The Big Question

Filmmakers Francesco Cabras and Alberto Molinari interview the cast and crew members of Mel Gibson's mega-hit The Passion of the Christ, asking numerous questions about faith. "When did you become a spiritual person?" “How do you picture God?" "Do you believe in prayer, miracles, or the afterlife?" Interviewees include Christians, Jews, Muslims, and nonbelievers, all of whose beliefs are often tied to their upbringing, a life-defining moment (including rape in one case), or their discovery of peace and love through a fulfilling family life. Gibson also weighs in here, attributing his religious journey to a deep personal unhappiness and lack of direction he felt some dozen years back. Surprisingly, the documentary offers almost no material from Gibson's film (between questions, viewers see some beautiful on-location footage, but it's of dubious relevance here). Although the subjects interviewed appear to be making a thoughtful, sincere effort, their responses seem no more insightful than if they were drawn from a cross section of the public. Ultimately, this comes off more like an attempt to piggyback on a highly successful film than a well-organized meditation on the meaning of the divine. Not a necessary purchase. Aud: C, P. (S. Rees)