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Author
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Topic: How are European nations for PASSION OF CHRIST ?
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Kamakshipalya Dhananjay
Expert Film Handler
Posts: 190
From: Bangalore, India
Registered: Aug 2002
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posted 03-06-2004 01:34 AM
Not much is heard about the response of European nations for this film. I think the performance of this film in Europe will not necessarily resemble the performance in North America.
The most important aspect in Europe, I guess, in determining the Box office success of this film, would be the extent of personal promotion that would precede the release of this film.
Is there any special significance in so far as the first country in Europe to see the release of this film happens to be Greece on 27-Feb ? How is this film presented in Greece ? With subtitles in Greek ? Is Greek just one language or a name for a family of languages ? How wide was the release in Greece and what has been the Box office performance so far ? In comparison with other big performers, how does this film compare ? Who was the distributor for this film there ? How was the promotion carried out ? Is it of any significance there that this film is doing such remarkable business in the US and Canada ? Is this fact reported in the media there ? Are any theatres in Greece playing with digital subtitles, using either the DTS CSS or the SCREENTALK ?
I am sure there is somebody from there that will answer these.
Also, coming to the newsreport that the release strategy in France for this film has just been revised - a 500 print release instead of 150 print release that was planned earlier, it would be interesting to learn how the situation is unfolding there.
I maintain that this film would be supported by the people in Western Europe only as long as they can sense a level of commitment and integrity on the part of the people that promote or release this film there. There is every danger of the film being seen as 'just another export stuff from America' if suitable efforts are not made to handle the West European nations with just as much care and concern that was accorded to North America. So far, it seems no such efforts are being made. While the use of ancient languages will greatly help to deflect any observation that this is 'an American film', I believe that alone is not enough. In fact, there can be no middle ground for this film there. Either this film will perform at extremely low levels and disappoint everybody involved with this film at Western Europe or this film will surprise everyone with unprecedented numbers for any film released there in a long time.
As to performance in poorer nations in Europe, I wish I knew something at all. I am a complete loss to not know anything about this great emerging force. Will somebody please enlighten ?
While it would be unnecessary to open another thread to discuss the performance of this film in other regions of the world, it would also be unwise to club it here simply because of the enormity of the European nations. Should discussions originate from members in Europe in more number, I am sure there would be no place at all for any other region in this thread and so, another thread may have to open up. Lets do that a bit later. For now, please go on Europe. Give us all your tales.
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Kamakshipalya Dhananjay
Expert Film Handler
Posts: 190
From: Bangalore, India
Registered: Aug 2002
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posted 03-06-2004 06:58 AM
Here is a latest report from Birmingham wherein some churches are commenting on they becoming promotional tool for this film that they lambasted made them 'sick and angry'. The preview was a free screening.
Quote :
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The free screening was one of a series up and down the country for religious leaders.
The Rev Stephen Barton, chaplain at Birmingham Women's Hospital, criticised the film.
"The aim of the preview was that we promote the film in our churches and urge others to see it," he said. "I'm sickened as much by our being taken in by Hollywood hype as by the film itself.
"I emerged from the cinema feeling sick and angry. I'm sorry, very sorry, for the evil that has been done in the name of Christ and for the Church's role in perpetuating versions of the Jesus story that divide us from our neighbours."
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Link :
Anger at Gibson's new movie (Birmingham, UK)
I feel that there is a strong likelihood of the Western European nations taking a very sceptical view of this film given the enormous success of this film in the US and Canada and an absence of any promotion in any manner there that might address concerns that this is a mere commercial enterprise, that is, not a product of passion and religion and that so, pretentious at best and highly dishonourable at worst. Further the manner in which the french release is being handled is even more appalling. The concerns that were raised there that this film might fuel anti-semitic feelings in France have definitely not been responsibly addressed. At least, going by the angry response of the president of the Distributors Association in France, it seems so.
Quote :
Marin Karmitz, president of the French National Federation of Film Distributors, angrily rejected reports that the film might be boycotted because of fears it could stoke anti-Semitism -- saying the row was manufactured as a marketing device.
Link:
Tunisian To Distribute ‘Passion Of The Christ’ In France
Lets remember, France and Germany are very different and the Jewish population there are definitely not helped by the comments that came that the Holocaust never took place or that it was greatly exaggerated. While this film may not incite or fuel anti-semitic feelings there, the mere possibility that a film could do it demands an absolutely restrained and even the stated willingness to hold the release the film until the situation is clear and sorted out. That is, the distributors in these countries are required to demonstrate responsibility over profit seeking and absence of this will surely bring down the appeal of this film to mature audiences in these countries.
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Leo Enticknap
Film God
Posts: 7474
From: Loma Linda, CA
Registered: Jul 2000
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posted 03-06-2004 12:43 PM
According to the BBFC's website, The Passion, uncut at 11,392 feet & 6 frames, has been given an '18' certificate. You can see the details of their decision by going to www.bbfc.co.uk and searching under 'passion of the christ' and titles: it won't give me a direct URL to post here. '18' means exactly what it says - that you need to be over that age to see the film in a cinema.
As I say, I haven't seen The Passion and therefore cannot express any opinion about the film, the BBFC's certificate or anything else. But if what I've heard about the intense and sustained violence is in any way accurate, this certificate seems to me consistent with the BBFC's general policy. That is that any violence - even sustained and horrific violence - is allowable if justified by the subject matter and context, i.e. is not gratuitous.
I think the UK release date is Good Friday - so as I say I, and other readers in Britain, won't be able to give any response to the film itself until then.
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Kamakshipalya Dhananjay
Expert Film Handler
Posts: 190
From: Bangalore, India
Registered: Aug 2002
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posted 03-09-2004 10:25 AM
I think what is being done now in Britain is quite likely to bring down the appeal of the film - issue of free tickets. Somehow, though some free tickets were also given away in the US, there was so much more that was happening in the US on the promotion side.
In the UK, it only seems like the promotion team ran out of ideas and got down to this ! I suspect if this will promote the film as expected by people behind this. If anything, this move has the potential to lower the appeal of the film. Like it is being said in another post, the success of this film in the US and Canada is not accounted for by faithful's flocking only.
No parallel can be drawn between what is happening in Britain today and what happened in US then. The excitement and interest were very much present when news came there that some free tickets got distributed.
So, it remains to ask, why is the promotion in Britain not accorded that value at all ? Or rather, why is it not so visible ? I have never observed things before and so, I wonder if this is how the attitude always has been towards the UK !
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Leo Enticknap
Film God
Posts: 7474
From: Loma Linda, CA
Registered: Jul 2000
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posted 03-09-2004 02:12 PM
They were saying on the Today Programme this morning that an evangelical Christian group had block-booked £20k-worth of tickets and were giving them away.
I may be wrong, but my gut feeling is that aggressive promotion would not go down well with the likely target audience for this film in Britain, and that despite the controversy, it won't attract a big box office outside that target audience, i.e. committed Christians. Most people I know who would normally go for 'arthouse' product (i.e. non-Hollywood, foreign language and rerelease titles) are planning to stay away on account of the violence, and those among my friends and relatives who enjoy a blood-soaked shootemup are planning to stay away on account of the religious element. If that holds true among the population as a whole, it will be very much a niche-market film, IMHO. I haven't seen any posters or trailers for it when I've been to the cinema in the last few weeks.
So really, I don't think that high-profile, aggressive promotion would be a good idea from the distributor's point of view here. It would attract criticism for trying to commercially exploit Jesus (not that this hasn't been done before, but given the nature of this film doing so would appear especially tasteless), it would be unlikely to boost ticket sales by much and it would probably alienate the people who would otherwise want to see the film.
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