THE PASSION OF CHRIST — ** — Jim Caviezel, Maia Morgenstern, Monica Bellucci, Hristo Shopov, Francesco De Vito, Hristo Jivkov, Luca Lionello, Claudia Gerini, Rosalinda Celentano; in Aramaic, Hebrew and Latin, with English subtitles; rated R (violence, torture, gore, mild profanity, vulgarity, ethnic slurs); Carmike 12 and Ritz 15 Theaters; Century Theatres 16; Cinemark 24 at Jordan Landing; Cinestar Gateway 8 Cinemas; Megaplex 12 at the Gateway; Megaplex 17 at Jordan Commons.

First, let's confirm a couple of rumors: "The Passion of the Christ" is indeed subtitled in English, and the dialogue is spoken in Aramaic, Hebrew and Latin. And it is graphically, gruesomely violent.

In fact, this biblical drama is so violent, so extremely bloody, it's anyone's guess how it managed to skirt by with just an R rating, instead of the NC-17.

One scene of torture, for example, includes the graphic depiction of flesh being ripped from a human body. It's portrayed so vividly, so realistically, that you may not get the sight or sound of it out of your mind for days.

This is not a film for the faint of heart or the weak of stomach. Many audiences who would normally embrace a film about the life of Christ will be horrified by what they see. And there's no telling what effect it could have on younger audiences; this is not a film for kids.

That said, the film does have its share of very powerful moments, and it boasts some strong performances. Whether audience members will be able to concentrate on them amid the ultra-realistic and excruciating violence, however, is questionable.

"The Passion of the Christ" is about the final 12 hours in the life of Jesus, beginning with his betrayal and capture and concluding with his crucifixion.

Playing Jesus is actor Jim Caviezel ("The Count of Monte Cristo"), wearing a beard and brown-colored contact lenses to disguise his blue eyes. The normally stoic Caviezel does show some charisma in the part, and you know the performance was obviously physically demanding.

Caviezel and Monica Bellucci, who plays Mary Magdalene, are the only recognizable names in the cast. In addition, Maia Morgenstern is terrific as Mary and Hristo Shopov makes Pontius Pilate's dilemma very believable.

As for Mel Gibson's directorial effort, he really overdoes the slow-motion, and he and cinematographer Caleb Deschanel almost seem to be relishing the violence and gore — even more so than Gibson did in his epic, Oscar-winning "Braveheart."

Also, there are some very odd flashbacks and fantasy sequences, some that work, such as Jesus' remembrances of his life as a carpenter, and some of that don't, such as appearances by Satan (Rosalinda Celentano).

"The Passion of the Christ" is rated R for intense scenes of violence and torture (beatings, whippings, an impaling and the scene of crucifixion), graphic gore, scattered use of mild profanity (religiously based) and ethnic slurs, and use of a vulgar gesture. Running time: 127 minutes.

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E-mail: jeff@desnews.com