French block Passion of the Christ

The age ^ | March 1, 2004 | By Kim Willsher

[miltonim]

French cinema chains are refusing to distribute or screen Mel Gibson's controversial film The Passion of the Christ because of fears that it may spark a new outbreak of anti-Semitism.

France is the only European country where there is still no distribution deal for the film, which depicts the last days of Jesus Christ in graphic detail and is accused by critics of stoking anti-Jewish sentiment.

The film was released in America and Australia last week but French distributors are wary of its impact on audiences and want to gauge its reception elsewhere in Europe, where it is due to open next month. A veteran film industry figure said: "We don't want to be on the side of those who support such anti-Semitism. When we distributed It's a Beautiful Life we were worried about the risk of making a comedy about the Holocaust, but that was different. There's enough anti-Semitic stuff circulating here already without us throwing oil on the fire."

The debate over the film is highly sensitive in France, where a spate of fire-bombings of synagogues and Jewish schools and attacks on rabbis in the past year has led Israel to denounce it as the most anti-Semitic country in Europe. Anger with Israel among France's large and growing Muslim population, combined with the strength of right-wing parties in some French districts, have contributed to an atmosphere that has alarmed political and Jewish leaders.

Last year Paris police were forced to set up a unit to deal with anti-Semitic crimes. Schoolteachers complain that they face a hostile reaction among Muslim students when trying to teach the history of the Holocaust, which some equate with Israel's actions against Palestinians. Now a string of major distributors have signalled they are not interested in the film. "We could have asked to see it but we haven't," said Jean-Claude Borde, director of Pathe Distribution.

[Bogey78O]

The anti-Semites of France would not care too much about Jesus as they're of a different faith.

[miltonim]

Yeah, those Zoroastrians!

[vpintheak]

If anyone has any doubts about the French being a bunch of cowards and Islamo fascists, this should be enough to convince you.

[Bogey78O]

Leave Zorro out of this.

[hershey]

I wonder how long French film distributors will hold out before deciding that they'd make so much money with Passion, they'll do a Kerry?

[WestTexasWend]

The French surrender again! Time to get rid of the tri-color and officially adopt the white flag (with maybe a hint of yellow). No wonder Islam is thriving there...

[Fishing-guy]

Historically, why was there so much hatred for Jews?

This hatred seems to span the entire European continent. Of course, blaming Jews for killing Jesus is just another excuse for their hatred.

[Ingtar]

Do they dare enrage their Islamofacist masters?

[BlessedBeGod]

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

[William Martel]

I have somewhat of a mixed reaction about this. I am an advocate of the film - I look forward to seeing it and I defend it against critics when I can. Personally, I believe that the French need a good kick in the backside spiritually. On the other hand, France has some of the highest rates of anti-semitism in the world today, most of which is due to the influx of Muslims from the south.

Sadly, I think that this decision has less to do with legitimate fears of anti-semitism than the anti-Christian bigotries of socialist France.

[buffyt]

It is such a great movie. I came away from it with the notion that it was Satan who was tormenting Christ, who was instigating the painful torture and beating, trying to get Christ to back out. Christ didn't back out, He didn't back down. I saw Satan weaving in and out of the crowd, I think he was the one who was making it so difficult for Christ. Not the Romans, or the jews, or the mob, or the king...

[ZULU]

Actaully, considering the rabid anti-Semitism of the French masses (but then they hate ANYBODY non-French) and the large herds of Islamic immigrants there, its propbably a wise decision - for a change.

[attiladhun2]

The French flag should be yellow with the star and crescent in the upper left corner and hammer and sickle in the other.

[buffyt]

EXCELLENT COMMENT!
"Time to get rid of the tri-color and officially adopt the white flag (with maybe a hint of yellow"

[Sabertooth]

French cinema chains are refusing to distribute or screen Mel Gibson's controversial film The Passion of the Christ because of fears that it may spark a new outbreak of anti-Semitism.

I suspect that they may also fear that their usual Mohammedan anti-Semites might diversify into an equally virulent form of anti-Christianity.

[buffyt]

ZULU you should read TALES FROM THE LEFT COAST by James Hirsen. He tells it better than anyone that HOLLYWOOD really IS that communist, and McCarthy was right.

[dinok]

Blaming Jews for Jesus's murder has been an excuse to hate someone. I'm sure there is a phycological defect there somewhere.

[Eala]

French cinema chains are refusing to distribute or screen Mel Gibson's controversial film The Passion of the Christ because of fears that it may spark a new outbreak of anti-Semitism.

Well, I guess I'd have to say that the French cinema chains know the French people better than I do. So if the chains think this movie (which is doing nothing of the kind in the US) will provoke the French into a massive new outbreak of anti-Semitism, I guess I have to believe them.

/ sarcasm

[buffyt]

PASSION IS DOING VER WELL IN USA

the weekend are estimates.)

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Rank*	Title (Click to view chart)	Friday 2/27 (Estimates)	Saturday 2/28 (Estimates)	Sunday 2/29 (Estimates)	Monday 3/1
1	THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST   3,043	$23,087,000 56.2% / $7,587 $64,425,000 / 3	$32,848,000 42.3% / $10,795 $97,273,000 / 4	$20,546,000 -37.5% / $6,752 $117,538,000 / 5	N/A
2	50 FIRST DATES   3,450	$4,000,000 296.7% / $1,159 $80,118,000 / 15	$5,800,000 45% / $1,681 $85,918,000 / 16	$2,800,000 -51.7% / $812 $88,718,000 / 17	N/A
3	TWISTED   2,703	$2,850,000 -- / $1,054 $2,850,000 / 1	$4,050,000 42.1% / $1,498 $6,900,000 / 2	$2,200,000 -45.7% / $814 $9,100,000 / 3	N/A
4	CONFESSIONS OF A TEENAGE DRAMA QUEEN   2,503	$1,652,000 408.9% / $660 $12,211,000 / 8	$2,968,000 79.7% / $1,186 $15,179,000 / 9	$1,525,000 -48.6% / $609 $16,704,000 / 10	N/A
5	DIRTY DANCING: HAVANA NIGHTS   2,042	$2,160,000 -- / $1,058 $2,160,000 / 1	$2,223,000 2.9% / $1,089 $4,383,000 / 2	$1,508,000 -32.2% / $738 $5,891,000 / 3	N/A
6	MIRACLE   2,222	$1,293,000 253% / $582 $53,152,000 / 22	$2,138,000 65.4% / $962 $55,290,000 / 23	$997,000 -53.4% / $449 $56,286,000 / 24	N/A
7	EUROTRIP   2,544	$1,335,000 198.4% / $525 $10,042,000 / 8	$1,635,000 22.5% / $643 $11,677,000 / 9	$1,100,000 -32.7% / $432 $12,777,000 / 10	N/A
8	WELCOME TO MOOSEPORT   2,868	$1,000,000 207.8% / $349 $9,260,000 / 8	$1,550,000 55% / $540 $10,810,000 / 9	$800,000 -48.4% / $279 $11,610,000 / 10	N/A
9	BARBERSHOP 2: BACK IN BUSINESS   1,524	$827,000 187.8% / $543 $55,277,000 / 22	$1,511,000 82.7% / $991 $56,788,000 / 23	$762,000 -49.6% / $500 $57,550,000 / 24	N/A
10	CLUB DREAD   1,807	$1,250,000 -- / $692 $1,250,000 / 1	$1,100,000 -12% / $609 $2,350,000 / 2	$675,000 -38.6% / $374 $3,025,000 / 3	N/A
11	THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING   1,112	$520,000 162% / $468 $362,461,000 / 73	$1,054,000 102.7% / $948 $363,515,000 / 74	$576,000 -45.4% / $518 $364,091,000 / 75	N/A
12	MYSTIC RIVER   1,125	$570,000 153.9% / $507 $80,719,000 / 143	$1,050,000 84.2% / $933 $81,769,000 / 144	$450,000 -57.1% / $400 $82,224,000 / 145	N/A
13	MONSTER   968	$564,000 147.2% / $583 $25,373,000 / 66	$948,000 68.1% / $979 $26,321,000 / 67	$539,000 -43.1% / $557 $26,859,000 / 68	N/A
-	AGAINST THE ROPES   1,601	$415,000 166.2% / $259 $4,187,000 / 8	$600,000 44.6% / $375 $4,787,000 / 9	$305,000 -49.2% / $191 $5,092,000 / 10	N/A
-	YOU GOT SERVED   816	$300,000 218% / $368 $37,219,000 / 29	$600,000 100% / $735 $37,819,000 / 30	$300,000 -50% / $368 $38,119,000 / 31	N/A
-	THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT   1,305	$394,000 101% / $302 $54,517,000 / 36	$587,000 49% / $450 $55,104,000 / 37	$294,000 -49.9% / $225 $55,398,000 / 38	N/A
-	SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE   672	$225,000 87.6% / $335 $122,150,000 / 78	$430,000 91.1% / $640 $122,580,000 / 79	$195,000 -54.7% / $290 $122,775,000 / 80	N/A
-	ALONG CAME POLLY   668	$214,000 98.3% / $320 $85,673,000 / 43	$341,000 59.3% / $510 $86,014,000 / 44	$150,000 -56% / $225 $86,163,000 / 45	N/A

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