The Last Temptation of Christ

Admiration and disinterest, but that’s already characteristic of my approach towards the films of Martin Scorsese. Objectively, I acknowledge that they are perfectly executed, but I’m simply unable to fully enjoy them. I’m giving The Last Temptation of Christ a fairly high rating mainly because of the surprise at the end – a very smart script – but I’m not likely to watch it again. (14/07/2011)

Jesus Christ is quite a common theme in many films, and I personally think that filmmakers will be drawing from it for a long time to come, because the life of this biblical figure still has much to offer. Martin Scorsese retells the life of Jesus in his own way, and even though the masses of believers rebelled against such a controversial interpretation, as a religiously neutral person, I was comfortable with this portrayal. Actually, in retrospect, I don't see anything that outrageous about it. There is a certain departure from the Bible that is quite clear, but it all dissipates like steam over a pot at the end. Making a parallel life of Jesus was a challenge, and Scorsese managed to handle such a thorny subject to perfection and still apply his directorial skills. Also worth mentioning is the performance of Willem Dafoe, whose unmistakable and in a way charming facial expressions added to the overall impression. The well-placed cinematography and the fitting music are just more icing on the cake. In short, a film that may not appeal to everyone, but managed to thrill me with its unusual execution. (21/04/2011)

A purely personal affair that could not catch me in any way. Also, comparing it to Mel Gibson's torture-porn is definitely not appropriate. Intellectually and aesthetically, this is a completely different film that attempts to say something different in a distinct form. (15/05/2005)

Rather than a classic novel, Kazantzakis' book is a philosophical-theological summation of the nature of human belief in God, and of religion as such. It must have been clear to Scorsese that if he didn't want to bore the viewer with a five-hour colossus, he had to extract only a straightforward plot skeleton and it would be up to him alone how much of the motif of the Messiah as a simple man he would cram into the film. I don't want to poke at it, but I wonder how many of the people who are giving this work full credit have also read the actual book. At the beginning of every dialogue, in every subsequent scene, I waited for Scorsese to finally unleash that (according to the reactions at the time) blasphemously heretical confession... and nothing happened and then the end came. I certainly don't see the director's excessive religiosity behind all the restraint - the provocateur has always been timeless - but rather it is the limited means of the film medium that simply and easily fail to capture the idea, however great the effort. So to all those praising this work, I am extremely happy for you and I even tip my hat to the great Marty for having the courage to take on such a project. But for me, Kazantzakis' book (which occupies a place of honor in my library) will always be so essential that I simply cannot rate the film any other way, even though it is cinematically absolutely perfect! (22/05/2007)

The Last Temptation of Christ is Scorsese’s best non-Mafia picture. Need I say more? Need I emphasize Dafoe and Keitel’s performances of their lives? Or the atmospheric soundtrack? Do I really have to mention the theological level of this picture and its philosophical aspects that will remain troubling you long after? Describe the wave of outrage of the general public (I recommend the book Banned Films)? No, I think that there isn’t much point and it would be like taking coals to Newcastle... And anyway, this is one of those rare examples where the movie adaptation is better than the (already excellent) book it’s based on. (09/08/2007)