The Passion of The Christ smashes local box office records
March 29, 2004 Edition -1
Patrick Leeman
Mel Gibson's film about the last 12 hours of Jesus's life on Earth, The Passion of The Christ, has set a number of box office records since opening at outlets in Durban on Friday.
Moosa Moosa, the spokesman for the Suncoast cinema complex, co-managed by Cinecentre and Nu-Metro, said that, in terms of serious films, The Passion of The Christ was the biggest blockbuster he had come across in 41 years in the film business.
"It is a box-office phenomenon. The film has had a tremendous impact among movie-goers, and is also a hugely emotional experience for many."
Moosa said that, unlike Titanic, which had been built into an enormous box office success, The Passion had started out immediately as a major crowd-puller.
A spokesman for the Gateway cinema complex, operated by Ster-Kinekor, said the film had been virtually sold out at every performance at the weekend - and it was playing at several cinemas in the complex.
More than Schuster
According to the spokesman, The Passion had so far attracted more viewers than Leon Schuster's film, Oh Shuks I'm Gatvol. The previous Schuster production, Mr Bones, broke all previous South African cinema records at Gateway.
The Passion of The Christ has generated massive controversy in South Africa, with several clerics praising it as the most powerful exposition of the whipping, scourging and crucifixion of Jesus yet seen on screen.
Others have slammed the movie as being too violent, and the tone too anti-Semitic.
Film reviewers have also been deeply divided in their assessment of the film.
