[Cronos]

I'm not sure why Mel felt a need to change this. But people always seems to have a desire to want to tinker with the scriptures.
Again, the devil and other angels can't be classified by us mortal men (and women ;-P) as male/female. I think in the movie, though he uses an actress, the figure is not quite male or female, something weird -- I think that's what Mel wanted to potray -- the devil as being something familiar, yet so differnt, so alien that it gives you the shivers, a travesty of reality to wit.

[Salvation]

**Again, the devil and other angels can't be classified by us mortal men (and women ;-P) as male/female. I think in the movie, though he uses an actress, the figure is not quite male or female, something weird -- I think that's what Mel wanted to potray -- the devil as being something familiar, yet so differnt, so alien that it gives you the shivers, a travesty of reality to wit.**

Siobhan answered this in another thread and I will attempt to paraphrase.

The devil can take on anyone's/anything's form in order to serve his purpose. In the movie Mel Gibson had the devil morph the Blessed Virgin Mary (in black -- all in mockery). Even the ugly baby-who looks like the scourgers-is a mockery of Our Blessed Mother and the Christ Child.

Pinging Siobhan for further clarification. But basically Gibson wanted to portray the devil in direct opposition to Mary the Mother of God.

PS. I didn't figure it all out until I saw her post, so don't feel bad here. (very subtle on Gibson's part)