After all the talk, Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" finally went on general US release, pursued to the bitter end by controversy and some scathing reviews.
Timed to coincide with Ash Wednesday -- a Christian day of penance -- the film opened on 4,000 screens across the country, after the surrounding hype and advance demand for tickets persuaded the distributors to almost double the size of its release.
"The Passion," which portrays Christ's last 12 hours on Earth and was directed, produced and co-written by Gibson, has been condemned by some Jewish leaders for its potential to fuel anti-Semitism.
But most reviews of the film have focused instead on the brutal depictions of Christ's torture at the hands of the Romans and his eventual crucifixion.
"The problem with 'The Passion's' violence is not merely how difficult it is to take, it's that its sadistic intensity obliterates everything else about the film," said the Los Angeles Times.
The Washington Post said the film was "almost pornographic" in its brutality, while Newsweek called it "relentlessly savage" and a version of the Gospel "according to the Marquis de Sade."
The New York Times described watching "The Passion" as an "unnerving and painful" experience and, ultimately, a depressing one.
"It is disheartening to see a film made with evident and abundant religious conviction that is at the same time so utterly lacking in grace," the Times said.
Gibson has staunchly defended himself and his movie against the charge of anti-Semitism, but criticism of the way "The Passion" depicts the Jews' role in Christ's death has continued unabated.
"The film itself doesn't hate Jews. And whether Mel Gibson hates Jews doesn't matter," said Walter Reich, a professor at George Washington University and a former director of the US Holocaust Memorial Museum.
"What matters is whether the film will incite a significant number of people to hate Jews. And that, very effectively, it will do," Reich said.
Such concerns have prompted several senior Church leaders to make public statements to coincide with "The Passion's" release.
In an open letter to the 413 parishes of his New York archdiocese, Catholic Cardinal Edward Egan called on both the Catholic and Jewish communities to handle any negative fallout from the film with "grace and wisdom."
Stressing that Jesus "gave" his life and that "no one took it from him," Egan warned against any idea "The Passion" might give that the Jewish people were collectively responsible.
"We must do everything we can to avoid such an outcome," he said.
Gibson sank 25 million dollars of his own money into making the film, with industry analysts predicting an opening-week take of up to 30 million dollars.
Those figures are all the more extraordinary given that just one year ago Gibson was struggling to find a distributor for a film that boasts no big-name stars and dialogue entirely in Latin and Aramaic.
Hollywood screen and television stars were deeply divided over the movie.
"I think it's a very bold stroke, and I admire him for doing it," legendary moviemaker and screen tough guy Clint Eastwood told ET entertainment television.
Actress Jane Kaczmarek, who stars in the hit television comedy "Malcolm in the Middle," slammed Gibson for creating a vehicle for hatred.
"Anyone who uses his (Jesus's) name to incite hatred should be ashamed of himself. The story of Christ is a wonderful story to tell, but if you incite hatred, you are not doing a service to anyone," she said.