Gibson Defends His 'Passion'

Says It's Not Any More Violent Than The Bible

(CBS/AP)  Mel Gibson said Thursday that his film, "The Passion of the Christ," was unfairly prejudged for a year before its release — but he forgives his critics.

Gibson told Jay Leno on NBC's "The Tonight Show" that he would try to adopt a loving attitude "even for those who persecute you."

"For a year, it's been nothing but nasty editorials and name-calling," he said.

The movie, which grossed $23.6 million on its opening day Wednesday, is based on Gospel accounts of the last hours of the life of Jesus. It has received mixed reviews. Some have praised Gibson's commitment to his subject while others called the movie excessively bloody, obsessed with cruelty and unfair in its portrayal of Jews.

Meanwhile, amid growing concern in Israel that the movie could spark a new wave of anti-Semitism, Israel's chief rabbi Yona Metzger has called on the Pope to publicly reaffirm that Jews are not to blame for killing Jesus.

CBS News Correspondent Robert Berger reports the rabbi wrote a letter to the pope, saying the film could be a setback to much improved ties between Jews and Christians. Vatican officials responded that the Church's opposition to anti-Semitism is clear and an additional statement is not planned.

Gibson, in the television appearance, acknowledged the movie was violent and said it was R-rated for a reason.

"The Bible is R-rated. I mean, look at that book ... that's a hot book," he joked.

He said other films were violent as well, specifically mentioning "Kill Bill: Vol 1," the Quentin Tarantino martial arts bloodbath starring Uma Thurman.

"Why am I being picked on for this? There's far more violent movies," Gibson said.

Gibson alleged that a copy of the script was obtained "nefariously" before the film was completed, leading to "all these accusations of anti-Semitism," which he denied.

"That's not what the film's about," he said. "It's about tolerance."

Gibson said he never considered changing the script because of protests.

"I don't know any director, any artist who would bow to this kind of pressure. It's un-American," he said.

Gibson said he paid for the movie himself because Hollywood studios weren't interested, something Leno made light of in his opening monologue.

"The studios said they would have paid for it, but they wanted a more upbeat ending," Leno said. He also joked that the $30 million movie had done so well that "there's now talk of turning it into a book."

Musical guest Prince joked with Gibson after performing a song to promote his upcoming tour. He asked Gibson what he was doing after the show, quipping, "You want to go check out a movie?"