The Last Temptation of Christ
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Martin Scorsese
Produced by	Barbara De Fina
Written by	Nikos Kazantzakis Paul Schrader
Starring	Willem Dafoe Harvey Keitel
Music by	Peter Gabriel
Cinematography	Michael Ballhaus
Editing by	Thelma Schoonmaker
Distributed by	Universal Pictures
Release date(s)	August 12, 1988
Running time	164 min.
Country
Language	English
Budget	$7 million
Gross revenue	$8,373,585
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

The Last Temptation of Christ is a 1988 film directed by Martin Scorsese. It is a film adaptation of the controversial 1951 novel of the same name by Nikos Kazantzakis. It stars Willem Dafoe as Jesus Christ, Harvey Keitel as Judas Iscariot, Barbara Hershey as Mary Magdalene, David Bowie as Pontius Pilate, and Harry Dean Stanton as Paul. The film was shot entirely in Morocco. Universal Pictures released the film. Image File history File links Last_tentation. ... Martin Marcantonio Luciano Scorsese (IPA: AmE: ; Ita: []) (b. ... Barbara De Fina is an American film producer. ... Nikos Kazantzakis (Greek: Νίκος Καζαντζάκης) (February 18, 1883, Heraklion, Crete, Greece - October 26, 1957, Freiburg, Germany), author of poems, novels, essays, plays, and travel books, was arguably the most important and most translated Greek writer and philosopher of the 20th century. ... Paul Joseph Schrader (born July 22, 1946 in Grand Rapids, Michigan) is an American screenwriter and film director. ... William Dafoe, Jr. ... Harvey Keitel (born May 13, 1939) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor from New York City. ... Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950, in Cobham,[1] Surrey, England) is an English musician. ... Michael Ballhaus (born 5 August 1935, Eichelsdorf, Lower Franconia, Bavaria, Germany) is a German cinematographer and director of photography. ... Thelma Schoonmaker (born January 3, 1940) is an American Academy Award-winning film editor who has worked with director Martin Scorsese for over thirty-five years. ... Universal Pictures is the main motion picture production/distribution arm of Universal Studios, a subsidiary of NBC Universal. ... is the 224th day of the year (225th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... // Michael Jacksons first film was Moonwalker Rain Man, starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise Who Framed Roger Rabbit, starring Bob Hoskins Coming to America, starring Eddie Murphy Big, starring Tom Hanks Twins, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito Crocodile Dundee II Die Hard, starring Bruce Willis The Naked Gun... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... // Michael Jacksons first film was Moonwalker Rain Man, starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise Who Framed Roger Rabbit, starring Bob Hoskins Coming to America, starring Eddie Murphy Big, starring Tom Hanks Twins, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito Crocodile Dundee II Die Hard, starring Bruce Willis The Naked Gun... Martin Marcantonio Luciano Scorsese (IPA: AmE: ; Ita: []) (b. ... Film adaptation is the transfer of a written work to a feature film. ... See also: 1950 in literature, other events of 1951, 1952 in literature, list of years in literature. ... The Last Temptation of Christ, (in Greek O Teleutaios Peirasmos, Ο Τελευταίος Πειρασμός) also published as The Last Temptation, is a novel written by Nikos Kazantzakis, first published in 1951. ... Nikos Kazantzakis (Greek: Νίκος Καζαντζάκης) (February 18, 1883, Heraklion, Crete, Greece - October 26, 1957, Freiburg, Germany), author of poems, novels, essays, plays, and travel books, was arguably the most important and most translated Greek writer and philosopher of the 20th century. ... William Dafoe, Jr. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Harvey Keitel (born May 13, 1939) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor from New York City. ... Iscariot redirects here. ... Barbara Hershey is an American actress, known for her many film roles. ... This article is about the disciple of Jesus. ... David Bowie (pronounced ) (born David Robert Jones on 8 January 1947) is an English musician, actor, producer, arranger, and audio engineer. ... Pilate redirects here. ... Harry Dean Stanton (born July 14, 1926 in West Irvine, Kentucky, USA) is an American actor. ... Paul of Tarsus (b. ... Universal Pictures is the main motion picture production/distribution arm of Universal Studios, a subsidiary of NBC Universal. ...

Like the novel, the film depicts the life of Jesus Christ, and its central thesis is that Jesus, while free from sin, was still subject to every form of temptation that humans face, including fear, doubt, depression, reluctance and lust. This results in the book and film depicting Christ being tempted by imagining himself engaged in sexual activities, a notion that has caused outrage from some Christians. The movie includes a disclaimer explaining that it departs from the commonly-accepted Biblical portrayal of Jesus' life, and that it is not intended to be an exact recreation of the events detailed in the Gospels. This article is about the thesis in academia. ... For other uses, see Sin (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Temptation (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Christian (disambiguation). ... The Bible (From Greek βιβλια—biblia, meaning books, which in turn is derived from βυβλος—byblos meaning papyrus, from the ancient Phoenician city of Byblos which exported papyrus) is the sacred scripture of Christianity. ... For the genre of Christian-themed music, see gospel music. ...

The film received its only Academy Award nomination for Martin Scorsese as Best Director. Although he never won an Oscar for any of his movie performances, the comedian Bob Hope received two honorary Oscars for his contributions to cinema. ... The Academy Award for Directing is one of the awards given to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; the awards are voted on by other people within the industry. ...

Plot

Jesus of Nazareth is a carpenter in the Roman-occupied Judea. He is torn between himself as a man and his knowledge that God has a plan for him. His conflict results in self loathing, and he collaborates to construct crosses Romans used to crucify Jewish revolutionaries, an act that brands him a traitor in the eyes of his fellow Israelites. This article is about Jesus of Nazareth. ... For other uses, see Roman Empire (disambiguation). ... Map of the southern Levant, c. ... Religious depictions of the crucifixion of Jesus typically show him supported by nails through the palms. ... The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination of these attributes. ...

Judas Iscariot belongs to a nationalistic splinter faction which wishes to revolt against Roman rule (see Sicarii or Zealotry). He is sent with orders to kill Jesus for being a collaborator. Judas suspects Jesus is the Messiah, and asks Jesus to lead a revolution against the Romans. Jesus tries to tell Judas that his message is love, that love of mankind is the highest virtue that God wants. Judas joins Jesus in his ministry, but Judas tells Jesus that he will kill him if he strays from revolution. Iscariot redirects here. ... Sicarii (Latin plural of Sicarius dagger- or later contract- killer) is a term applied, in the decades immediately preceding the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE, to the Jewish Zealots, (or insurgents) who attempted to expel the Romans and their partisans from Judea: —Josephus, Jewish Antiquities (xx. ... Zealot redirects here. ...

Jesus also has an undisclosed history with Mary Magdalene, a Jewish prostitute. Mary asks Jesus to stay with her, which Jesus seriously considers before leaving for a monastic community. Jesus later saves Mary from an angry mob which has come to stone her for her prostitution and working on the sabbath. Jesus persuades the crowd to spare her life—instructing "he who is without sin [to] cast the first stone"—and instead preaches to them using many of the parables from the Sermon on the Mount. This article is about the disciple of Jesus. ... Prostitution is the sale of sexual services (typically manual stimulation, oral sex, sexual intercourse, or anal sex) for cash or other kind of return, generally indiscriminately with many persons. ... Monasticism (from Greek: monachos—a solitary person) is the religious practice of renouncing all worldly pursuits in order to fully devote ones life to spiritual work. ... Stoning, or lapidation, refers to a form of capital punishment execution method carried out by an organized group throwing stones or rocks at the person they mean to execute. ... For other uses, see Sabbath. ... A parable is a story that is told to illustrate a religious, moral or philosophical idea. ... The Sermon on the Mount by Carl Heinrich Bloch. ...

Jesus develops a following of disciples, but throughout this time he is still uncertain of his role and his status as Messiah. He travels with his disciples to see John the Baptist, who has heard of Jesus' reputation. John baptizes Jesus, and that night the two discuss their differing theologies. John believes that one must first gain freedom from the Romans before the world of God is declared, while Jesus believes that love is more important. Jesus then goes off into the desert to see if God really speaks to him. In Christianity, the disciples were the students of Jesus during his ministry. ... For the hip-hop producer with the same name, see John the Baptist (producer). ... This article is about the Christian religious act of Baptism. ...

While in the desert Jesus is tempted three times by Satan. Jesus resists all these temptations and instead has a vision of himself with an ax chopping down an apple tree. He appears as a vision to his waiting disciples where he rips out his heart and tells them to follow him. With new found courage as the Messiah he proceeds to perform many signs and wonders: giving vision to a blind man, turning water into wine, and raising Lazarus from the dead. This article is about the concept of Satan. ... Resurrection of Lazarus by Juan de Flandes, around 1500 For other uses, see Lazarus (disambiguation). ...

Eventually his ministry reaches Jerusalem where he is enraged by the money changers in the temple and throws them out. The angry Jesus even leads a small army to try and take the temple by force. But instead he halts on the steps and begins bleeding from the hands. He realizes that violence is not the right path, and that he must die in order to bring salvation to mankind. Confiding in Judas he asks his best friend and strongest apostle to turn him in to the palace guards, something that Judas does not want to do. But Jesus implores that this is the only way. A crying Judas acquiesces. For other uses, see Jerusalem (disambiguation). ... The narrative of Jesus and the Money Changers occurs in both the Synoptic Gospels and in the Gospel of John, although it occurs close to the end of the Synoptic Gospels (at Mark 11:15-19, 11:27-33, Matthew 21:12-17, 21:23-27 and Luke 19:45...

Jesus joins his disciples for the Passover seder—the Last Supper. After the meal, while in the garden of Gethsemane, Judas leads the palace guards to take Jesus away. Pontius Pilate tells Jesus that he must be put to death because he represents a threat against the status quo, the Roman Empire. Jesus is flogged and a crown of thorns is placed on his head. He is lead to Golgotha, where he is crucified. This article is about the Jewish holiday. ... Table set for the Passover Seder The Passover Seder (Hebrew: סֵדֶר, , order, arrangement) is a Jewish ritual feast held on any of the eight nights of the Jewish holiday of Passover (which begins on the 15th day of Hebrew month of Nisan). ... For other uses, see The Last Supper (disambiguation). ... The Garden of Gethsemane. ... Pilate redirects here. ... For other uses, see Roman Empire (disambiguation). ... Whipping on a post Flagellation is the act of whipping (Latin flagellum, whip) the human body. ... Calvary (Golgotha) was the hill outside Jerusalem on which Jesus was crucified. ... A diagram of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre based on a german documentary, claimed to be the site of Calvary and the Tomb of Jesus. ...

While on the cross, Jesus sees and talks to a young girl who appears to be an angel. She tells him that he is not the son of God, not the Messiah, but that God loves him, is pleased with him, and wants him to be happy. She brings him down off the cross and leads him away. This article is about the supernatural being. ... In Judaism, the Messiah (Hebrew: , Standard  Tiberian ; Aramaic: , ; Arabic: , ; the Anointed One) at first meant any person who was anointed with oil on rising to a certain position among the ancient Israelites, at first that of High priest, later that of King and also that of a prophet. ...

She takes him to be with Mary, and the newly married couple make love. The couple has a child and lives an idyllic life in what looks to be a Northern European forest. Mary unexpectedly dies, and the sobbing Jesus is told by his angel that all women are "Mary," and thus he is betrothed to Mary and Martha, sisters of Lazarus. He starts a family with them and lives his life in peace. When he encounters the apostle Paul preaching about the Messiah—that is, about Jesus he tries to tell Paul that he is the man that Paul has been preaching about. Mary anoints Jesus feet in Bethany in this modern Greek icon. ... For other uses, see Martha (disambiguation). ... St. ...

Near the end of his life, Jesus' former disciples visit him on his deathbed. Judas comes last and calls Jesus a traitor. It is revealed that the angel is in fact Satan, who has been tempting him into this life of comfort as a mortal man. Jesus realizes that he must die to bring salvation to mankind. Crawling back through the burning city of Jerusalem, he reaches the site of his crucifixion and begs God to let him fulfill his purpose and to "let [him] be [God's] son."

Jesus is instantly back on the cross. He cries out as he dies, "It is accomplished! It is accomplished."

The Final Shot

At the very end of the film, before the closing credits, the screen fades into solid white at the point where Jesus dies on the cross. According to director Martin Scorsese, this was unintentional. The camera used in the shooting was damaged and leaked light onto the film. The fade to white wasn't discovered until after the film was processed. [1]

Cast

• Willem Dafoe as Jesus
• Harvey Keitel as Judas Iscariot
• Steve Shill as Centurion
• Verna Bloom as Mary, mother of Jesus
• Barbara Hershey as Mary Magdalene
• Roberts Blossom as Aged Master
• Barry Miller as Jerobeam
• Gary Basaraba as Saint Andrew
• Irvin Kershner as Zebedee
• Victor Argo as Saint Peter
• Paul Herman as Philip the Apostle
• John Lurie as James, son of Zebedee
• Leo Burmester as Bartholomew the Apostle
• Andre Gregory as John the Baptist
• Alan Rosenberg as Thomas the Apostle
• Nehemiah Persoff as Rabbi
• Harry Dean Stanton as Paul of Tarsus
• Peter Berling as Beggar
• David Bowie as Pontius Pilate
• Leo Marks as Voice of Satan

William Dafoe, Jr. ... This article is about Jesus of Nazareth. ... Harvey Keitel (born May 13, 1939) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor from New York City. ... Iscariot redirects here. ... Steven Shill is an American actor and television director who is probably best known for his work on several programs produced by HBO which include The Wire, Rome, Carnivàle and Deadwood. ... Centurion redirects here. ... Verna Bloom (born August 7, 1939), is an American actress. ... Virgin Mary redirects here. ... Barbara Hershey is an American actress, known for her many film roles. ... This article is about the disciple of Jesus. ... Roberts Blossom (born January 1, 1924 in New Haven, Connecticut) is an American character actor and poet. ... Barry Miller (born 6 February 1958 in Los Angeles, California) is an American actor. ... Gary Basaraba as Officer Ray Hechler in Boomtown. ... Saint Andrew (Greek: Ανδρέας, Andreas), called in the Orthodox tradition Protocletos, or the First-called, is a Christian Apostle and the elder brother of Saint Peter. ... Irvin Kershner (born April 29, 1923) is an American film director born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ... Zebedee (zibhdi, the gift of God; Zebedaios) is a name used in several contexts: In the Bible, Zebedee was a Hebrew fisherman, the husband of Salome, and the father of James and John, two of the Apostles of Jesus Zebedee was a character in the popular BBC childrens programme... Victor Argo (November 5, 1934-April 7, 2004) born as Victor Jimenez, in New York City was an actor who usually played the part of the tough bad guy in the movies. ... St Peter redirects here. ... Paul Herman (born March 29, 1946) is an American actor. ... For other uses, see Saint Philip. ... John Lurie (December 14, 1952) is an actor, musician, painter and producer born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. In 1978 he formed The Lounge Lizards, initially a New-York-car-crash jazz combo with his brother Evan Lurie. ... Saint James, son of Zebedee (d. ... Leo Burmester (born February 1, 1944 in Louisville, Kentucky) is an actor who who oft plays cops and rural types on TV and in films, but on stage has performed as Osric in Hamlet (Kevin Kline in title role) for the New York Shakespeare Festival, as well as in such... “Bartholomew” redirects here. ... Andre Gregory (born May 11, 1934, New York City) is a Jewish-American director and actor. ... For the hip-hop producer with the same name, see John the Baptist (producer). ... Alan Rosenberg (born October 4, 1950) is an American actor of both stage and screen. ... Subscript text == Headline text ==dfgdfgdsfgfdgdf Insert non-formatted text here Saint Thomas the Apostle, Judas Thomas or Didymus, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. ... Nehemiah Persoff (born 1919, Jerusalem) is an actor. ... For the town in Italy, see Rabbi, Italy. ... Harry Dean Stanton (born July 14, 1926 in West Irvine, Kentucky, USA) is an American actor. ... Paul of Tarsus (b. ... Peter Berling (March 20, 1934 in Meseritz-Obrawalde) is a German actor and writer. ... David Bowie (pronounced ) (born David Robert Jones on 8 January 1947) is an English musician, actor, producer, arranger, and audio engineer. ... Pilate redirects here. ... Leo Marks at the opening of the Violette Szabo Museum, Wormelow Leopold Samuel Marks (September 24, 1920 - January 15, 2001) was an English cryptographer and scriptwriter. ... This article is about the concept of Satan. ...

Background

Martin Scorsese had wanted to make a film version of Jesus' life since childhood. Scorsese optioned the novel The Last Temptation in late 1970s, and he gave it to Paul Schrader to adapt. The Last Temptation was originally to be Scorsese's follow-up to The King of Comedy; production was slated to begin in 1983 for Paramount. The original cast included Aidan Quinn as Jesus, Sting as Pontius Pilate, and Barbara Hershey as Mary Magdalene. Management at Paramount and its parent company, Gulf + Western became uneasy due to the ballooning budget for the picture and protest letters received from religious groups. The project went into turnaround and was finally canceled in December 1983. Scorsese went on to make After Hours instead. The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ... Paul Joseph Schrader (born July 22, 1946 in Grand Rapids, Michigan) is an American screenwriter and film director. ... The King of Comedy is a feature film made in 1981. ... For the Jimi Hendrix song, see 1983. ... Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American motion picture production and distribution company, based in Hollywood, California. ... Aidan Quinn (born March 8, 1959 Rockford, Illinois, USA) is an Irish-American actor. ... This article is about the musician. ... Pilate redirects here. ... Barbara Hershey is an American actress, known for her many film roles. ... This article is about the disciple of Jesus. ... Gulf and Western Industries, Inc. ... In film production, turnaround is the process where the rights to a project one studio has developed are sold to another studio in exchange for the cost of development. ... After Hours is an American comedy thriller film released in 1985, directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Joseph Minion. ...

In 1986, Universal Pictures became interested in the project. Scorsese offered to shoot the film in 58 days for $7 million, and Universal greenlighted the production. Critic and screenwriter Jay Cocks worked with Scorsese revising Schrader's script. Aidan Quinn passed on the role of Jesus, and Scorsese recast Willem Dafoe in the part. Sting also passed on the role of Pontius, with the role being recast with David Bowie. Principal photography began in October 1987. The location shoot in Morocco (a first for Scorsese) was difficult, and the difficulties were compounded by the hurried schedule. "We worked in a state of emergency," Scorsese recalled. Scenes had to be improvised and worked out on the set with little deliberation, leading Scorsese to develop a minimalist aesthetic for the film. Shooting wrapped by Christmas. Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... This article is about the American media conglomerate. ... To greenlight a project, in the context of the movie business, is to formally approve production finance, thereby allowing the project to move forward from the development phase to pre-production and, barring disasters, principal photography. ... Jay Cocks is a film critic and screenwriter. ... William Dafoe, Jr. ... David Bowie (pronounced ) (born David Robert Jones on 8 January 1947) is an English musician, actor, producer, arranger, and audio engineer. ... Principal Photography refers to the phase of film production during which the movie is actually shot, as distinct from pre-production and post-production. ... This article is about the year 1987. ...

The film opened on August 12, 1988.^[1] is the 224th day of the year (225th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... // Michael Jacksons first film was Moonwalker Rain Man, starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise Who Framed Roger Rabbit, starring Bob Hoskins Coming to America, starring Eddie Murphy Big, starring Tom Hanks Twins, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito Crocodile Dundee II Die Hard, starring Bruce Willis The Naked Gun...

Controversial content

Jesus (Willem Dafoe) is given a vision of himself not having to die on the cross and instead marrying Mary Magdalene (Barbara Hershey).

The film contains many ideas not present in the Bible. This is seen as a point of contention despite the film opening with a disclaimer stating that it is 'not based on the gospels' and is 'fictional'. The main source of controversy stems from a scene near the end of the movie in which Jesus is depicted as marrying Mary Magdalene instead of dying on the cross. A brief scene of the married couple making love is shown in the film, which sparked the anger of many protesters. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... This article is about the disciple of Jesus. ... This article is about the disciple of Jesus. ... For other uses, see Crucifixion (disambiguation). ...

The rationale behind this scene is that it represents Satan's tempting of Christ with the life of a normal man, free from the burden of being crucified and of being the salvation of mankind. In the guise of a beautiful, angelic child, Satan deceptively brings Christ down from the cross and gives him the life he has desired, telling him he is in fact not the Messiah, and doesn't have to die. Under Satan’s sham, Jesus marries and raises a family. However, as he is nearing the end of his envisioned life, his most devoted disciple, Judas Iscariot, awakens him to the truth of what is happening. As Judas calls him a traitor, Jesus finally realizes he has abandoned his duty to be crucified and to be the salvation of mankind. Seeing that he has been tempted into living a man’s life and dying a peaceful death, Jesus crawls out into the streets of Jerusalem as it burns with the fires of the Jewish Rebellion, and begs God to return him to his crucifixion, finally rejecting Satan’s offering. At that point, he is returned to the cross. Jesus has now been tempted as a man, and having survived this temptation utters his dying words, "It is accomplished." Iscariot redirects here. ... The Great Jewish Revolt (66–73 CE), sometimes called The first Jewish-Roman War, was the first of two major rebellions by the Jews of Judea against the Roman Empire (the second was Bar Kokhbas revolt in 132-135). ...

Other controversial ideas include images of Jesus constructing crosses for the Romans, kissing other men on the lips, being tormented by the voice of God, and using the divine name in the form "Jehovah". For other uses, see Roman Empire (disambiguation). ... This article is about the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ... This article is about reading of the name of God in Hebrew scripture. ...

Protests

Protests against the movie from religious communities began before the film had even finished production. The studio was expecting a backlash due to the controversies revolving around any media treatment of Christ (see dramatic portrayals of Jesus Christ), but the protests accompanying Last Temptation were unprecedented. Major religious leaders in the United States blasted the film in fiery sermons, and condemned its subject matter as pornographic.^{[citation needed]} Various authors and filmmakers have created dramatic portrayals of Jesus and his life. ... Porn redirects here. ...

On October 22, 1988, a French Catholic fundamentalist group launched molotov cocktails inside the Parisian Saint Michel movie theater to protest against the film. This attack injured thirteen people, four of whom were severely burned.^[2] is the 295th day of the year (296th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ... Molotov cocktail is the generic name for a variety of crude incendiary weapons. ... This article is about the capital of France. ... A typical multiplex (AMC Promenade 16 in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, United States). ...

In 1989, Albuquerque high school teacher, Joyce Briscoe, showed the film to gifted history students at La Cueva High School, raising a storm of controversy by parents and local Christian broadcaster KLYT.^[3] Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... This article is about the largest city of New Mexico. ... For other uses, see Christian (disambiguation). ... M88 Logo KLYT is an FM radio station headquartered in Albuquerque, NM at 88. ...

In some countries, including Mexico and Chile, the film was not released for several years.[2]

Critical reception and interpretation

The film has been supported by scholars, film critics and some religious leaders. In his defense of the movie, noted critic Roger Ebert writes that Scorsese and screenwriter Paul Schrader: Roger Joseph Ebert (born June 18, 1942) is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American film critic. ... Paul Joseph Schrader (born July 22, 1946 in Grand Rapids, Michigan) is an American screenwriter and film director. ...

Writers at NNDB.com claim that "Paul Schrader's screenplay and Willem Dafoe's performance made perhaps the most honestly Christlike portrayal of Jesus ever filmed." NNDB, ostensibly standing for Notable Names Database, produced by Soylent Communications, is an online database of biographical details of notable people. ...

In recent years, the film has been cast in a more positive light within the Christian community. Some conservative Christians groups (many of whom initially attacked the film) have reexamined it and found it an acceptable hypothesis on what it might have been like for Christ to be both fully human (subject to all of man's weaknesses) and fully God (perfect and omnipotent).^{[citation needed]} Promise Keepers is the most notable conservative Christian group to recently come out and defend this interpretation of Christ, and acceptance of The Last Temptation of Christ seems to be growing in many Christian communities and organizations. Look up Hypothesis in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Omnipotence (literally, all power) is the power to do absolutely anything. ... Promise Keepers is an international Christian organization for men, based in Denver, Colorado, United States, self-described as a Christ-centered organization dedicated to introducing men to Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, helping them to grow as Christians.[1] Promise Keepers promote the view that husbands have a...

Some Christian scholars acknowledge that maintaining equilibrium between these two contrasting natures might have been as difficult as The Last Temptation of Christ depicts, and that the notion is even suggested in the Gospel of John when Christ admits, "I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me" (chapter 6). In the case of Kazantzakis's and Scorsese's Christ, there is a notable difference between Christ's will and the will of his Father; yet driven by his love for mankind and his devotion to his Father, Christ constantly denies his own will in order to fulfill his divine mission as Savior. For other uses, see Gospel of John (disambiguation). ...

However, some Christians, along with people of other faiths, retain a negative view of the film. Conservative film critic Michael Medved (who is Jewish) has an extreme dislike of the film for its biblical inaccuracy, especially in what he considers its portrayal of Judas Iscariot as braver and wiser than Jesus. Michael Medved (born October 3, 1948) is a Jewish-American, neoconservative radio talk show host, film critic, and author. ...

On Rotten Tomatoes.com, the film rating website, the picture had reached a rating of 80%, which an average rating of 7.2 out of 10 by August 2007 ^[4].

Soundtrack and Music

The film's musical soundtrack was composed by Peter Gabriel and was released on CD with the title Passion: Music for The Last Temptation of Christ. The film's score itself helped to popularize world music. Gabriel compiled additional material by various musicians as Passion - Sources. In film formats, the soundtrack is the physical area of the film which records the synchronized sound. ... Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950, in Cobham,[1] Surrey, England) is an English musician. ... Passion: Music for The Last Temptation of Christ is a musical album produced in 1989 by Peter Gabriel. ... World music is, most generally, all the music in the world. ... A compilation album is an album (music or spoken-word) featuring tracks from one or multiple recording artists, often culled from a variety of sources (such as studio albums, live albums, singles, demos and outtakes. ... Passion - Sources is the second of two albums of music from Martin Scorseses film The Last Temptation of Christ, the first album being Passion: Music for The Last Temptation of Christ by Peter Gabriel. ...

Various vocal samples of Willem Dafoe as Jesus Christ were used in single The Prophet by C.J. Bolland. The track was released in 1997 and quickly became a worldwide club hit. William Dafoe, Jr. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... The Prophet is the name of several things, including several religious leaders and charismatic figures in history: Joseph Smith, Jr. ... C.J. Bolland is electronic music producer and remixer Christopher Jay Bolland, born June 18, 1971 in Stockton, Yorkshire England. ...

References

External links

• The Last Temptation of Christ at the Internet Movie Database
• The Last Temptation of Christ at Allmovie
• The Last Temptation of Christ at Box Office Mojo