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The Last Temptation of Christ - Criterion Collection

The Last Temptation of Christ - Criterion Collection

List Price: $39.95
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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Body and soul in fusion. Makes you wonder...Doesn't it?
Review: Can't explain how much I enjoyed this movie. It evoked many feelings in me but it is denfinitely not a movie for the highly religious individual. Jesus is portrayed as an everyday person struggling with finding, understanding and accepting his purpose in life. If you are open minded you will find it interesting but start it early. It's a long one!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: This is not your father's biblical flick!
Review: There's none of the C.B. DeMille collosseum and chariots spectacle of old here--it's got the starkness that truly characterizes the Holy Land. No thunderous Dmitri Tiomkin score--instead we get Peter Gabriel's dark mysterious score that's more in keeping with the events this film covers. Most people I spoke to who belived the film to be blasphemous never ever saw it--"you don't have to take poison...", yadda-yadda. But somehow they "knew" about Our Lord's "illicit liaison" with Mary Magdalene. What this movie is about is a Harry Turtledove-ish "what if" scenario. Many of the basic events during Jesus' ministry are told here, especially the "water into wine" miracle. But what if Satan, years after being told to get a life by the Savior in the "pinnacle of the Temple" attempt to subvert him, made another try at him, this time at a more vulnerable point in time? When you're dying on the cross, that's about as vulnerable as you can get. So Jesus is presented with a sales pitch about going back and reliving his life as an ordinary man--this time without the burdens of Messiahhood. This of course includes "home and hearth", with Mary Magdalene as an example of what a wife would be like. All available evidence points directly away from Jesus ever having an intimate relationship with her, but ever since "Jesus Christ Superstar", there's been speculation that SHE might have had an unrequited infatuation for HIM--rooted in gratitude. After all, Our Lord did pull her out of the gutter and make her life meaningful. Most people fall in love for a lot less meaningful reasons than that, hear what I'm saying? In a way, this film is consistent with many of the more modern biblical films--a veering away from the gaudiness of previous-generation biblical epics. I couldn't help but be amused at the "water into wine" scene, where Jesus contradicts one of the guys in charge at the wedding party; "That urn has wine in it"--"No it doesn't, it's water--I filled it myself". When they check it out and find that Jesus is right, there's a huge commotion, but it's cinema verite--it comes from the people onscreen--no blinding flashes of light or tympani or gongs in the soundtrack music. And all the time, Jesus is seated at the table with the disciples, talking with his mouth full. I mean hey: the kind of table manners that you and I are used to are a couple of millennia off, you know?

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Brilliant Interpretation...
Review: Once again, this is almost impossible to find anywhere, THANK YOU for having it! It is a wonderful interpretation of Bible events. True or not, it is just art, and should be seen for its originality and brilliance.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Passion
Review: It's the best religious movie I've ever seen and Peter Gabriel's soundtrack is the best soundtrack album I've ever heard.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Excellent Film
Review: I was very interested in watching this film to find what out all the controversy behind it, and my reaction was that there was not anything offensive about it. Born into the Catholic faith I really found this movie rather moving and simply beautiful. Defoe was superb in his role of Jesus displaying all that insecurity but at the same time showing all the love and compassion that really captivates the human spirit. Kietel in my opinion did a good job in his role as Judas, Jesus`loyal desciple(at least in the film). The soundtrack by Gabriel is simply breathtaking along with the backgrounds of biblical cities and landscapes. A true classic in its own right.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Brilliant
Review: This is a brilliant film that presents a unique and compelling perspective on Jesus Christ, and more broadly, human nature. The soundtrack is extraordinary. The only bad thing I can say is that this film absolutely should be on DVD -- the sound and cinematography deserve it very much.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: I really tried to keep an open mind.
Review: I understand what the director was tring to do, I am also glad that Willem Defoe considerd this the most inspiring movie he has ever acted in. That is why it got the 1 star. But ..... First the idea could have been handled better about the "what if he didn't die on the cross". Also the events in Jesus's life were all out of order, If you are going to tell the story of this man please atleast be accurate of when the events took place. Also he was treated as a tormented soul that needed more advice from his followers then what he knew about himself. Sorry the son of GOD had many years to figure it out before his ministry and his disciples were barely figuring out what he was all about let alone giving him any advice. A divine soul would have graduated past alot of these problems, even the enlightened Budda is treated better then that. The sound track is the best part of the movie. P.S. You are better off buying "Jesus of Nazarath".

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: don't resist the temptation to see this movie
Review: Scorcese and Gabriel team up to explore Satan's final attempts to persuade Jesus the man from becoming Christ the lord. Contrary to popular opinion the story stays with the gospels in spirit if not in text. The only thing missing from this movie is a DVD release.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Scorsese's Best
Review: If you don't like Scorsese's work, or don't appreciate it, you won't like this film. But if you do, you should really see this -- and own it -- as this is his best work.

After watching this film, I went back and looked at some of Scorsese's early films, like "Mean Streats," "Taxi Driver" and "Raging Bull." While these films showed how Scorsese was progressively learning to heighten the emotional impact of his films, in a sense none of them reach the heights of LTOC. In LTOC, Scorsese seems closer to the subject matter than he was even in his "New York" films like the one's I've mentioned above. LTOC also seems much more personal and less voyeuristic than those films. You never thought that Scorsese was protraying himself in any of the earlier films, but in LTOC definitely has the feel of an autobiography (not that I'm saying the Scorsese is consciously trying to identify himself with God -- its more like he's trying to identify God with him and us). In any event, much has been said about the story here which I do agree is strongly faith-affirming; the review that talked about how this film allows one to understand the depth of Jesus's sacrifice is right on and needs no amplification from me. But for people who like film, this movie stands as an impressive monument to what can be done with a low budget. Yes, Peter Gabriel's music is fantastic, but the dialog recording and sound design in this film are what really make the composite whole compelling. Check out the scenes where Jesus goes to the monastery, gets Baptized by John the Baptist or is confronted by Judas (in the beginning "You're a Jew killing Jews") if you want to understand the subtlety of Scorsese's art in this particular respect.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: highly spiritual and defiant.
Review: Estrictly defiant to watch and to be let in but does. Its a well craved, picture-shocking movie, but can't exactly cope with the beuty of the book. Still, it has admirable moments of great understanding of Kazantzaki's portrait of the duality of Christ. Impressive soundtrack and music by Peter Gabriel. Defoe its a hole new Jesus,Strickingly convinsing, and for those who saw the movie and did not read the book, he is the exact portrait of the Book's character and presence of Jesus. My only criticism is for Harvey Keitel's performance as a very Brooklyn Judas.


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