CRINGE FACTOR: 0, except if you're a die-hard conservative.
STARRING: Willem Dafoe (Jesus of Nazareth), Harvey Keitel (Judas Iscariot), Barbara Hershey (Mary Magdalene), Andre Gregory (John the Baptist), Verna Bloom (Mary, mother of Jesus), Victor Argo (Peter), Tomas Arana (Lazarus)
DIRECTOR: Martin Scorcese (Gangs of New York, Goodfellas, Kundun)
SYNOPSIS: Jesus is a man haunted by his destiny as the son of God, and although the film
goes through his entire ministry and crucifixion, it is really about the seldom-seen conflict
between man and God's natures.
Yo, yo! The Jesus Posse has come to town!
REVIEW: People looking for a straight, Biblical account of the life of Jesus Christ won't
find it here. As the film warns during the opening credits, Temptation isn't based on
any particular gospel. Rather, it borrows key events and themes from the New Testament and
morphs them into its own story, taking extensive license with the material to flesh it out.
All the major fixtures from the Biblical accounts (triumphant entry into Jerusalem, the Last
Supper, crucifixion, etc) are here in sequence, but most of the character interactions are
fabrications (Mary Magdalene and Judas) and Jesus' miracles are presented out of order.
Furthermore, Jesus (richly portrayed by Willem Dafoe) never once utters a single "verily,"
"thou," or "thee." In short, The Last Temptation of Christ is not your parent's Jesus Epic.
In fact, most people in conservative Christian circles outright condemn this movie for its
atypical and "dirty" presentation of Christ, but I would argue that that is precisely what
makes Temptation such a great story. For the first time, Jesus comes alive as a real
person instead of the white-robed, serene-faced cardboard cutout we've seen everywhere else,
which contrasts even more since Willem Dafoe even has the typical Jesus look: long, golden
hair and blue eyes. He draws you in because he looks comfortable and familiar, allowing you
to more easily accept his "un-Christly" behavior. The same tactic is used in all of the
casting decisions. The only British accent is Pontius Pilate's, and Judas has a strong
Brooklyn accent. They all have the right look, but they sound and act like people we've all
probably encountered. They are real, particularly Jesus.
Dafoe's Jesus has charisma. In that way, he's probably the most accurate Jesus in cinema.
He's powerful, dynamic, a thrilling speaker who challenges and excites his audiences (though
not always about the right things). People don't get that deer-in-headlights look around
him--they react to him realistically, as a person. Because--don't get too shocked--Jesus
was a person. And that is precisely Scorsese's point. Jesus starts out as a human
soul in torment, a man, just as unable to comprehend God as anybody else, which is a problem,
considering that Jesus is also God. Confusing, no? Jesus' divinity manifests as killer
migraines, as though God is forcibly trying to control the man, until Jesus finally decides to
accept his dual nature and allow God to reveal his plan. Even then, Jesus can't go along
totally willingly--his human side won't let him. For the first time, we see that Jesus is
fallible. His internal conflict is what drives the story, putting a completely different
perspective on what is otherwise an overtold, tired period piece.
Filmed in Morocco, with a soundtrack of traditional ethnic instruments and modern western
music (by composer Peter Gabriel), the movie has a very different atmosphere than you'd
expect. It is mystical and at the same time, gritty and real. There are not vast set pieces
of Roman garrisons and mountaintop sermons, but the same sense of scope is preserved in simple
sequences in the desert wilderness and in the villages and temple. Scorcese paid attention to
a different kind of authenticity, seeking to recreate the rich cultural and spiritual
environment of the era rather than the political scene. The combined effect is one that can
profoundly revive your interest in the story of Jesus Christ--provided that you keep an open
mind about it.
Just another day in Jerusalem.
Far from being the evil, blasphemous work of Satan most conservatives label it (for a truly
satirical Jesus movie, check out Monty Python's Life of Brian), The Last Temptation
of Christ is very respectful of who Christ was and what his life on Earth was about. This
was a regular Hollywood release, and right smack dab in the middle of it one of the characters
comes right out and accurately presents the salvation message. Not even Mel Gibson's highly
praised The Passion of the Christ was that direct. However, it is important to keep in
mind that Temptation, like The Passion, is still an interpretation. Scorsese's effort has taken the life of Christ around some bold, new curves to tell a story about the human condition, rather like Farenheit 9/11, Michael Moore's op/ed documentary. Both
have been sharply critiziced by some factions and used as doctrine by other factions, but
neither should be taken as solid truth. Instead, they are best used to inspire audiences to
become informed about the issues and to seek the truth for themselves. Scorsese's movie
scores in that respect, presenting a flawed Jesus so innately human that we can identify with
him and his struggle to discern God's will from his human desires. This is a perception of
Jesus most have never even considered. But it can be argued that the movie takes this
perception to its extreme, emphasizing Christ's humanity to the near-exclusion of his
divinity. Considering, though, that every other major Jesus movie tends to swing to the
opposite extreme, it's an acceptable bias.
BOTTOM LINE: The Last Temptation of Christ is fascinating to watch for its visual
artistry and gloves-off handling of Christianity's figurehead, but viewer be warned, in order
to truly appreciate it, a measure of objectivity is required.
