The Last Temptation of Christ
Dir: Martin Scorsese
1988
*****
Even though Martin Scorsese held the record for the most swear words in a film, brought the first likable psychopath to the cinema and has never held back regarding his unorthodox methods, troubled private life and drug taking, it is his 1988 film 'The Last Temptation of Christ' that remains his most controversial work. It's reputation proceeds it even now. On Oct 22nd, a group of Christian fundamentalists stormed a Parisian theatre with intent on killing everyone watching the film as punishment for the encouragement of blasphemy. This puzzles me somewhat. Not that there are unstable and violent idiots about but why they should be so offended in the first place. The Last Temptation of Christ does not stick to the Bible but it does go about humanising Jesus which I can only imagine as being a positive thing for Christians!? I'm atheist but whether you believe or not, the fact remains that the history of Jesus has not been proven, certainly not the way the Bible tells it anyway. Indeed, the Bible differs depending on the different view points of the disciples. I digress, Nikos Kazantzakis philosophy regarding Jesus and his feasible Temptations are intriguing and raise fascinating questions. The religious institutions don't typically like questions but if Jesus did exist and was a Man, then surely he would have suffered Temptations like the rest of us - indeed some of them are in fact written in the Bible. It's a 'what if' film, what exactly was going through the mind of Christ as he called out to God and asked 'Why have you forsaken me'. It's not offensive in any way, it's an idea, a theory and a thinking man's film. It's beautifully directed, well performed and has a brilliant score. A masterpiece, whether you believe or not and what ever your faith.