it was badly directed. for example, despite mel's quest for authenticity (e.g. he went to the trouble of filming it in aramaic and latin), he used such cheesy, inappropriate (for this film) techniques as slow motion (as dissention mentioned). or in the end, when mary gazes into the camera, as though to say, "see? you did this, you sinners." come on, mel.
the violence was exaggerated. the bible was not that graphic. in fact, some of mel's touches are not in the bible at all, they seem to have been added for the mere purpose of cramming more violence in the film. and no man could physically--let alone mentally--endure such torture for so long. mel seems to have been trying not so much to invoke pity for christ, but to show the audience how much of a man jesus was.
this was so violent that Mel should have called it, "Forget Bill, Kill Jesus."
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