Review of The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) by Gregskywalker — 10 Jan 2016

I'm particularly fond of this movie because it tells a story through music & images as it does through dialogue. I also want to highlight the fact that costumes, sets etc are historically believable however all actors conspicuously use their normal accents. At first, it might seem jarring to see Harvey Keitel talking to "Jesus". But I'm glad Scorsese decided not to direct his actors to affect silly "ancient" accents which end up sounding like inexperienced high school actors attempting Shakespeare.

David Bowie as Pontius Pilate. His understated sense of superiority towards Jesus is perfectly acted. The whole scene fully deserves its iconic status.

Finally a few words on the controversial nature of this film. As a secularist, I admit that I can happily watch this tale without any concern for anything biblical, orthodoxy or historical. As a cinema person, I can keep it as simple as, "Cool, Willem Dafoe is a bad ass Jesus!".

Last Temptation is a compelling period piece with almost action flick undertones that oddly creates the charm for me.

Finally, this is a bold departure from Scorsese's typical fare. I respect him for that.