By James Martin
A new edited version of the controversial ?Passion of the Christ? movie will be released in select theaters this weekend.
The movie, titled ?Passion Re-cut? is being released as un-rated, setting itself apart from the previously R-rated version of ?The Passion.?
In a news release, Mel Gibson, writer and director of the film, said he hopes ?to cater to those people that perhaps might not have seen the original because of its intensity or brutality.?
The film is scheduled to play in two Salt Lake County theaters and only one Utah County location, the Carmike Wynsong 12 at the Riverwoods.
This unprecedented theatrical re-release of a now much tamer ?Passion? is sure to add some fuel to the never-ending R-rated movie debate in Utah Valley.
Although the new film will be tagged as un-rated in the United States, it is being released in Britain under Britain?s normal rating system ? the British Board of Film Classification. The BBFC (Britain?s MPAA equivalent) gave the re-cut film a 15 certificate. The original ?Passion? was given an 18 certificate, meaning persons under 18 years of age were not permitted to see the film in the theater.
Officials at Icon Productions, the film?s distributor, referred to an Icon news release when asked why the film is un-rated in the United States, and were unable to give any explanation beyond the news release. The news release itself gave no account for the film being un-rated.
Brandon Russ, a BYU sophomore from Florida, chose not to see the original film but will consider watching the edited version.
?I didn?t refuse to see it because of the R rating per se; I just thought the violence might be too much for me,? he said. ?I?m excited to see the new version though, and I think a lot of people around here, who wouldn?t see the original film, feel the same way.?
UVSC student Jordan Clegg said she doesn?t feel the same way.
?The new version will be less violent, but I think it will still be too violent for me,? she said. ?No rating just means we don?t know if it is R-rated or not.?
BYU religion professor Eric Huntsman explained that sometimes a film that is released without a rating is just capitalizing on a loophole in the rating system.
?Technically they wouldn?t have to cut or change anything to re-release the movie without a rating,? he said.
The movie?s Web site states that over six minutes of violence have been cut from the film.
Huntsman said he doesn?t think most Latter-day Saints would be secure in seeing the film until after it comes out and has been thoroughly reviewed for content.
?There are a number of movie-reviewing sites, and other places you can go where you can see specifically what questionable content is still in the film,? he said.
Gibson''s depiction of the final day of Jesus'' life caused a stir around the world when it opened last year. Despite the controversy, the film made $610 million at the global box office.
It went on to sell 2.4 million copies in the United States on its first day of release, Aug. 31, 2004.
The new re-cut version is available on DVD, which can be ordered through the Web site, www.pasionrecut.com.