Jesus (Willem Dafoe), a humble Judean carpenter beginning to see that he is the son of God, is drawn into revolutionary action against the Roman occupiers by Judas (Harvey Keitel) -- despite his pr...
The Last Temptation of Christ is a multiplicity of movies. Starting as a psychological drama to a sword and sandal epic, The Last Temptation of Christ finishes as a surreal horror fairytale that projects over Hell itself. Boasting an incredible central performance from Willem Dafoe, Scorsese brings kinetic camerawork, purposeful direction and a personal touch to this biblical epic.
Now, why have I given the film 7/10? Surely it deserves a 9 or at least an 8? These are all valid points. However, I personally just didn't engage with it. At multiple points, I found the story cheesy and jarring, especially in places where Jesus was sort of... badass? "Who are you?" "Don't you know?" I acknowledge that making Jesus human was a stroke of genius and that he definitely changes towards deity statue as the film progresses, but I just found it jarring.
Perhaps it is because I'm not Christian? I can't believe in the film because I myself don't believe in Christianity? I think this would be a poor excuse. I'm not a boxer but I still cheer for Rocky and I believe in education yet Ferris Bueller makes me smile capriciously. Now that I think about it, perhaps I'm not viewing the film from a personal perspective. my view of Christianity has always been the third person. I am not Christian so I don't associate with the religion. Thus, all my knowledge of it is second hand. For me, Jesus is a constantly smiling, never phased, mellow guy who can do some pretty cool stuff. The idea of Jesus in anguish, in pain, is jarring to me because it interferes with the Jesus I am familiar with. Now, watching the film, it makes perfect sense. Scorsese is questioning my view of Jesus and God directly here, something I have never done. No human enjoys changing their view or perspective on something. We are inherently selfish, we enjoy reveling in our own belief. So, I think when I found this film so jarring, my natural stubbornness kicked in, instantly condemning the film as 'wrong'. The film is no way wrong. It is perfect for some but for, others, including me, it bristles against our skin. We can't deny it's truths but we fail to accept them too.
