Review “The Last Temptation of Christ"
This 1988 film by Martin Scorsese is based off of a book that carries the same title by author, Nikos Kazantzakis. It has been a target for controversy and protest since it first came to life, due to the content which was conceived. The plot of the book, as well as the film, concerns the life of Jesus Christ before his ministry and his ongoing battles of doubt, temptation, and belief that he was not the Messiah that was prophesied in early biblical scripture. Before the film even begins, it states- just like the novel- that none of the story is based off of the gospels, which have been the basis of what people believe to be the most accurate to the life that Jesus might have actually lived. If any of it is true, I don't think we will ever know, since most of the accounts were written after his death, and the debate of his existence has been speculated for years. The film, however, was made really well, and definitely makes you think about certain aspects not just in Jesus's life, but more so the life of man himself, and the temptations he deals with in daily life. Scorsese never disappoints when it comes to setting and dialogue, and I felt he portrayed the story and message of the film in a brilliant way. In this particular story, the character of Jesus is portrayed more as a mortal man who had various feelings and doubts of what his purpose really was. It has been stated many times, that he was created in the image of man. However, with a purpose being to free the human race from oppression, how could he have been able to relate, if he didn't share the same feelings such as anger, doubt, depression, fear and lust that mortal man is faced with on a daliy basis? The biggest part of the controversy was his temptation of lust, and visions of himself engaging in sexual activities with Mary Magdalene, which is actually brought on when he is tempted to leave the cross to be with Magdalene, get married, have children, and grow old like any mortal man. Now while some might depict this as blasphemous, I depict it as being logical in a sense, since man has been tempted to do wrong and stray from the right path for many years. Even for him, being tempted would have kept him from doing the right thing or fulfilling his purpose. To me, this was more or less showing the human side of Jesus, and the constant torment he could have endured to take the easier path and not full fill the mission he was sent to do. Everyone is entitled to their beliefs and what they think, but I think this story is less biblical and more or less shows that even the holiest of men can fall into temptation.
