We have 2 copies of The Passion of the Christ to give away on DVD, courtesy of Icon Home Entertainment.
Depicting the last 12 hours of the life of Jesus of Nazareth (Jim Caviezel), it starts with his betrayal by Judas Iscariot (Luca Lionello), his arrest and trial by Pontious Pilate (Hristo Shopov) and culminates with his crucifixion and resurrection.
Directed by Mel Gibson – who funded the film himself and co-wrote the screenplay – it uses flashbacks to a handful of pertinent moments in Jesus’ life and teachings, such as the Sermon on the Mount and the Last Supper, as well as his relationships with his mother and his disciples.
Co-starring Maia Morgenstern and Monica Bellucci, it was performed in Aramaic and Latin (with English subtitles) and was became one of the highest grossing films of 2004.
The extras on this 2-disc edition include:
Commentary for the visually impaired (original version only)
Filmmaker Commentary with Mel Gibson, cinematographer Caleb Deschanel and Editor John Wright (original version only)
Production Commentary with Producer Stephen McEveety, Second Unit Director Ted Rae and Visual Effects Producer Kevin Vanderhan (original version only)
Theological Commentary with Mel Gibson, Language Consultant Father William Fulco, Theologians Gerry Matatics and Father John Bartunek (original version only)
Music Commentary with composer John Debney (selected scenes – original version only)
Seamlessly Branched ReCut version of The Passion of The Christ (4:41 shorter)
Biblical pop-up Footnotes (original version only)
His Wounds We Are Healed: Making The Passion of the Christ (21 Chapters – 1:40:15)
Crucifixion: Punishment in the Ancient World (17:26)
Anno Domini (10:02)
Production Art
Art Images
Characters and Their Actors
Unit Photography
Trailers and TV Spots
DVD Credits
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However, to be in with a chance of winning a copy ofThe Passion of the Christ on DVD just answer the following question:
Which 1993 film was Mel Gibson’s first as a director?
The closing date is Monday 12th April and winners will be notified by email.
*UPDATE 11/04/10: We made a mistake with this competition – the year should have read 1993 and not 1995. However, any entries that named Gibson’s films from 1993 and 1995 will be included in the final draw. Apologies again. *
The Passion of the Christ is out now on Blu-ray and DVD on Icon Home Entertainment
Dumbo (Walt Disney): One of the greatest animated films from Disney, this story of a shy little elephant with some large ears arrives on Blu-ray for the first time. Separated from the rest of the circus animals, he befriends a mouse who encourages him to exploit his ears for fame and fortune.
After being goaded by a group of crows, Dumbo discovers that his ears have given him the ability to fly. The animation and writing is magical and the Blu-ray comes with a decent selection of extras including behind the scenes featurettes, bonus short features, and a copy of the DVD. [Buy it on Blu-ray | Buy it on DVD]
Fish Tank (Artificial Eye): Writer-director Andrea Arnold’s second feature-length film, and another deeply impressive piece of work after her Oscar winning short Wasp(2005) and Red Road (2006). The tale of a teenage girl named Mia (Katie Jarvis) chronicles her struggle with her mother and younger sister on an poor Essex housing estate.
Frustrated with her life and lack of options, things begin to change when she strikes up a friendship with her mother’s new boyfriend (Michael Fassbender). Unlike many British films which feature aristocrats in period costume or gangsters who swear a lot, this takes what seems like humdrum material and does something really special with it. For some reason the Blu-ray is only being released two months after the DVD (read our longer review here), but is well worth buying if you haven’t yet seen it. [Buy it on Blu-ray | Buy it on DVD]
Twin Peaks: Definitive Gold Edition (Universal Playback): With Season 2 of Twin Peaks finally being released in the UK, Universal Playback have decided to release Season 1 and Season 2 on a definitive box set. Directed by David Lynch, this series picks up from the first season cliff-hanger that saw Agent Cooper (Kyle Maclachlan) shot repeatedly as he closed in on the mystery surrounding the brutal murder of Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee).
Twin Peaks originally aired between 1990 and 1991 and quickly became one of the most critically acclaimed and popular TV series around the world. Taking root in popular culture, even today it regularly features in lists of classic TV shows. [Buy it on DVD]
The Double Life of Veronique (Artificial Eye): A 1991 French-Polish drama directed by Krzysztof Kieślowski stars Irène Jacob in a dual role as two women, one in Poland (Weronika) and one in France (Veronique), who have a mysterious connection.
A thoughtful and beautifully constructed film, it has an entrancing central performance from Jacob, some inventive cinematography from Sławomir Idziak and also anticipates the Three Colours Trilogy (1992-94) which cemented Kieślowski as one of the great European filmmakers of his generation. [Buy it on Blu-ray | Buy it on DVD]
The Passion of the Christ (Icon Home Entertainment): Mel Gibson‘s unflinching and brutal retelling of the final hours of Jesus (Jim Caviezel) was one of the most successful and controversial films of 2004. From a purely technical level there is much to admire in the film: Caleb Deschanel‘s cinematography, the costumes, make-up and use of the Italian town of Matera, all combine to paint a highly convincing picture of the period.
Even for a non-believer, the spectacle of suffering and persecution is moving, even if Gibson lays it on a bit too relentlessly. The claims of anti-Semitism against the film, fuelled by the depiction of the Jewish priests as Christ killers (as they are in the Gospels), were off-base, although Gibson’s drunken rant rant in 2006 gave one pause about his own personal beliefs. [Buy it on Blu-ray | Buy it on DVD]
Under the Sun of Satan (Eureka/MOC): A re-release for this 1987 allegorical drama, adapted from the Georges Bernanos novel of the same name, sees a French priest (Gerard Depardieu) struggle to save the soul of young woman (Sandrine Bonnaire).
An impressive examination of good versus evil, it won the Palme d’Or at the 1987 Cannes Festival, which led to verbal protests from sections of the audience and defiant gesture from director Maurice Pialat. This new release has had a new anamorphic transfer in its original aspect ratio, with new and improved English subtitle translations. The extras are also plentiful with interviews, lengthy featurettes, on set footage and a 36-page booklet. [Buy it on DVD]
We have 2 copies of The Passion of the Christ to give away on DVD, courtesy of Icon Home Entertainment.