Steven Spielberg to Make Film on the Crusades
Netlore Archive: Forwarded email claims Jewish filmmaker Steven Spielberg has announced he will make a gory movie about atrocities committed by Christians during the Crusades in response to Mel Gibson's allegedly anti-Semitic film, 'The Passion of the Christ'
Description: Email hoax
Status: False
Circulating since: March 2004
Analysis: See below
Email example contributed by Brenda R., 13 March 2004:
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Spielbergs Answer to Gibson's Passion: Hollywood Mega-hit Producer and Director Steven Spielberg has decided to fight fire with fire. Hes announced that since Mel Gibson is fueling the fires of anti-semitism in the world with his movie about the last hours of Christ, Spielberg will make a graphic movie about the Crusades. In order to get Jews and Moslems to convert to Christianity, Spielberg commented, Christians went through Europe and into the Middle East forcing conversions on non-believers. Along the way they raped, beat, bludgeoned, maimed, tortured and killed hundreds of thousands of innocent men, women and children. I will show Christian brutality in a realistic and most graphic and gory way. Spielberg went on to add that the movie will have a well-deserved anti-Christian tone. Lets face it, Gibson wants to blame the Jews for the death of one person we didnt even kill. I will show the inhuman brutality of thousands of Christians against hundreds of thousands of people of other faiths, about which historically there is no ambiguity as to who is to blame. Spielberg said that if this movie is successful, he is likely to follow it up with The Spanish Inquisition,a historical film on the torture and murder of the Jews of Spain by the Catholic Church. To complete the trilogy,Spielberg announced, in 2006 I will be filming Hitler and the Pope: A Team Formed in Hell. That should generate some heated debate. |
Comments: This is a joke, if not a particularly amusing one, as can be easily verified by searching for news stories stating that Steven Spielberg is planning a film about the Crusades. There are none. In fact, the only thing Spielberg has said to the press about Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" is that he will reserve his response to the allegedly anti-Semitic film for Gibson's ears alone.
"When I do see the film, the first person who will hear from me will be Mel Gibson and no one else," he told the Hollywood Reporter on March 4, 2004. The anonymous email above, falsely claiming that Spielberg (misspelled "Speilberg" in some versions) has already ranted publicly about the film, began circulating approximately one week later.
Calling it a "vicious, totally fabricated story," the director's spokesperson, Martin Levy, confirmed in an email that the rumor is baseless. "Nothing could be further from the truth," he said. "Anyone who knows Mr. Spielberg would know that he is dedicated to doing what he can to rid the world of hatred and intolerance wherever it exists."
Related articles:
Mel Gibson: Real Life 'Man Without a Face'?
Email rumor from 2000 claims Australian actor Mel Gibson was disfigured in his youth and his own life story was the inspiration for 'The Man Without a Face'Paul Harvey Reviews 'The Passion of the Christ'
Falsely attributed defense of Gibson's film about the crucifixion of Jesus ChristRumor: Mel Gibson's 'The Passion' Blames Jews for the Death of Christ
Email rumor which began circulating a year in advance of the release of "The Passion of the Christ"Did Mel Gibson Nail Jesus to the Cross in 'The Passion'?
If so, it's the ultimate directorial cameo and Alfred Hitchcock would be green with envy
Further reading:
Spielberg: Won't Comment on 'Passion'
Hollywood Reporter via CNN, 4 March 2004Steven Spielberg
Filmmaker profile from the Internet Movie Database lists Spielberg's current and upcoming projects
Last updated: 08/25/06
