DAVID FOX SANDMEL, Rabbi and Professor, has seen the latest draft of Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ and reports to the Ioudaios-L discussion list. Excerpt:

From my perspective (note the disclaimers above), the movie is much less concerned with historical or scriptural accuracy than it is with portraying the passion in as painful, brutal, and emotionally affecting way possible. This is Gibsons' stated goal. All other considerations (historical accuracy, scriptural faithfulness, potential anti-Judaism, criticism of Vatican II, etc. etc.), take second place.