MUBI brings you a great new film every day.  Start your 7-day free trial today!
Watch a new film every day for $4.99.
Try MUBI for FREE.
 

Synopsis

At last, Martin Scorsese’s most personal masterpiece can be seen outside of the controversy it engendered, and be seen for what it is: a fifteen-year labor of love. Nikos Kazantzakis’s landmark novel comes to breathtaking life in this moving and spiritual film. The all-star cast includes Harvey Keitel, Barbara Hershey, Harry Dean Stanton, David Bowie, and Willem Dafoe as Jesus. —The Criterion Collection

Director

Original

Martin Scorsese

Martin Scorsese was born in New York City and soon developed a passion for cinema and a particular admiration for neo-realist cinema which inspired him and influenced his view or portrayal of his Sicilian heritage. After graduating from NYU Film School in 1966 and making a number of shorts, he shot his first feature-length film Who’s That Knocking at My Door (1968) with fellow student, actor Harvey Keitel, and editor Thelma Schoonmaker both of whom were to become long-term collaborators. Mean Streets followed in 1973 and provided the benchmarks for the ‘Scorsese style’. After Scorsese directed Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, the trio was reunited for the dark journey of Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver. After New York, New York Scorsese released Raging Bull. The acclaimed biography of middleweight fighter Jake LaMotta was followed by exploration of fans as pariah in The King of Comedy, dark-comic dreams in After Hours and pool sharks in The Color of Money. Scorsese outraged some religious… read more

Wall

Displaying 4 of 43 wall posts.
Picture of DT

DT

22May13

A collaboration whose resume speaks for itself. As with its eschewing of gospel, the renewed anguish of Kazantzakis’ source seeps in, with the zeitgeist: from Gabriel’s thumping world beat, to Scorsese’s freneticism invigorating the corporeal, restless torment, as something so blasphemous as to humanise - and thus, flaw - Christ, despite such being critical (albeit dramatised) to his earthly struggle, as with the revivified conflicts and doubts of its supporting ensemble. A visceral, audacious treatment that redefines Passion.

Cbarky99 and Trevor Tillman like this

Picture of Joseph Ngo

Joseph Ngo

31Mar13

In lieu of Easter Sunday, I wanted to educate myself with a fictional account of the greatest mythology ever created. Not based on the gospels, but instead is a total radical revisionist view of Christ as extremely human, flawed, and hence that much more empathetic, tragic, and personable.

Picture of CarlosEsquives

CarlosEsquives

30Mar13

Interesante forma de invertir los títulos de dos de los personajes más citados de la historia bíblica. En "La última tentación de Cristo", Judas y Jesús tienen el mismo destino, solo que visto desde otro perfil. Ambos son dos seres sacrificados, muy humanizados y, por lo tanto, dóciles a la tentación. Al final, Judas resulta ser una especie de salvador, mientras que Jesús es el traidor. Se intercambian los títulos.

Picture of ClassicTD

ClassicTD

24Dec12

The final act is what makes this film good. The plight of Jesus' humanity was not explored effectively enough until that point.

Related Films

Fans

Displaying 5 of 1534 fans.

Articles

Our roundup of essays and articles on this film.
W184

Bowie @ 65

By David Hudson on January 8, 2012

Revisiting the icon’s impact on pop and, to a lesser degree, of course, cinema.

read article

Lists

Displaying 5 of 359 lists.

Reviews

Displaying 4 of 5

SCORSESE : VERDADERA PASIÓN

By VENIMOS LOS JODIMOS Y NOS FUIMOS on February 2, 2010

La ultima tentación de cristo significó un giro radical en la carrera de Martin Scorcese, despues de cintas mas afines por sus temas al gusto del publico norteamericano (y, por supuesto, de sus seguidores…  read review

Untitled

By Brett Duncan on November 20, 2009

As a Christian, I find the film very encouraging to my faith.  While I find some strong inconsistencies to scripture in the begining of the film, as a complete work it is compling.  Have said that…  read review

Untitled

By baddabo​om on May 26, 2009

“You think it’s a blessing to know what God wants?”

The only film about Jesus that ever made any sense to me. Peter Gabriel’s magnificent score. Satan as a white British teen girl. The silence…  read review

Untitled

By Christo​pher Smith on April 10, 2009

Martin Scorsese’s controversial passion project would probably have a far greater impact on a person of faith – whose beliefs could be challenged, questioned, or enforced by it – but it doesn’t really…  read review

Forum

Displaying 2 discussion topics.

Fun piece of trivia....

2 posts by 2 people over 3 years ago

The Last Temptation of Christ

42 posts by 19 people over 3 years ago

DVD

Buy the DVD from The Criterion Collection.