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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 25 wall posts.
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Qiydaar Foster

28Jan12

An interesting experiment to me...Harvey Keitel took the express train straight from Brooklyn to Jerusalem, Defoe was in a different film than everyone else BUT...there are some real moments of beauty...such as when Lazarus is raised from the dead...when Jesus is being tempted in the desert whilst sitting in his circle of salt or when jesus' final temptation allows him to get off the cross and live a normal life.

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willythesalesman

22Jan12

It's ironic that people who blame this movie for being sacrilegious had never seen the movie or even thought about the identity of jesus as deeply as this film did. you can see how the budget cuts by the media sensation had effected the film in ways of it's set pieces and scale all of it just simply adds on to the movie effectiveness.

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G. W. Elmer

30Dec11

Willem Dafoe as Jesus, some of the best casting ever.

Kid Sisyphus likes this

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Shelley

28Dec11

I'm not religious but this movie was really good. Willem Dafoe does an amazing performance here and just shines as the character of Jesus. this film is really beautiful (setting and music alike) and will really take you down different paths. it will make you think.

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Fans

Displaying 5 of 1379 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

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Reviews

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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 11, 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

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Fun piece of trivia....

2 posts by 2 people almost 2 years ago

The Last Temptation of Christ

42 posts by 19 people about 2 years ago

DVD

Buy the DVD from The Criterion Collection.