The Last Temptation of Christ

Directed by: Martin Scorsese - 2 hours, 44 minutes - 1988 - USA - Color - Blu-ray - 1.85:1
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Harvey Keitel, Barbara Hershey, Victor Argo, John Lurie, Leo Burmeister, Harry Dean Stanton, Andre Gregory, David Bowie, Juliette Caton

Jesus is a carpenter helping to build crucifixes for the occupying Roman army. He is plagued by headaches and visions of God, and resists what he sees. He is consumed with guilt about Mary Magdalene, a woman he had earlier refused to marry, who now works as a prostitute. His friend Judas urges him to fight, to become a leader of the Jewish resistance against Roman rule. But after a series of visions in the desert, Jesus has a more radical vision of what he is meant to do. He begins to preach and act out a series of miracles, often confused by what he’s doing and not entirely in control. He is still plagued with doubt and the struggles between the human and divine with him. When he is captured and condemned by the Romans, while dying on the cross he sees a vision of another life.

At the time of its release, The Last Temptation of Christ was overshadowed by the controversy surrounding it, as various right-wing and religious groups sought to not only protest, but to destroy the physical film itself. Boycotts were organized, screenings were done in secret, and misinformation was rampant, as most protesters (of course) refused to actually watch the film. This for a film directed by a Roman Catholic, based on the novel by a Greek Orthodox author adapted by a writer who was raised Calvinist, all of whom wanted to explore questions of their own faith. The end result is a film that avoids the larger-than-life old Hollywood portrayals of Jesus, in favor of a story where even the miracles are almost mundane, a more naturalistic approach that’s more focused on the human than the divine.

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Roger Ebert reviews (4/4 stars): [Original Review] [Great Movies Review]
 

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