Reviews

The movie runs a little long and the pace is sometimes tedious, but otherwise Martin Scorsese should be proud of this insightful, intelligent, and moving film, which views like a character sketch of a human Jesus with whom regular people can relate. A lot of those who condemn it for being blasphemous or offensive either have never seen the film or don't seem to have a complete understanding of one of the most basic elements of the Christian faith: that Jesus, while fully divine, was fully human as well, and thus was subject to all of a human's shortcomings. If you believe Jesus was a man, you must believe that he was tempted by power and the flesh, and speculation that he had feelings of self-doubt can't be dismissed by a wave of the hand and a few harsh words for Mr. Scorsese. In many ways, 'Last Temptation' trumps 'The Passion of the Christ' in terms of delivering the staple Christian messages of self-sacrifice, hope and redemption. See it for yourself before condemning it offhand.

I love "culture war" double standards. Some of those who decry extreme violence and abject gore as pornographic have embraced this film with such adjectives as "inspiring" and "breathtaking." I don't find watching a guy get ripped to shreds very inspiring, though I'll admit the special effects are astonishingly realistic. If not for the religious subject matter, this film likely could've been traded in the underground snuff market. Not for the squeamish, and certainly not for children, even with adult supervision. And not as "biblical" as some claim. If you want to watch a good Jesus movie, try the epic "Jesus of Nazareth" if you're devout, or the grossly underrated "The Last Temptation of Christ" if you have an open mind.