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The Passion's Porn Connection
- 03/31/04
- 9
I am going to approach this matter with caution and brevity, for I certainly do not want to cause anyone to stumble. Several people have inquired whether or not I can verify the claims some people are making that many of the actresses cast in The Passion of the Christ have been involved in pornography. Since the movie's launch rumors have abounded that this is true but few have had it proven to their satisfaction. People ask this question because it seems hypocritical for a woman to play in a "Christian" film about the life of Christ when in her previous role she did pornographic work.
I did some delicate research (keeping in mind my own responsibilities for purity) into this matter and can say with absolute certainty that the following actresses have been involved in activities that constitute pornography. Monica Bellucci (Mary Magdalene), Rosalinda Celentano (Satan), Claudia Gerini (The wife of Pontius Pilate), Sabrina Impacciatore (Seraphia, the woman who offers Jesus a towel), Gabriella Barbuti (one of Herod's Court Women). I am unable to say if they can be considered "porn stars" but can at least verify that they have all appeared in what would constitute "soft" pornography (ie nude photographs and the like). Beyond those women I do not know if any others have appeared in pornography, and frankly it does not much matter. The fact that at least five of the women on the cast of The Passion of the Christ have pornographic backgrounds should satisfy those who are concerned about this.
Further to this, it would be safe to say that the bulk of the cast members, both male and female, have appeared in movies that could not be considered appropriate viewing for Christians. This includes movies based around bisexuality, homosexuality, sexual assaults and occultism. Monica Bellucci, for example, appeared in a movie called "Irreversible" which was vile beyond description, featuring a 10-minute long graphic scene in which she was brutally raped.
I hesitate to provide further information because I do not want to have my site associated with any sort of pornographic content. Unfortunately this just means you will have to take my word for it. Admittedly that may go no further towards satisfying you that the rumors are true, but at the moment I am not willing to go any further on this matter.
I am a follower of Jesus Christ, a husband to Aileen and a father to three young children. I worship and serve as a pastor at 
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Comments (9)
Tim, I’d like to know what “further information” you have that the female European actresses Gibson used “have pornographic backgrounds” (you can e-mail it to me since you don’t want to publish it).
The only thing I’ve been able to come up with in my own searches is that some of them may have posed in the nude as models for mainstream photographers —not pornography producers— earlier in their careers. Not too surprising if true, btw, since Europeans are not nearly as scandalized by nudity as Americans, too many of whom think of Michelangelo’s paintings in the Sistine Chapel as “pornographic”!
In any case, I fail to see how any of this is relevant since (1) Gibson did not hire them to pose nude for his movie and (2) none of them claimed to be Christians to begin with.
As for one or more of them playing roles in films with questionable themes —“bisexuality, homosexuality, sexual assaults and occultism”— where would you draw the line? Murder, terrorism, and robbery are also questionable themes. Should therefore Gibson refrain from hiring, for example, Al Pacino or Robert De Niro in an upcoming film?
Tim,
Is it possible that Satan hates and fears “The Passion” movie and will do everything and anything to reduce it’s impact, including leveraging the concerns of well-intentioned Christians to hyper-focus on the movie’s flaws (and now the backgrounds of those involved in the movie?) drawing attention away from its powerful message?
So some of the actors in the movie have sin in their past. Don’t we all? In a sense, that is almost fitting, though. These sinners (and I won’t for an instant try to say that I am any better than them) had the opportunity to act in a movie that is based on the most incredible act of reconcilliation in the history of the world. As part of their work, they very likely read the gospels and were exposed to them repeatedly every time the director wanted another take. The fact that there was secondary information used is not my concern for the sake of this comment.
God can work in their lives as a result of this or He may choose not to. It is not our place to second guess His soverign nature. If these people have returned to their porn jobs, that does not mean that God failed to reach them.
It is what it is, and that’s all we can say. We look at the world through a pinprick-sized lens while God looks at the whole picture! We cannot fathom his view of creation! He does not delight in sin, but we can rest assured that absolutely every action ever taken in the world will ultimately work to His glory, even if the only glory we realize is the grace that is greater than the severity of any sin. If that were not so, His will would not reign supreme and He would not be God.
Let us not question the potter, for His designs are not ours.
Boy I knew there was something wrong with Mel Gibson in his production of the Passion. Now to confirm my estimations I found this pretty compelling article on Mel Gibson’s connection with Michael Moore’s latest scandelous movie Fahrenheit 9/11.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,119253,00.html
I wonder what Mel is thinking now even though he reniged on his deal.
I felt betrayed and outraged when I found out that many actors of the ‘Passion’ movie were involved or are still involved in pornographic, occultic, or erotic films. I found this information on a different website, they actually listed links to some actresses current porn websites there. I would imagine that Gibson knew about ‘hall of porn’ before he started to film.. What in the word would possess him to use those people? How could one brush off something like this? I happened to watch part of ‘irreversible’ movie where Belucci played a rape victim, the rape scene made me so sick, for weeks I prayed for God to take the images out of my head. (Actually, in the European festival, where ‘Irreversible’ premiered, many people walked out of the movie, and some needed Medical attention in the theater, that’s how grotesque and vile the scene of rape was. I watched the “passion’ movie before I found out about this, and, yes, I was moved and cried a lot during the movie. After finding out about the cast and after doing some research on doctrinal errors in ‘passion’, I can’t stand to hear another person blindly endorsing the movie, everyone from Bill Graham to Pope praising it. Should I mention anything about ‘the cast’ to people?Thank you,
I cant believe I am hearin all this stuff of pornography in conjunction with this.I mean the way they interpreted their roles are so beautiful and apt enough to bring the subtle undercurrents and throes n pathos of those personalities so painstakingly beautiful to the screen and make the movie all the more beautiful for that.I cant even believe u people bothered to check on the actor’s moral worthiness to play them. I can understand if U cant digest some of the roles they have taken on ur search of equally nice movies with such indepth acting but not this. This is plain HYPOCRISY. They were sincere to their roles.They make us understand and rediscover why we love and venerate these characters despite how human they were and how vulnerable they were,why they still influence us after 2000 years, why the central message of Christianity is TO LOVE AND RESPECT UR BRETHREN ,UR FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS DESPITE ALL THEIR FAULTS AND TO BRING THE LOVELIST FEATURES IN THEM BY LOVING THEM THE WAY CHRIST LOVED U AND STILL LOVES U.If they can do that much,thats all it matters…in fact its more than enough. And if it is as U claim, it makes their acting those characters with such humble yet graceful dignity, all the more beautiful in contrast with their other roles.All their past work may be buried by time, but dont u let time bury this for such a stupid reason infact the MOST stupid reason I have heard uptill now.And all I want U people to consider along with this is all people are with faults yet they are not may be not full of them.They may hav many positive qualities as well. U know them not so dont readilly accuse them so and point ur fingers so.After all they are as human as we are,has feelings like us has desires like us and also get HURT like us.For once do compliment on having done something very nice instead of outcastin them like wayward lepers or prostitutes.Even the latter are one among us. Thank u for botherin to read this if u hav read the rest of the messages.
You Would Be hard pressed to find a single motion picture that did not include atleast several actors who have previously been on questionable roles. Mel Gibson chose the best cast that he could… Anyway, I agree with Doug & Lee & And Baci… Fact is Fact…
Yes, I believe perhaps it was known that they had such a background, but yet I can see how God can minister to a person through the arts. I myself have directed a couple of Christian Dramas with youth, sure not knowing the kids backgrounds but seeing more than anything else how Jesus ministers to them as they play the roles. It is as if they embody the role and feelings of the person and this leads to greater appreciation for the story and at times helps them to open their hearts to God. As Mel Gibson said in one interview I read, the movie is a meditation on the Passion of Jesus Christ. To invite whomever to play a role and enter into the meditation on the greatest figure-Savior in History-Jesus Christ undoubtedly supplies grace to the soul. How the person responds to that grace in their life thereafter depends on the persons free will and desire to be transformed by that grace. Peace, Pedro
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