‘Faith, Hope, Love and Forgiveness’
Mel Gibson Tackles Passion Controversy, and Despair That Spurred His Faith

Feb. 14 — Critics fear Mel Gibson's upcoming film, The Passion of the Christ, could be a too-bloody retelling of Jesus' final hours, and potentially could stoke the fires of anti-Semitism.

But Gibson tells Diane Sawyer in an exclusive interview — airing Monday at 10 p.m. ET on ABCNEWS' Primetime — that those who accuse him, or the film he directed, of sparking anti-Semitism avoid the central point he hoped to make.

"I don't want people to make it about the blame game," Gibson says. "It's about faith, hope, love and forgiveness. That's what this film is about. It's about Christ's sacrifice."

‘Height of Spiritual Bankruptcy’

Gibson tells Sawyer that ultimately he was moved to depict Jesus' sacrifice on film after reaching "the height of spiritual bankruptcy" himself more than a decade ago. Things got so bad that he says he once contemplated hurling himself out a window.

Instead, he turned to the Bible.

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Got my tickets.