Film, Faith, and Cultural Conflict : The Case of Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ

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Summary: Religious liberalism is not equal to secularism
Review: This book employs a complex rhetoric of scapegoating to describe the interaction between religious progressives and religious conservatives during the controversy over the film _The Last Temptation of Christ._ I initially skimmed it over with interest and some sympathy. It makes a fairly decent case that even if Scorsese saw the film as a vehicle for a positive expression of his religious beliefs and not an attack on the religious right, both he and Nikos Kazantzakis (the author of the original book) intended to tell the story of Jesus in a way that more or less ignored orthodox theology. I have to agree with Riley that there is an implicit attack on the religious establishment there.

As I read the book in more depth, however, I was less impressed -- the argument becomes overblown in the details, as when Riley asserts that "[t]he film's victimization of traditional Christianity is made apparent when nonconforming images and ideas about Jesus are placed in viewers' minds, thus erasing or displacing conventional associations and references" (49). Exposing people to alternative religious ideas and interpretations "victimizes" them?! What an insult to believers' intelligence and the strength of their faith! Powerful as art can be, I hardly think a single viewing of a film should be able to "corrupt" (if challenging people's beliefs can be considered corruption) a solidly established faith. To argue that LToC victimizes conservatives is as absurd as arguing that _King of Kings_ or the other great epics victimize liberals, or that street evangelism from both the religious left and right victimizes the other. (Notably, Scorsese himself confesses to being a tremendous fan of Biblical epics; Riley acknowledges this but does not explore its implications.)

I'm grateful to Riley for the opportunity to think through these provocative arguments, as well as for the detailed information about the reception of the film presented in this book. S/he is certainly right to point out that in the controversy over LToC, liberals persecuted conservatives just as conservatives persecuted liberals; in some ways, the controversy over Mel Gibson's _The Passion_ is a replay of events surrounding LToC, only with liberals on the offensive.

Overall, however, the book's agenda is tipped too strongly in defense of the conservative reaction. The book morphs into a polemic, misrepresenting the religious point of view it opposes. Instead of acknowledging LToC's theology as a distinctive religious viewpoint, Riley insists that Scorsese's attempt to emphasize the humanity of Jesus is "secular," ignoring the fact that the debate over Jesus' humanity versus his divinity has been an issue since at least the 4th century. To believe in a primarily human Jesus is hardly a non-Christian position. Further, scenes that Scorsese, Kazantzakis, and appreciative viewers have read as deeply spiritual and reaching toward transcendent truth are castigated by Riley as being amoral or rejecting the idea of universal ethical principles. At times, this is done in ways that ignore inconvenient plot points or dialogue. Finally, Riley's suggestion that Scorsese and Universal Pictures represent an aggressive secularizing conspiracy, when perfectly sincere beliefs about freedom of speech and the essential humanity of Christ would result in the same behavior is, I think, bordering on paranoia.

In conclusion, though it's true that both religious liberals and secular people tended to like this film more than conservatives did, Riley's implication that therefore religious liberals are just closet secularizers is an underhanded attack of the same kind that s/he condemns in this book, cloaked as it is in seemingly academic rhetoric. I remain unimpressed.

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Summary: Finally an objective opinion on the Last Temptation
Review: This is one of the best books written on the intense and volatile controversey surrounding Scorceses's masterpiece the Last Temptation of Christ. It deserves to be studied and debated because as of the opposition currently to Mel Gibson's the Passion of the Christ film. This book is a direct reply I would say to Larry W. Poland extremely biased book The Last Temptation of Hollywood. The protest against this movie will shock you and it will make you think. Now we can all view this masterpiece in a stellar DVD produced by Criterion. Read this book to get the lowdown on the fantastic opposition from Christian zealots and see the movie for the greatest artistic expression ever produced on film.