MEL Gibson's controversial film The Passion of the Christ will open in Dorset cinemas later this month amid accusations that it blames Jews for the death of Jesus.

The film - which the Hollywood star directed and bankrolled - took an astonishing 40 million dollars in its opening weekend in the US despite the controversy.

Ruth Oliver, chair of Bournemouth's community Christian radio station Hope FM, has watched the film, and called it the most violent she had ever seen.

She said: "The majority of people I know would find this film impossible to watch. As a Christian, it brought me to tears to see the torture that Christ suffered.

"Although I am aware of the accusations that this film is anti-Semitic, I did not find this to be the case."

She added: "Christians understand that it was not the Jews who killed Jesus, or indeed the Roman soldiers, but that Christ was born to die as a sacrifice for sin. The film shows clearly that Jesus always knew it was his destiny to die in this cruel way and that men - Jewish or not - would not have been able to carry out the execution had they been not given power from above."

But she said she was saddened that Christ's "amazing love and compassion was not portrayed" and that there was no acknowledgement by the soldiers that he was the son of God.

Gibson belongs to a Catholic group that does not accept Vatican II, the mid-1960s papal decree that liberalised the church.

Rabbi David Soetendorp, of Bournemouth's Reform Synagogue, has not seen the film but said: "I've heard a few views and they've further informed my decision not to have anything to do with it.

"We work terribly hard to promote understanding. Here comes along this questionable man with a very questionable background but millions of dollars behind him and makes this kind of film which will potentially sweep aside half a century of dialogue."

Rabbi Lionel Rosenfeld, of Bournemouth's Orthodox Synagogue, said: "We've always known that some of the gospels have been more anti-Jewish and the Catholic church, to its credit, years ago pronounced that the guilt of the Jews is ended, if there was any."He said Gibson had the Jews in his film wear side-locks like modern Orthodox Jews to link all Jews with the death of Christ. He added: "This is an issue that has fired Jewry around the world. We thought we'd overcome the God-killing thing."

Canon Jim Richardson, a former director of the Council for Christians and Jews, said he was waiting to see the film but was concerned by suggestions that Jews "as a people" were responsible for the death of Christ.

He said: "That's not, as far as scholars are concerned these days, the way we think any more and therefore it's likely to harm Jewish-Christian relations unless people understand what is going on in the film.

"Mel Gibson is an old-style Catholic and it's not the way scholars are thinking these days, the way churches and Jewish commun-ities are thinking these days.

"We're all to blame for the death of Christ and it's wrong to pick on one group."

Gibson (above) has denied charges of anti-Semitism, saying the film was "meant to inspire, not offend".

Terry Sanderson, vice president of Britain's National Secular Society, has said: "Committed Christians who are flocking to see this film in the USA are in such a state of hysteria about it, that I am sure if they were shown a blank screen for half an hour, they would come out proclaiming that their lives had been changed forever."

The Passion of the Christ will be shown at Bournemouth's ABC cinema from March 26 and is also expected to play at Poole UCI.