Review of The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) by Lily R — 28 Sep 2009

I love Martin Scorsese, Willem Dafoe, and Harvey Keitel, but this movie just dragged even with all of that talent. The story was interesting, and I'm sure that back in the late 80s it was quite controversial, but by today's standards it was tame.

So without the controversy, we're left to rate the film on its own merit. The last 45 minutes, after Jesus is living his "earthly life," makes for a compelling watch, but the 2 hours preceding it are drawn out and seriously tried my patience.

They could have cut out about 30 minutes of this and it would probably have made a better movie. But it's still worth watching for the final act, which is an interesting take on the issues of faith, sacrifice, and religion.

Bottom line: worth a rent, but doesn't live up to the hype.