One point that the conversations about this film has exposed, once again, as if it needed even more exposure, is the brazen hypocrisy of cultural pundits. In short: every artist’s right to produce what he or she wants to produce is sacrosanct – except, this week, Mel Gibson’s. We needn’t worry our silly little heads about the impact of culture – unless, this week, it’s Mel Gibson’s movie under consideration.

Pop culture is suffused with truly damaging content – content that demeans, that exploits our basest instincts, that simply makes us stupid sheep, critical senses anesthetized, addicted to stimulation, that seeks to shock rather than enlighten – and we’re told not to worry about it, not to violate artistic integrity, to just be grown ups and get a grip. Everyone’s free, you know – free to create and free to turn it off – so we’re all supposed to agree that anything goes for the artist.

As well it should, I believe. I just wish the standards were the same – that if one artist is to be held accountable for the motivation, authenticity, truth and consequences of his work – then all artists will be.