Trivia: Maia Morgenstern plays Jim Caviezel's mother in the movie, even though in real life she's only six years older than him.
Trivia: There is a lot of debate about where the nails went during crucifixion, through the palms or the wrists. In the film, director Mel Gibson chose the palms. The Shroud of Turin has the nails through the wrists and skeletal remains of other people crucified (mentioned in books about the Shroud) had the nail through the wrist also.
Trivia: The hand holding the nail as it is being driven into Christ's hand is none other then director Mel Gibson's.
Trivia: As of September 5, 2004, the film has become the highest-grossing independent (not owned by a major Hollywood studio) film of all time, surpassing "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" (2003).
Trivia: James Caviezel spent between four to eight hours in the makeup chair each shooting day transforming into his role as Jesus.
Trivia: Aside from being struck by lightning and a scourge, accidentally, Jim Caveziel also suffered from hypothermia during the filming of the crucifixion.
Trivia: There is a 15 cert cut of this movie with parts of the flogging and crucifixion scenes removed to make it slightly more palatable.
Chosen answer: When someone is crucified, they die from suffocation because when the arms are stretched out that far wide and you can't move your legs it is close to impossible to breathe. The platform that their feet were nailed to would serve, for a while, a way to boost your body up enough to be able to take small breaths in and out. Eventually when they were tired of waiting for you to die they would break your legs so you couldn't boost yourself up enough to breathe well and you would asphyxiate quicker. When the storm came after Jesus died, they broke the legs of the 2 thieves, but did not break Jesus's legs. The prophecy stated that the Messiah would die with no broken bones.
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