 "Photo: Courtesy Photo")
"The dual substance of Christ -- the yearning, so human, so superhuman, of man to attain God . . . has always been a deep inscrutable mystery to me." -- Nikos Kazantzakis, from his novel "The Last Temptation of Christ," and featured as a preface to the film.
Film Underground has never shown a movie explicitly about religion. Our next screening, however, is "The Last Temptation of Christ" -- perhaps one of the most controversial films about religion of all time. The film was in development off-and-on for over five years until it was finally released in 1988, inciting a storm of protests. What makes "Last Temptation" so controversial? Primarily, the film's portrayal of Jesus Christ angered the Christian community. The movie is based on a book by Niklos Kazantzakis, published in 1951. In the story, Jesus is portrayed as being more human, and certainly less divine, than he is in the Bible. The movie is about a Jesus who seems to be tormented by the voice of God, getting severe headaches whenever he hears Him, writhing on the floor in pain. Jesus is unsure of his role as a savior, and is confused as to how he should handle that responsibility. There are many other controversial aspects of the movie, but probably most inflammatory is his sexual desire for Mary Magdalene in the film, and a scene where he imagines himself and Magdalene having sexual intercourse.
The aforementioned scene occurs in the titular section of the film -- Jesus' "last temptation." While on the cross, Jesus is tempted by a vision of what his life would be like if he could just walk away and live the rest of his days as a regular person, with Mary Magdalene as his wife. In the end, Jesus has never really sinned, but had been subject to the same temptations that most any man would face. Of course, this interpretation of Jesus' life sharply diverges from the Bible's and serves to undercut the divine identity of Christ. It should be noted, however, that the film never announces itself as a definitive story of Jesus' life, and includes a disclaimer acknowledging the fact that the film does not follow the Gospels.
Willem Dafoe plays Jesus, and in the opening scenes of the movie he has not fully accepted his role as a savior and is actually collaborating with the Romans, making crosses that are being used to crucify Jews. Indirectly executing his people is Jesus' way of rebelling against God, since, initially, he does not want to be the messiah and rues the fact that it's he bears the title. On one occasion he laments, "God loves me, I know he loves me -- I want him to stop." Dafoe doesn't necessarily fit the conventional physical image of Jesus and brings to the role a certain desperation, intensity, and vulnerability that, though some may balk at these emotions being associated with Jesus, are tremendously effective in the film's context.
Because of Jesus' "last temptation," one of the main relationships that the film focuses on is between Jesus and Mary Magdalene. Barbara Hershey, whom you don't see very much nowadays, is heartbreaking as Magdalene, a prostitute that Jesus has known and cared for since the two were children. Now, Magdalene hates Jesus for refusing her body, and believes he his choosing God over her. An interesting side-note is that Hershey actually indirectly brought about the creation of the film when she gave Scorsese a copy of the "Last Temptation" novel in the early 1970s.
Over the course of the film, Jesus is joined by his Apostles, and among them is Judas Iscariot as played by Harvey Keitel, who is bedecked in a slightly strange, orange semi-fro. Many scenes of the film are devoted to the relationship between Jesus and Judas, with Judas always advocating a militaristic approach for Jesus to bring about change. In another departure from traditional Christian theology, Judas is a sympathetic character who doesn't want to betray Jesus, but does so because he seems to be aware that he is "fated" to turn his friend over to the Romans.
"The Last Temptation of Christ" is directed by one of the world's greatest living filmmakers, Martin Scorsese. Though one may expect the director of "Last Temptation" to be someone with no religious affiliation to Christianity, Scorsese himself is a Catholic, and nearly became a priest in his youth, but Instead of entering the priesthood he went to film school at NYU. The film was written by a long-time collaborator of Scorsese's, Paul Schrader, who has written three other films ("Taxi Driver," "Raging Bull," and "Bringing Out the Dead"), all of which Scorsese has directed. Their story of Christ continues to deal with many themes that recur in the filmmakers' collaborations, such as guilt and the nature of manhood.
If this movie sounds completely blasphemous, and if you're getting angry just reading this, then you probably would not enjoy this movie, to say the least. Though the film, again, does not claim to be a definitive or conventional interpretation of the Bible, and acknowledges that it doesn't follow the Scriptures, it's easy to understand how it can undercut or diminish the divine aspects of Jesus that is a main tenet of the Christian faith. That being said, one can also sense that the film is made by people who are serious about Christianity and are not merely courting controversy for the sake of sensationalism, but are attempting to more fully understand and explore their faith. If the ideas and events in "Last Temptation" do not inspire in you a passionate reaction against the film, then you may enjoy the film as a thoughtful and moving exploration of the Son of God who is very human. If you do not follow the Christian faith, then you may enjoy "Last Temptation" as the story of a good man who doesn't collapse under weight of the world that's on his shoulders.
The main question to reflect upon as you watch the film is this: Does bringing Christ to a more human level bring us closer to God, or does it taint His teachings with a human influence, or something in-between? It's up to you to decide whether "Last Temptation" is a blasphemous annoyance, or an enriching influence to your spiritual life, or whether it means nothing to you at all on a spiritual level.
Join us for a free screening of "The Last Temptation of Christ" on Thursday, February 21, EARLIER THAN USUAL at 6:30 p.m. in the MUB Theatre I. As always, there will be a discussion after the screening so people can voice their opinions.
Be well, FU
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