The Last Temptation ot Christ

Review: It is very rare that a film comes along and has the power to change the way someone thinks. Martin Scorsese's epic masterpiece The Last Temptation of Christ does just that. What happened if Jesus Christ was given a choice in whether or not he was crucified and died "for our sins?" What if Jesus wasn't as perfect as the myths make him out to be, and was instead a human being, who was almost cursed with the idea that he was the son of God? The main reason that the fundamentalists right wingers have come out so strongly against The Last Temptation of Christs is that the film depicts the dual nature of Christ as fully devine and fully human. The religious fanatics actually offered to buy the negative from Universal Studios so that they could burn it. This occurred before the movie had even opened! This kind of ignorant hysteria is quite frightening and it is shocking that it still occurs in our modern age. As one critic nailed it, "ironically, The Last Temptation of Christ probably would have drawn more people to Christianity than years of annoying pamphlets and systematic brainwashing." William Dafoe's (Platoon, Born on the Fourth of July) depiction of Jesus is absolutely incredible. Peter Gabriels musical score is perhaps my favorite movie score ever. It combines music from the Middle East with various synthesizers and drum beats to create an awesome sound. Scorsese's (Raging Bull, Taxi Driver) direction is very bizarre and creates a film that is extremely surreal. How many directors have the balls to make a major Hollywood picture that is controversial and unlike anything you have seen before (O. Stone (JFK), Spike Lee (Malcolm X), and Kubric's (Clockwork Organge) are a few other directors that come to mind)? This is the most intelligent film about Jesus to ever be created. The top three criteria I used when I sat down to assemble my top 100 movie list was that the film a)had the power to influence the way I view life, 2)was original, and 3)was entertaining. The Last Temptation of Christ met all three criteria and is one of the greatest films of all-time. -Review by Aaron Caldwell