On this day: The Passion of the Christ opens - The Jewish Chronicle

At first description – religious story, told in Aramaic and Latin, more than two-hours long - The Passion of the Christ doesn’t sound too appealing.

But audiences flocked to see it after its release (on Ash Wednesday), and the film became the most successful foreign language film in box office terms ever.

Still, Mel Gibson’s project was not without controversy. Critics accused the film of reviving the centuries-old lie, officially discredited long ago by Catholics, that the Jews were responsible for the crucifixion of Christ.

The film, which followed in graphic detail the final hours of Christ and the violence of his death, raised the ire of Jewish and non-Jewish groups worldwide. Commentators highlighted Mel Gibson’s reported links to an extremely conservative and anti-Jewish Catholic group.