BERLIN -- Unimpressed by the hype surrounding "The Passion of the Christ," most Germans say they won't bother to see Mel Gibson's retelling of Jesus' last hours.
Some 53% of 1,003 people surveyed by the Emnid research group said they had no desire to see the film, compared to 38% who favored seeing it.
"The Passion" opened last week in Germany to lower-than-expected box office returns. Grossing nearly $2.4 million from 286,000 admissions in its first four days, pic landed second behind Disney's "Brother Bear."
Some 17% of those polled said they were put off by the publicity, including reports of violence and torture.
Violent films, especially war pics, rarely play well among German auds. Local critics have panned the pic for showcasing Jesus' brutal death while ignoring his message and his life.
Perhaps a reflection of Germans' perception of Hollywood, 49% thought Gibson had used violence as a marketing ploy to drum up attention for the movie.
The film's less than heavenly B.O. is bad news for its distributor, Constantin Film. Facing a net loss for 2003, the entertainment group was hoping for salvation, or at least an improved bottom line, through "The Passion" and moved its release date by three weeks in hopes of benefiting from its Stateside success.
Constantin shares have fallen 25% to $6.60 since the pic opened on Thursday.
Contact Ed Meza at
ed.meza@mannaa.de