Oh, I didn't realize that was a controversy. It's certainly something we've been discussing here, but more along the lines of the old "movies used to be better when they couldn't show everything" argument.

I haven't seen a lot of the Gibson interviews, so I honestly don't know this. Did he set out to make an evangelical tract? I mean, was that his intention? Or was he just trying to tell a story that he found powerful and felt very strongly about?

Here, at least, no one as seeing this as a way to convert the masses. Just as no one felt "The Ten Commandments" was meant to convert people, either. I think the assumption being made here is that it was a story that Gibson felt the need to tell and that this was the way he wanted to tell it.

I definitely think that the violence will keep people away -- but I think most of the people it will deter are those who would have wanted to see it to begin with (aka Christians). :-)

I do also know of Christian groups who are against the film because of its violence.

Sorry I hijacked the topic. I clearly must have misread your original post.