Finally, after all the hype, the hoopla, the denouncements and devotion, we have the movie itself.

And it's quite a movie.

Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" details the final hours of Jesus Christ's life on Earth, in the ancient Judea of 2,000 years ago. From his arrest at the Garden of Gethsemane to his final breath on the cross at Golgotha, "The Passion" interprets the story with a fresh reality -- and a raw brutality -- unlike anything ever seen before. It is an intense, relentlessly gripping interpretation of the ancient saga.

The film's violence is ruthless and unrelenting. The scourging of Jesus seems endless -- with every stroke of the whips detailed. (At one point, the jagged end of a cat-o'-nine-tails sticks in Jesus' skin, and the guard has to rip it out.) Equally brutal is the carrying of the cross, with Christ's repeated falls and whippings, and the placement of him on the cross, with the nailing of his hands and feet.

Gibson has said he believes the violence is necessary for a full understanding of the sacrifice. It is an argument made in other modern films, particularly "Schindler's List" and "Saving Private Ryan." Gibson holds nothing back, from the punch that leaves Christ with a swollen eye to the piercing of his side with a lance. The camera never turns away.

And Gibson is right -- the horror and the enormity of Christ's sacrifice has never been more clear, even for viewers who may need to occasionally turn away. Though moments of gore made me cringe, the overall effect was gripping, deeply moving and thought-provoking.

Unlike nearly all previous screen interpretations of Christ's life, "The Passion" focuses almost exclusively on the death of Christ. His teaching is restricted to brief suggestions of the Sermon on the Mount and the rescue of Mary Magdalene, seen in flashbacks. Gibson also parallels the flashback of the sanctifying of the Passover bread and wine with the crucifixion, since in dramatic terms the Last Supper foreshadows Christ's sacrifice, and in theological terms it echoes it.

Gibson reserves some of his film's most deeply felt emotion for Jesus' mother, Mary (played with rich sensitivity by Maia Morgenstern). She wipes up her son's blood at the scourging pillar and lovingly remembers Jesus as a child when she sees him fall while carrying the cross.

As Jesus, James Caviezel manages to find the key moments of emotion and grace within a torrent of rough physicality. Because this film deals with Christ's last hours, rather than the life he led, Caviezel has little opportunity to establish much character; fortunately, he's portraying someone who's already among the best-known figures in history.

Gibson also introduces a new character to the ancient story: Satan himself is an ominous presence, whether trying to tempt Jesus to give up his mission or expressing despair when the dying Christ says, "It is accomplished."

To tell his story, Gibson has the characters talk in ways they may have actually talked -- in ancient Aramaic and Latin (with subtitles), which makes the story more real in its ancient time and far-away place. He also employed noted cinematographer Caleb Deschanel (of "The Black Stallion" and "The Natural") to give the film a darkly vivid look, inspired by the painter Caravaggio and other religious artists of the Renaissance.

All told, "The Passion of the Christ" is a most impressive personal statement by a determined and talented filmmaker. Using ancient languages, vivid images and visceral violence, Gibson has brought new life to one of civilization's oldest narratives.

Originally published Thursday, February 26, 2004