have condemned it, fearing the brutal depiction of Christ's death at the urging of Jewish authorities will arouse anti-Semitism.

New Zealand's chief censor, Bill Hastings, has yet to decide if he will consult religious leaders on its classification.

Even before tickets go on sale to the public, the film has caused such a buzz that local Christian groups are booking out cinemas.

Already 2120 seats have been snapped up for The Passion, which opens worldwide on February 25, (Ash Wednesday), the second-highest number of pre-sales after The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

Hoyts Wairau has confirmed 10 group bookings and is staging the world's first public screening at one minute past midnight on opening day. The Christian radio station Life FM is celebrating the release by organising a band to perform at a private screening.

Hoyts, the film's New Zealand distributors, hosted preview screenings for more than 200 religious leaders and representatives from church groups to generate interest but marketing manager Elizabeth Trotman said she was unsure if any Jewish representatives saw it.

Some might have been invited through the Bible Society, she said.

Those who saw the film in advance were told not to speak to the media until after its official release.