The Passion of The Christ

MEL GIBSON:  The once and future Mad Max often tapped a darker, dangerous edge in his most popular action roles, and his personal religious beliefs sparked speculation in the wake of "The Passion of the Christ," a controversial commercial triumph for Gibson as director and ... moreproducer.  His July arrest in Malibu on a DUI infraction, during which he was reported to have made anti-Semitic and sexist comments to the arresting officers, placed the superstar's career in freefall and raised questions about the fate of his already risky next directorial project, "Apocalypto," set to open Dec. 8.  Gibson entered a rehab program on July 31, according to People, and subsequently issued broad apologies condemning his own behavior; in October, he told ABC's Diane Sawyer that he was "ashamed" of himself.  His new movie's reception will likely be parsed as a measure of whether the public will accept that contrition.

(Image: Armando Gallo/Retna Ltd.)