Review of The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) by Jake K — 09 Mar 2008

An unflinching, intimate, non-sensationalistic portraiture of Jesus Christ. No wonder the masses were pissed! Picketers and molotov cocktail throwers aside however, this is probably the best movie about the man himself that I've ever seen, on the grounds that it does what no other film about Christ can: it flatly portrays as a human being.

Whereas films like "The Passion of the Christ" put JC in a divine, untouchable light, this one dissects him, flaws and all, and ultimately, makes Christ a compelling and relatable lead character.

I realize that this may clash with the beliefs of others, but in a cinematic sense, if you can't reach out to the commanding character, you've got a weak, aloof film on your hands. How can one become involved with Christ if he's shown as a God, above all humans, ever-knowing and fearless? I applaud Scorsese and Schrader for having the guts to take a different path in telling this story, and the results speak for themselves.

Dafoe, an unlikely candidate, is perfect in the lead role, displaying the perfect balance of intrigue, fear, pride, and shame. The supporting cast does him well. Even David Bowie works wonders as Pontius Pilate.

Scorses doesn't shoot the thing predictably either. It's an epic filmed as a small scale character piece, and therefore, it's more affecting and powerful than a traditional, grand-scale telling of Christ's life and death could be.

This should have won Best Picture in 1988, though it should be no surprise that it didn't. The film's too controversial for such accolades, but it's the films that invite such fierce debate that survive the longer and retain their power to stir people up.

What a director, for taking this on and doing so well, especially after masterpieces like "Mean Streets" and "Taxi Driver". The film might as well be Scorsese's own biography.