The Last Temptation of Christ

I remember when I went to watch its premiere in New York City, there were some fanatical "believers" who actually tried to stop the audience to actually enter the movie theater in order to view it...I was one of those viewers, and I remember that one of those knuckleheads, sitting on the stairs grabbed me by the seams of my pants and tried to physically block me from entering. Thinking that this was not enough he yelled something about "a curse that would befall me, together with the loss of my sacred soul and finally the doom of excommunication".Well, I was raised a catholic, but very soon detached myself from any kind of mumbo-jumbo in any form and fashion. Today I live happily and have never been plagued by demons nor zombies.Perhaps I am too much of a pragmatic, but fact is that I have lived a full life without any nightmares what-so-ever, due to this fact.After such a treatment, I was expecting to watch a kind of catholic "The Exorcist" filled with demons splattering peas and creamed spinach, all over Jesus, or worse, that Jesus would do so himself...What I was dished up with, was nothing new to me. Whoever studies a bit carefully the historic period of these events, will sooner or later cross some documents that tend to corroborate the theories examined in Martin Scorsese's movie. Even Kazantzakis must have discovered them, and just limited himself to make sense out of it all and put it down in novel form.Nothing shocking in this.Besides, if one would stop just for a moment to reflect who the people were who lived in Palestine in those years, would know that common people had enough to struggle with, not to be so devoted to the first guy who would call himself a Messiah.People were more down to Earth and less leaping across golden clouds in a nice blue sky. They were occupied by the Romans, and the Romans at that time and in that place were just behaving as the Waffen-SS did on the Eastern Front in World War II.Either you obeyed and submitted, or you were dead meat.No wonder then some scenes, very human ones at that, when Judas, and even Peter accuse Jesus of being a coward. Of course, the Apostles are a far cry from the fairytale version we have in the Gospels or even in other Devotion oriented pictures of yesteryear.But because of this, they truly come through as true, living, breathing, and yes, bleeding human beings. Not puppets, not just silent followers, or dreamers, but factual friends of Jesus, concerned with his actions and his behavior, if not his image.And Jesus himself comes through as a man. Not a divine being, but just a man. In this there are many parallels even in Greek, Persian and Sumerian religious mythology. Just look for instance Herakles or Hercules if you prefer, being put on Earth by Zeus in order to be tested as a human being.Jesus has only become divine after his crucifixion, not before.Also to be noted, was the many doubts Hebrews had about the mere existence of an actual Messiah figure. They didn't even know if it was one person, or a group of persons, who had to walk the Earth to be recognized as such.Moreover, many behave as if Jesus had been a sort of a Christian pastor or a monk. Far from all this. He was Hebrew by birth and Jew by religion.Besides what is the importance of all this?He came to save all Mankind, not just a group of morons, or at least this was his original intention.Remains to be seen and to be proven if he truly managed to succeed in this or if he failed.After all there is no more justice nowadays in this world than there was back then.And who is really and closely following his teachings?We don't even respect the basic ten commandments. OK, we may not kill, nor steal, but all the other commandments? C'mon, be honest...Ever watched "The Godfather"?Well, this would teach you more about our failings as so-called Christians than any scripture.And to all those who "think" they are born-again Christians or just Christians I would suggest to look deeply into a mirror and tell themselves what they truly see in it and whether or not they like what they see mirrored in it.Isn't it written "do not onto others, what you..." etc. and so forth, or even "do no judge others, lest you..." and yadi-da and yadi-di.Of course I just cite these passages losely, also because I do not really remember their original formula. But you grasp the idea...This movie to me is probably an appropriate companion to "The Passion of Christ" and completes, together maybe with the more "devoted" "Jesus of Nazareth" TV-Miniseries directed by Franco Zeffirelli the entire lifespan on Earth of a man known as Jesus, who by his deeds, his doubts and his final courage and endurance, managed to enter in some way our own hearts and become to some of us, an example, a guru, a teacher, a master and to others, simply the Messiah.May it be as it may, there has never been another tale such as this one, and amazing it still is.I can guarantee you this. If I had been in his place, I would have chosen to live a long life and forgotten all about the scriptures, even if this would have meant to go into exile into a foreign land.The doubts he had and has in this Motion Picture are those each and everyone would have, if we were confronted with such a choice: to die nailed on a Roman Cross, after being whipped almost to death, and all this in the slowest way possible.Those who would do so without a doubt or simply going to their death in this way, with a smile on their faces, are either insane or were dropped on the floor when they were babies.Criterion has done a marvelous job with this DVD, cleaning the image up and even the sound is discreet.A last word of warning.If you are a true believer, stay away from this movie, it may offend some of your beliefs, but if you can stay open minded and objective, then this movie will please you.Only remember, just bits and parts, diverge from the original story told by the gospels, the rest is deja-vu.The acting is up to par. Willem Dafoe as Jesus is acceptable, but has somewhat the appearance of bum, rather than a Rabbi. Harvey Keitel steals the show in this movie. His forceful interpretation comes through loud and clear.I can highly recommend it. You may still learn a thing or two...

When Martin Scorsese set out to make a film adaptation of the Niko Kazantzakis novel, The Last Temptation, the last thing that the legendary director intended to do was offend. The making of the film was a deeply personal spiritual quest for Scorsese, and one that he had felt burdened to complete for a very long time. Many years passed, and several attempts to produce the film failed. However, in 1987, production began, courtesy of MCA Universal who felt that the film was an important piece. The film almost immediately drew controversy, and several people tried to talk Scorsese and his crew out of making the film. Scorsese pressed on, believing strongly in the material. Production was rushed on a limited budget, and soon, Thelma Schoonmaker was editing for post-production. Meanwhile, hordes of right-wing extremists gathered round, promising to destroy the film once it was released. Upon the films release, the extremists were picketing and shouting boycott - rallying against a film that they had never even seen. Guards had to stand on each side of the theatre screen in just about any screening room in which the film was being shown, as there were threats to damage the screen during certain moments in the film which were deemed "blasphemous" by those who had probably never seen a dictionary in their lives; the very definition of the word "blasphemy" being lost on them. As it turns out, all of the controversy was for naught. The Last Temptation of Christ continues to be a highly philosophical, terribly misunderstood film to this very day, a film which explores the dual nature of Christ; a Jesus film not for mainstream audiences, but for the intellectual.Scorsese's film opens over Peter Gabriel's magnificent score with a disclaimer, which reads: This film is not based upon the Gospels but upon this fictional exploration of the eternal spiritual conflict - the eternal conflict being one of the spirit and the flesh. Jesus Christ was both man and God, existing in one body. As he was human, the Scriptures tell us that Christ was tempted in every way that man has been tempted, and as a result, God understands all that man has had to struggle against. This hypothetical envisioning of the Scriptures sees Christ as tormented, torn between loyalty to his Father and the desires of man. As portrayed by Willem Dafoe, we see Christ attempt time and time again to rebel against his calling, and yet, he can never bring himself to do it. Even as he builds crosses for the Roman soldiers, he cannot escape God's will, no matter how much he wants God to hate Him. We see Christ as he is tempted in the desert, we see him as he is tempted by Mary Magdalene (played by the excellent Barbara Hershey), and we watch him throughout the film, as he constantly tramples upon Satan and his snares. Ultimately, it is during the "last temptation" on the cross in which Christ reigns victorious.This controversial segment consists of Christ being tempted by Satan - who appears to him as an angelic little girl - as he is hanging from the cross. The young girl pulls the nails from his hands and feet, and removes the crown of thorns from his head. As she pulls him from the cross, the deceptive vision begins: Jesus enters a wedding procession, his wedding, in which he marries Mary Magdalene and starts a family. It is a lengthy dream sequence, as Jesus grows old, and Mary eventually dies. However, Judas (a magnificent Harvey Keitel) appears to Jesus, and reveals that he has been lured into this state by Satan. Christ wakes from this vision, still nailed to the cross, triumphant and ready to die for the sins of the world. As he utters the words, "It is accomplished", the screen fills with white light, blurs out, and the film ends.Most of the films detractors - the few who had seen it - must not have read the disclaimer at the front of the film, nor could they wrap their narrow minds around the fact that the last thirty minutes of the film are, indeed, an illusion. To some, the humanity of Jesus is highly disturbing because of all that it implies. Christ was tempted in every way that man has been tempted. He never sinned - nor does Dafoe's Jesus - but he was tempted all the same, and temptation is not pretty - granted when we face temptation, it looks much like the "angel" near the end of the film. It does not seem ugly at first, but slowly the veil is pulled away, revealing itself for what it really is. The Last Temptation of Christ is a powerful film. This is Scorsese's masterpiece.Rated R for violence and brief sexual content. 168 minutes.