Christ resurrected on DVD

"The Passion of the Christ" opened to an onslaught of controversy upon its debut this past winter. Some claim the film is anti-Semitic (the notion of which is ridiculous); others demonized the excessive, graphic depiction of violence perpetrated against Jesus. Regardless of one's opinion, "The Passion" should be seen, as it's one of the year's very best films and a personal faith-based statement from director Mel Gibson -- something akin to Martin Scorsese's "The Last Temptation of Christ" or Kevin Smith's "Dogma."\nLuckily, the DVD comes to us as a bare bones affair. Normally, this would agitate me, but not here. It would seem tasteless to have director's commentary or behind-the-scenes featurettes -- this is one circumstance where the film should speak for itself. And speak it does. While imperfect (the depiction of Satan is laughable at times; the resurrection shouldn't have been touched upon unless fully fleshed out), this is an amazingly-powerful piece of work. Jim Caviezel finally makes good on the promise he displayed in "The Thin Red Line," and the cinematography of esteemed lenser Caleb Deshanel is nothing short of stunning. That each man's work is aptly captured in a pristine transfer helps matters considerably.\nGibson exudes bravery in having chosen to tackle this subject matter and doing so in Aramaic no less. Religious or not, everyone owes it to themselves to see "The Passion of the Christ." Rarely is moviemaking this powerful.