The Last Temptation of Christ (Criterion #70). 1988 Universal Pictures.
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Harvey Keitel, Barbara Hershey, Harry Dean Stanton, David Bowie
Music: Peter Gabriel
Director: Martin Scorsese
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Based on the 1960 novel of the same name by Nikos Kazantzakis, the film version depicts Jesus Christ (Dafoe) as a person that was still free from sin, but still found himself plagued with doubt, and grappling with temptation. Both depicted Christ being tempted to imagine himself engaged in sexual activities, which understandably offended some Christians. Martin Scorsese also included a disclaimer to the beginning of the movie explaining that it was never intended to be an exact film adaptation of the events detailed in the Gospels.
The main point of the controversy surrounding the film's release in 1988 was the scene where Christ married Mary Magdalene (Hershey) instead of dying on the cross. A brief scene of the two making love angered many protestors. The scene simply represents Satan tempting Jesus with the life of a normal man, which he accepts until he realizes that he has abandoned his mission, and forsaken his destiny of being crucified.
Highly recommended.
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