Morgenstern, whose parents are Holocaust survivors, defends her film against Jewish leaders who say it could spark anti-Semitic violence.

CREDIT: Glenn Lowson

Maia Morgenstern (centre) as Mary, with Monica Bellucci as Mary Magdalene and Hristo Jivkov as John.

CREDIT: Icon Productions

Mel Gibson might be in denial when he says The Passion of the Christ doesn't unintentionally promote anti-Semitism, but there's no denying he knows how to market his movie.The controversial film, depicting the last 12 hours of Christ's life on Earth, opens in 2,000 theatres on Ash Wednesday in Canada and the United States. But Gibson has kept the movie in the news across North America and Europe for more than a year, the debate intensifying this week over the brutal violence and the allegations of anti-Semitism.Maia Morgenstern, the Jewish Romanian actress who plays Mary in the English-subtitled production, said yesterday during a visit to Toronto that she's surprised by the raging debate."I did not anticipate any of this," said Morgenstern, whose parents are Holocaust survivors. "And no, I did not find it anti-Semitic. I understand only the story, and it's a strong social message. It warns that people are easy to manipulate."Apparently, they are also easy to offend. Gibson continues to fend off accusations that he is anti-Semitic and obsessed with violence. He says the bloody crucifixion scenes of Jesus (played by 35-year-old Jim Caviezel) are designed to shock. And he refutes claims by Jewish groups that the film rekindles a centuries-old notion that Christ was "murdered by Jews."In the film, the crucifixion is carried out by the Romans -- but at the insistence of Jewish high priests offended by Jesus' sermons that say he will destroy their temple and then restore it. Gibson has said that specific narrative came from the fourth book of the New Testament, the Gospel of John."And this is art -- this film. This is not a history lesson," said 41-year-old Morgenstern, continuing the defence. "If we are to judge this way, then we should not be allowed to perform Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice with Shylock."Art for art's sake, to be sure, but Jewish leaders who have seen screenings of the feature still say the Jews' defined role in Christ's execution might create a wave of anti-Semitic hysteria.The Jewish Anti-Defamation League in the U.S. has even suggested that Gibson might be naive about the potential impact of the film on those harbouring anti-Semitic feelings.And while Gibson agrees that the crucifixion scene is intended to be "very violent" to depict the "enormity of Jesus' sacrifice," the director insisted the movie's R rating in that country should be enough to warn filmgoers to be prepared.Gibson already told ABC's Diane Sawyer in a Primetime interview this week that, besides going for the shock effect, his film is meant to be about "faith, hope, love and forgiveness."Morgenstern concurred, saying "Mr. Gibson would always explain this" in rehearsals and would "have us apply a psychological point of view to our characters with that thought."For her, that meant grieving "the loss of a son and almost submitting to the evil of revenge, but overcoming."And Mr. Gibson would always have me think of the artist Caravaggio, his spirituality."As director and co-screenwriter, Gibson cautioned Morgenstern against the hallowed Mary portrayal so often found in art, books and films."We did not want this cliché," said Morgenstern, who trusted her artistic instincts and Gibson's judgment on developing her character. "We did not want Mary to be in special lighting and seem separate from her world.A member of an ultra-conservative Catholic group that does not recognize the reforms of Vatican II, Gibson invested US$25-million in the project, filming the crucifixion scenes in Matera, Italy, where director Pier Paolo Pasolini shot his 1965 film The Gospel According to St. Matthew.As a recovering alcoholic, Gibson has said that he decided to make his Christ film nearly 13 years ago, when he was so despondent over his excessive lifestyle that he considered suicide. For his actors on the project, though, their director's personal atonement remained just that."I do not know any of this," Morgenstern said. "I know if you think with your brain and your heart, you will understand the film we have made."-Bob Thompson