MEL Gibson's controversial epic The Passion Of The Christ opens in Wrexham this weekend and has been hailed by a local Christian organisation as 'powerful and moving'.

The film is a graphic and harrowing depiction of the last 12 hours of the life of Jesus Christ, beginning with his arrest in the Garden in Gethsemane and ending with his triumphant resurrection.

The Passion Of The Christ opens at the town's Odeon cinema this weekend but Christians from the Wrexham branch of the 'Youth With A Mission' (YWAM) organisation attended a special screening in Manchester earlier this month.

Gibson's film is one of the most talked-about movies in years, but has been criticised as being too violent and bloodthirsty, and has been condemned by Jewish leaders for being anti-Semitic for blaming the Jews for Christ's crucifixion.

But Dawn Mill, one of the YWAM members who watched the preview screening in Manchester, said criticisms of The Passion Of The Christ are unfair and has urged Wrexham cinema goers to go and see the film and decide for themselves.

'It was very powerful and moving - I don't think I'll ever be the same again,' said Dawn, from Hightown. 'I went into the film expecting it to be excessively violent and it was brutal in places, but the violence was a realistic depiction of what happened.

'The film drove home the sacrifice and suffering Our Lord endured for us.

'What strikes you during the film is not just the awful extent of Jesus's suffering but the fact that He did it freely. At times it was difficult to watch because it brought home the treachery of my own sins.

'As I came out of the cinema, I felt the burden of responsibility for my actions but also a feeling of lightness and joy that Jesus defeats death and that my sins had been taken away by what He did for us.'

Dawn also rejected criticism that the film is anti-Semitic and says it is an historically faithful adaptation of The Gospel narrative.

She said: 'Watching the film did not make me feel any hatred towards the Jews and I would never condone anti-Semitic behaviour. I think Mel Gibson has done a good job with the information he had and we have since heard the Pope say of the film 'it is as it was'.

'The film's message is that Jesus was going to lay down his life freely and that His death was inevitable. The Jews and the Romans just happened to be there when He gave his life, so I don't think the film reinforces any anti-Semitic messages.

'People are still going to be talking about this film in years to come and I would recommend that everyone, whether they are believers or non-believers, should go and see it.'

However, the North Wales branch of the Council of Christians and Jews (CCJ) said it's concerned the film could damage Christian - Jewish relations.

In a statement, the CCJ said: 'The film reinforces ancient Christian prejudices in a context of intense and unremitting violence.

'The main burden of guilt is placed on the Jews which ignores historical scholarship. Given the significant development and progress in Jewish - Christian relations since the Holocaust, this approach is deeply regrettable.'