Not much more can be said about Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" that hasn't been said or written already.

But after a failed attempt to view the film earlier (it was sold out), I found the time to go Monday night.

A few random thoughts:

No matter what the story, the film was definitely a Mel Gibson movie. For the same reason my wife won't see "Braveheart" again, I doubt if she goes to see "The Passion." You won't find a more dedicated believer, but gore is not her thing. We'll see.

The scene where Jesus was putting the finishing touches on a wooden table reminded me of the scenes where Gibson's "The Patriot" obsessed about building the perfect chair, light, strong and elegant. In his current movie, the carpenter tries to convince his mother that taller tables will catch on.

I've heard that "carpenter" can also be translated "builder," and most of the construction work where Jesus grew up, in Nazareth, was done in stone, but it's hard to argue with tradition.

Speaking of traditions, I found some of the references to the stations of the cross to be distracting and baffling, but, hey, this was Mel's movie to make as he saw fit. I was raised a protestant, so perhaps some of my Catholic friends can explain them to me.

So far, Gibson's $25 million investment has brought in 10 times that much, much to the chagrin of the many studio executives who turned down his project.

When I returned home, my wife wondered what I thought about the film.

"It was an ordeal," I replied, being as honest as I could. Theater seats and my plus-sized frame don't mesh very well.

But there are some movies that should be seen, no matter how unpleasant and depressing they may seem. "Saving Private Ryan" is one of them. People need to know what kinds of sacrifices were involved in fighting World War II.

"Schindler's List" is another. People need to know why we fought World War II.

I'm adding "The Passion of the Christ" to my list.

People need to know what Jesus went through.

In the end, the latest telling of old story will have the same effects it has always had. Some will dismiss it as just another story and go on with their lives.

Some will become stronger in what they already believe.

Some will want to find out more, and some will believe for the first time.