Mel Gibson has re-cut The Passion of the Christ, trimming five to six minutes of violent scenes, and the new version opens here on March 18th, writes Michael Dwyer.

Made for just $25 million, the original has taken over $370 million on cinema release since it opened in the US on Ash Wednesday last year. The new version excises the most violent footage, principally in the scourging of Jesus by Roman troops.

"There are no new scenes, and the cuts are limited to the more violent aspects of the film, if that's the right term," say Bruce Davey, Gibson's business partner in Icon Productions. "The scourging scene in particular has been substantially adjusted. There has been quite a demand by the religious community to bring the film back for Easter. And there has been a lot of discussion about the violence.

"Mel wanted to try and accommodate those people by making a version that is softer and gentler. Hopefully those people will come and see it, particularly the younger audience."