About

Martin Scorsese’s religious epic The Last Temptation of Christ is a powerful examination of faith and doubt. In a bold departure from the Gospels, the film portrays Jesus (Willem Dafoe) as a figure with an unfathomable burden whose worldly connection to humanity causes him to succumb to temptations of doubt, fear and flesh.

Based on the novel by Nikos Kazantzakis, the film was incredibly controversial upon release, with religious groups objecting to its reworking of holy stories and scenes of Jesus enticed by all-too-mortal allures of the flesh. Scorsese and Paul Schrader (who wrote the screenplay adaptation of the book) were both raised in devoutly Christian households and hold thoughtful, complex understandings of the scriptures.

Having crafted fascinatingly flawed protagonists with their masterpiece Taxi Driver 1976, Scorsese and Schrader’s decision to depict Jesus on screen with a similarly unflinching eye was an audacious one. The high-profile cast — Dafoe as Jesus, Harvey Keitel as Judas Iscariot, David Bowie as Pontius Pilate, and Barbara Hershey as Mary Magdalene — deliver captivating performances in a grand, yet personal, production from two of American cinema’s most potent filmmaking forces.

M | Violence and sex scenes