mukherjeesubham93 *Classic lookback* THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRISTWe usually associate Martin Scorsese with his movies on organized crime. It's hard not to do that when he has made Goodfellas & Casino. But before that, in the late 80s, he was probably at his creative peak. In the decade which saw him making Raging Bull( Arguably his best movie), King of Comedy & After hours, the 1988 movie, The Last Temptation of Christ is my personal favorite of his entire filmography. It is Scorsese at his creative best and his boldest. Based on the very controversial novel of Nikos Kazantzakis of the same name which was itself banned in many countries, This movie was destined to be controversial. Which of course, it was. It frequently finds it's place in several 'most controversial films of all time' lists. The film was termed as blasphemous upon it's release and banned in many countries too. But if you care to watch it with an open mind, this movie is quite an enriching experience. It's not an easy movie for a devout Christian believer. The movie's basic underlying theme is the conflict between Christ's worldly temptations as a mortal, and his divine duty of sacrificing himself for the sins of mankind. The movie doesn't follow the Bible. It humanizes Christ ( Played quite brilliantly by Willem Dafoe) he gets angry, he gets frightened, he asks his 'father' why is he the chosen one. As the movie progresses, Christ gradually starts to find answers to these questions. This process of self discovery of his purposes, not only seems very relatable but also helps us sympathize with the character. The Son of God, till that point of time had always been represented with an otherworldly aura. This was the first attempt to make him vulnerable and thus, more human....and quite naturally, it didn't go down well with all. Coming to the most controversial portions, the last one hour of the movie is it's most controversial portion and the take it or leave it point of the movie. As a open minded viewer, no doubt it was something very unique to witness. It's almost as if it takes us by the collar and coerces us with a very different point of view. Controversy apart, it is a really well made movie. The cinematography, moody, dark, surreal at times works wonders. Peter Gabriel's musical score is one of the main highlights of the movie. And oh of course, i forgot to mention the representation of Satan! Very subtle yet chilling. Despite saying so many points about the movie being controversial, i would never call it blasphemous. The movie ultimately never makes one question about one's faith in Christianity. It arrives at the same destination all other Christ movies have, but to reach that destination it takes an unexpectedly risky path. A very underrated film, in my opinion, The Last Temptation of Christ surely deserves a higher place in Scorsese's much coveted filmography. If possible, do watch this with an open mind. You'll never forget it in your lifetime.

ghenshall I do have to say how wrong this movie is. Some may agree with me, and many will not. However, I am not concerned with the argument many have with me, but concern is that the blasphemy in this film is deceiving many people, especially ones who already know Christ. Although I have problems with most of the film, mainly I'm annoyed with the second half of the film. The movie portrays Jesus not only running through trials and tribulation, but actually fell into temptation. The movie shows that Satan was able to trick Jesus by disguising himself as a little girl, and after seeing Jesus fall into temptation and marry Mary Magdalene and have sexual relations with her is purely disgusting. No where in the Bible does it say that Jesus had sexual relations with Mary Magdalene. No where in the Bible does Jesus defy God and follow Satan. The Good Word says, "Jesus cried out, 'Father why have you forsaken me'. It was only shortly after this Jesus gave up His Spirit and died." There is no jumping off the cross and joining the devil there. No! He died on the cross and after three days, He rose again. So where in that part of Scripture does Jesus marry Magdalene, and where does the Bible say he lived to be 80 years old?There is nothing in Scripture to support that. No my friends, when Jesus resurrected He carried on with the earth for 40 days before He was ascended into heaven. And the two angels stood near the disciples and said, "This same Jesus you saw going into heaven, will come back in the same way you saw Him go into heaven. I tell you the truth, if you think Jesus fell into temptation, then you are making Him and the Father to be a liar. Literally, anyone who thinks that Jesus had sex with Mary and married her and died at 80 is calling God a liar. For Jesus is the unblemished Lamb who was sacrificed for our sins, therefore, Jesus is sinless even on earth. If anyone does not believe this, they really need help, because I tell you now, the making of this movie was not prompted by the Holy Spirit, but by man's own fantasy through the prompting of demonic spirits.I'm not saying Jesus Christ is a fantasy, but this movie is. The way Jesus died in this film does not match the Word of God. Now, many people are wondering if I'm a child of God, and probably many are accusing me of being Satan's follower. Well, honestly if that accusation helps them sleep at night, then go right ahead, but I'm not going to believe them, for I believe in my Saviour, Jesus Christ, and I know deep down that He would not accept Satan's desires or be tricked by him in any way. The Devil is a liar and the father of all lies (John 8:44).Jesus had much to say to the Pharisees and Sadducees in Matthew 23. He woed them seven times. Maybe you should take a look.

Emmanuel Isaiah Smith In the ending of this movie, Jesus descends from the cross, and follows a beautiful young angel to Jerusalem, where Christ proceeds to live a normal life. The highlight of this part of the film, is when Jesus realizes that his redemption from the cross was actually the work of Satan, who did not want Jesus to redeem mankind with his blood. The ending shows that the crucifixion of Jesus Christ was a part of his earthly ministry, and that any deviation from this fate would have spelled doom for mankind.

chaswe-28402 Embarking on this lengthy trip with no prior preparation was baffling. Force fed since childhood with all the stories in the bible, I still could make little sense of what was going on. I had not read the book by Kazantzakis. Fortunately, this site provides a number of explanations, partially dispelling my obtuseness. The solution is actually fairly simple, as I now see it. The Last Temptation is the impulse to lead a normal life: keep working at carpentry, marry, have children and grow old. Pay god minimal attention. The film is an extremely roundabout way of presenting this argument, and I couldn't really swallow it. I thought Dafoe was quite good as Christ: he conveyed a kind of demon-like godfulness. Some might find this off-putting, but it tied in with the angelic little Satan towards the end. Although the movie is very long, and continued for another 30 minutes after it seemed to end, it was worth watching, but not worth watching twice. I note that apparently I did watch it 7 or 8 years ago, but had totally forgotten what it was about. Those several years ago I see I noted that John the Baptist had a good line in the plot, when he said that "The God of Israel is the God of the Desert. If you want to speak to him, go to the desert". Sadly, this is true of the god of Israel: vengeful, punitive and jealous, modelled on the sun blazing down in those barren, arid regions. I prefer the pagan gods of the temperate zone. Beauty, reason, creativity. I was going to give this 8 stars, but I've changed my mind. It annoyed me: 4 stars.