Steineded How sad is this?

Tedfoldol everything you have heard about this movie is true.

AnhartLinkin This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

Jonah Abbott There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

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.

tangreat-bk There is a lot to like in The Last Temptation of Christ directed by Martin Scorsese. It is one of his most ambitious films. I'm huge fan of his work. This movie is in line with his other religious epic 'Silence (2016)'.I appreciated what the movie was doing. I loved the way Jesus was portrayed ,struggling like everyone of us. We feel his dilemma , his uncertainty , his self doubt. Willem Dafoe gives one his best performances in this movie.But as Jesus was struggling with his temptations of lust, doubt and fear, I was myself struggling with my own temptation to turn this movie off. It does get pretty boring in the middle and my interest was waning.Still I stuck with it till the end and I'm glad I did. It was one of the most rewarding experience. Well worth sitting through 164 mins for. I knew Scorsese wouldn't let me down.

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.

avik-basu1889 'The Last Temptation of Christ' is an exceptionally interesting film in the context of Christianity and morality. It famously received widespread criticism for being blasphemous. From a certain standpoint, it is blasphemous because instead of focusing of Christ's divinity, it uses Jesus as a metaphor for man and a representative of the human condition. I can understand why some Christians might have objections with this portrayal. But as a non- Christian myself, I found myself utterly engaged and enraptured by this exploration of Jesus' humanity.The gospels give us the idea that although Christ was presented with a lot of worldly temptations and even though he did have a moment of doubt, he did in the end manage to wholeheartedly turn his back on them. But this film and the book it is based on paints a more complicated picture. Here it is proposed that Christ found it really difficult to turn his back on the normal, peaceful life. We see Jesus tied down and tortured by the idea of predeterminism. It is shown in the beginning that Jesus subconsciously is making crosses for Romans to make God hate him so that he leaves him alone. His yearning for a life as a husband and live with a wife like Magdalene or the sisters of Bethany continued to exist throughout his short life. The film proposes the idea that even after the crucifixion, Christ had this moment of fantasy wish-fulfilment of a different life, almost like a parallel universe where he turns his back on God and lives like a normal man.Another essential element of Christ's character in this film is his constant and relentless search for his role and purpose on Earth and what God wants from him. He constantly seeks out and looks for signs and metaphors to understand God's will. He is constantly asking questions and pleading God to give him a sign and tell him what to do. This again grounds the mystique of Christ and makes him human. He is just like all of us(in a little more heightened way). Even he is for the most part very unsure about his life, his purpose and his future on Earth.The representation of Judas in this film is fascinating. Conventional ideas and interpretations paint Judas as the guy who betrays Jesus. As a matter of fact, the name Judas itself has become synonymous with betrayal. However in this film, Judas' character is far more complicated and layered compared to the traitor that we generally visualise when thinking of him. At the beginning of the film, Judas comes across like the guy who is far more sure of himself and his ideas and views than Jesus and he also shows a lot of initiative in marching a revolt against the Romans. He also shows true belief in Jesus' ideas and views once Jesus decides to become a preacher. The 'betrayal' that Judas indulges in has everything to do the idea of predeterminism and nothing to do with his evilness. Judas gets successfully persuaded by Jesus himself to execute the betrayal as that betrayal itself was going to be the catalyst that will lead to Jesus' crucifixion and hence the saving of man's soul. So this film paints a morally upstanding picture of Judas who has to become evil because of his predetermined role in the bigger universal law set by God. This actually makes Judas comparable to the character of Mr. Glass in 'Unbreakable' in the way that the both eventually sacrifice their free will to uphold their predetermined fates even if that means becoming a symbol of evil. Judas is a hero in the film in the bigger picture and an essential cog in the wheel for the saving of man's soul.From a technical standpoint, I don't think this is a perfect film. I think there are a few moments and scenes that are executed a bit too clumsily due to Scorsese's overindulgence with the jump cut to a rapid tracking shot. He perfected this technique later on with 'Goodfellas', but here those moments seem a little unpolished. Having said that I think the crucifixion is brilliantly handled both visually and tonally. The acting is brilliant from everyone concerned. Barbara Hershey and Harvey Keitel bring gravitas to the roles of Mary Magdalene respectively. Willem Dafoe as Jesus brilliantly embodies the kind of Jesus that this particular interpretation wants him to be. Instead of the all-knowing, charming, overly kind godly Jesus that we get in many other interpretations, here Dafoe gives off a sense of uncertainty, a sense of fragility, a sense of humanity that works perfectly for the film.In a nutshell, I think the purpose of 'The Last Temptation of Christ', the film and the book blasphemous as it could be, is to ground the mystique of Christ and show him as a flawed human being with similar fears, concerns and vulnerabilities like us. But at the same time in showing him eventually overcoming these doubts and weaknesses, the film ends up being a unique portrayal of Jesus which is both accessible as well as inspirational even to a non-Christian, non-religious film- buff like me. Technically it is a bit clumsy at times because of some of the visual choices, but Scorsese and Schrader's treatment of the themes, the overall message and the brilliant performances make it easy for me to recommend 'The Last Temptation of Christ' wholeheartedly.