The Last Temptation Of Christ on DVD (1988)

THOUGHT PROVOKING

A customer from England , 23/09/2004

There are two ways of looking at this film. The first is to snap 'This is not from the gospels, some things are added and some deleted, this is blasphemy' and to go and watch The Passion Of The Christ instead. The second way which I have preferred is to look at it from an objective perspective. Because when this is done the viewer sees that the essence of the holy scriptures is all there. When people do not like the bible to be altered in anyway because they feel it is sacred i can have no objections, but this film merely looks upon Jesus from a human perspective. After all Jesus was born a human and must have had human emotions from time to time - this film simply portrays that but also shows the sacrifice Jesus was willing to make, the love he tried to spread, the price he had to pay - exactly how it is said in the bible. Some viewers may have been uncomfortable with the `love scene` he had with Mary Magdelene at the end of the film. The fact is that this was the devils last temptation, the `love scene` never truely occured and Jesus was NOT tempted. I would also like to say that although I gave Mel Gibsons movie a five-star rating - I believe that his film should be considered more blasphemous. In this film the focus is not just on blood, guts and horror but on Jesus's teachings and moral struggle, his early life. I felt that Mel Gibson's film overdid the violence (though it showed the pain Jesus went through it was over-the-top). Perhaps this controversial film is a more accurate betrayal of Jesus' last days, who knows? All in all I feel that people should look for the deeper meanings rather than concentrate on little details, Jesus died for peoples sins - not for people to argue about the quotes he made before hand or how much blood poured from his body when he was lashed.

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God forbid he might have been human.

Phil Ruston from Leeds, England , 15/12/2004

You get the impression that this film is going nowhere in the first 30 minutes or so but bare with it. Many other reviews question the validity of this approach to the story of Christ and whether it is blasphemy. It's a very interesting and refreshing view of the Story and why should we not question the human side of Jesus? The worst thing it says about him is that he was human and if you consider that insulting or blasphemous, then you obviously have little respect for yourself. The performances herein are superb and the script is even better. The icing on the cake is Peter Gabriel's fantastic soundtrack which makes this an awe inspiring experience. Truly excellent stuff.

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Intriguing

Isaac from London , 10/05/2005

Well I'm an athiest but I still have an interest in the life of Jesus, I think he certainly existed and regardless of what your theological beliefs are, he's certainly a figure of tremendous historical importance and that makes me interested in him. This story humanizes Jesus, it shows him having doubts about his destiny but ultimately it's about his last temptation: The temptation to spurn his messianic role and take on the life of a normal man. It's a very interesting portrayal, it isn't blasphemic I think it's a very good concept and interesting take on the idea of jesus, that he was a man who had doubts and desires, but that he ultimately overcame them and was himself forgiven, which is the whole idea behind christianity isn't it? What better story for christians than to see the icon of the religion go through the same thing as the rest of us are supposed to? It's better than the plain old 'jesus was perfection and he died for us because we were rubbish' nonsense. It's a much more accessible idea and is very interesting to see. I've always wondered about the 'why have you forsaken me?' followed by the 'it is accomplished' lines in the biblical crucifixtion story and this story is a well thought out and interesting idea behind them. Well made by Scorcese and Dafoe is excellent as Jesus. If you're interested in this kind of thing it's well worth a look.

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Excellent adaptation

A customer from Somerset, England , 06/08/2007

The book of Kazantzakis is great though it has been controversial in Greece and elsewhere. The film and the book are hardly disturbing. In fact it sheds light to the personality and the human side of Jesus Christ. I found the fim really enganging, it makes you think and explore your spiritual beliefs.

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Excellent adaptation

A customer from Somerset, England , 06/08/2007

The book of Kazantzakis is great though it has been controversial in Greece and elsewhere. The film and the book are hardly disturbing. In fact it sheds light to the personality and the human side of Jesus Christ. I found the fim really enganging, it makes you think and explore your spiritual beliefs.

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Scorsese's 'Life of Brian'

shoddy from Jersey , 27/02/2007

Anyone looking for historical accuracy had better look elsewhere. Although there are nice touches (a refreshing array of non-white faces, for example), the American accents grate, the film's lavish production now comes across like a bad Duran Duran video (lepers crawling out of holes in the ground - so 'Wild Boys') and the film as a whole comes across as overlong and overblown.

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