Review of The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) by Alejandro R — 19 Apr 2014

Martin Scorsese's controversial film about Jesus Christ based on the novel of the same name by Nikos Kazantzakis. This was available through Netflix streaming and with today being Easter I decided to watch it.

At the beginning of the film, there is a disclaimer that the story of events is not based on the Gospels, but rather a reinterpretation about the body and spirit. Right away you have to avoid the religious and theological arguments that you will plainly see as you watch the film.

You have to watch this film with an open mind. The film shows a more "darker" side of Jesus. In the beginning of the film, he is struggling with the fact that he is God's chosen son and asks himself what does God want from him.

He's dealing with anger, fear and nightmares believing that God and Satan are wrestling with his mind, thus torturing him even more as well as dealing with the ongoing ridicule and persecution he receives from the people who don't believe he is the chosen one.

Eventually he comes to terms with being the Messiah and understands what his purpose is, and that is to spread the word of God and lead the people back to Jerusalem. The sequences of events in the movie are lifted from the Gospel despite the disclaimer, but they are reinterpreted.

Everything from Jesus wandering in the desert being tempted by Satan , to the miracles he performs, the Last Supper and his Crucifixion all have a piece that is left out or has changed. Willem Dafoe plays Jesus, and it is perhaps the best performance I've seen from an actor depicting the Son of God.

He plays it with such a raw emotional heart as he deals with internal struggles that we as human beings deal with on a daily basis. The film was shot in Morocco, but has the authoritarian feel that this was shot in the Holy Land with the lavish temples and the breathtaking mountains and grainy deserts.

Peter Gabriel provided the score to the film and it fits perfectly with the power and emotion that radiates from the movie. The movie clocks in at 2 hours and 43 minutes but the pacing goes pretty fast as you immerse yourself in the sequence of events that Jesus is going through.

It's nice to see Scorsese tackle a different story that doesn't relate to modern day mobs although there are mob elements in the film. After watching this film, it really made me think. I asked myself: Did Jesus really struggle with the idea of being the chosen one? Did he go through all the anger and depression that we all go through? I guess the only way I'll know the true answer is when I get to see him in due time.