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The Last Temptation of Christ - Criterion Collection

The Last Temptation of Christ - Criterion Collection

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: This movie entered my soul...and stayed.
Review: The deeply spiritual feelings that this movie makes me harbor have changed the way I see the world forever. I can almost feel the pains that Jesus must have went through on the cross physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Even though this account of Jesus' life is fictional, the viewer can see and feel the true sacrifice that Jesus made by giving His life on the cross and the struggle it took to get there. Although this movie is condemned by many,(most of whom didn't even see it), my personal relationship with God was strengthened by it, and I'm sure I'm not alone. Willem DaFoe was strong,sensitive,and yet vulnerable as the Son of God, and Harvey Keitel was masterful in his portrayal of a very believable Judas who helped Jesus in ways many never realized possible. The soundtrack by Peter Gabriel is haunting and moving, and is just one more reason that makes this Scorsese film a true work of art. I love to watch this movie around Christmas and Easter especially because it always brings me closer to God through Christ. All I have to do is think about this movie and it makes my heart feel warm, and all the cares of the world are made that much lighter. The role of satan in this movie really hits home with how tricky he can be, and I think it gives me just another weapon in my own struggle between good and evil.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: This movie changed my life and strengthened my faith.
Review: I was channel surfing and stumbled onto a showing of "The Last Temptation of Christ" on Bravo (back before they started showing commercials). What first struck me is that Jesus was depicted as having doubts...and to me, that made him so human, it made his eventual sacrifice even greater. He was no longer this perfect being, he was human. The film slowly builds to the climax of the cruxifixion...then the real payoff begins. What we see, yet again, is another exploration of what it means to be all-too-human and to develop the strength to be godlike. Wrenching, uplifting, inspiring. The production values are not slick, but the lighting is inspired and the music is otherworldly (Peter Gabriel). I'm sorry to be so emotional and not as detached as a reviewer should be...this is one of my turning points as a film watcher and as a human.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Okay. Problematic.
Review: Lots of interest in this movie. Unfortunately, Willem Dafoe is not up to the task of carrying an entire movie. He has a disturbing lack of presence, most apparent when he is onscreen with David Bowie as Pontius Pilate. I shouldn't leave a movie about Jesus thinking that Pontius Pilate was the most interesting character. There is a lot of unintentional comedy, usually thanks to the New York accents of significant cast members. You didn't know that Judas Iscariot came from Brooklyn, did you?

Ultimately, though, it is worth a look, if only to see what was making so many people so angry. The answer is: not much. Anyone who looks at this movie with any degree of seriousness will see that it is not blasphemous, not really. It is often tasteless, and even rather embarassing, but the sincerity of the filmmakers' desire to depict the struggle of the spirit and the flesh as experienced by Jesus Christ shines through.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Beautiful film
Review: This film, to me, is simply beautiful - the story is engaging enough, but the direction, soundtrack, cinematography and choreography caused me to stare in awe - fixed to the screen throughout the film. Years later, images from this film still come to mind.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A very intelligent and moving portrayal of Jesus as a man.
Review: Along with outstanding casting (Willem DaFoe as Jesus Christ, Barbara Hershey as Mary Magdalene, Harvey Keitel as Judas and David Bowie as Pontius Pilate), a brilliant soundtrack (composed by Peter Gabriel), and beautiful cinematography, this film tells the story of the Jesus' life as a man on earth, from his humble beginnings as a carpenter, through the crucifixion and his "last temptation". Though I was too young to see the film in the theatre, or to understand the controversy behind the release of the film, I believe now that the reason many people had a problem with the movie was because they did not watch the film through to the very end, when the temptation is revealed and explained. I won't give away the meaning of the final scenes, but I will tell you that one of the most moving scenes you will ever see in a film, whether you follow an organized religion or not, is the very final one, accompanied by Peter Gabriel's "It Is Accomplished". Give the film a chance, and watch it through to the end with an open mind.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: a thought-provoking movie that all "christians" should watch
Review: conservative christians protested when this movie came out, just like the book by Nikos Kazantakis on which it was based, but it actually presents a very believable and righteous version of Christ. I think a lot of people could conect with a Christ full of self-doubt much more easily than an omniscent being that knew everything before it happened. I wish I could have seen it on the big screen but I was too young. The video is still powerful - hook up your tv to your stereo to get the full effects of Peter Gabriel's amazing soundtrack - aptly titled: Passion

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Thought provoking - Christ depicts temptation as we do
Review: If your'e somewhere between an atheist and a hypocritical believer . . . BUY IT. This movie will provoke hope, question and belief in the after life leaving one with. . . a little more faith.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Disappointing
Review: There's a fascinating story to be told about the internal struggle between Jesus's humanity and his divinity, but this movie botches it, mainly by interrupting its most powerful moment with a 20 minute tangent that, for all intents and purposes, negates that struggle (Jesus essentially gets to have his cake and eat it, too.) The last temptation is a good idea, but it could have been integrated into the film much more effectively. As it is, it is contrived, convoluted, and worst of all, anticlimactic. That said, there are genuinely strong segments and intriguing concepts here. But for a much more fulfilling experience, I suggest just listening to Peter Gabriel's brilliant soundtrack in a dark room with a lot of volume.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A fascinatng presentation of a well known tale
Review: This film looks at a story we all know very well, or at least thought we did.

The story follows Jesus from a humble carpenter, providing policing equipment to the local authorities, to his salvation at his crucifiction.

At every stage Jesus is uncertain about his faith, and his role in the great scheme of things. He takes his guidance from his elders and betters, and from halucinations he encounters whilst fasting in the hot dry desert. How he determined which were the word of God, and which were the temptations of the Devil, I could not say.

Dramatic photography, emotive story content and an excellent soundtrack put together by Peter Gabriel (Passion). A good introduction to Martin Scorsese. A wonderful discussion point. A must see for Christian and Heathen, Jew and Gentile. END

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Last temptation to look at this movie...
Review: Do not expect a movie of Jesus with a storyline based on the christian occidental and oriental fundamentalistic treatments, or on the the so-called "according to the gospels" Zefirelli's film, or even more, something like the recent "approved by the Holly Curch" version of Father Gibson. Instead, should you expect more than that, a "free of tighs", a truly artistic and conceptual work. The Nikos Kazantzakis' book is well adapted by director Martin Scorsese and screenwriter Paul Schrader, and tremendously rounded with a musical part which became a master piece from Peter Gabriel, who earned an Oscar for it. Locations, story and music, blended to the bones, become lirical and undisoluble. Most of the actors are 5 stars, but they didn't hesitate to participate on the film, even knowing that their actoral career could be at risk.
Then, is the story controversial? It is supposed to be, as it is based on a personal concept of a human Jesus trying to reach dinivity, not by definition, but by means of a truly spiritual transformation from the foundings, that can only be reached by the resign to all flesh temptations, even resign to salvation of his body when at the cross. Could have Jesus dare to resign to the divinity that reached by means of the crucifiction in the name of the human kind as the Son of God, and would have choose to embrace mortality because of his human weakness if any? This film is about such hypothesis.
The film was literally "crucified" on the "arenas" where it was exhibited at the end of the 80'. Its exhibitions caused violent acts in USA and France, the champions of liberty. In other countries, sadly as it was expected, exhibition was totally prohibited or potential viewers were thread with religious punishments. Even at the Cannes Festival, the film and Scorsese himself suffered discrimination and untolerance.
Controversy and free thinking shouldn't mean that. But didn't all that has happened before? Michelle de Servet, who had a honest philantropic concept of religion, an anti-ministry conception of both of the Churchs in the middle age, the catholic and the protestant, claiming them to get back to the man kind spiritual needs, and dare to interpret the gospels accordingly, just got himself to be prosecuted and finally killed.
Overule the temptation and watch over the film and find yourself how you qualified it: a blasphemous "never-thing-again-on-it" movie, or a honest and artistic personal respectable film.


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