The Last Temptation of Christ 1988 M
When
11.00am, Sun 8 Dec 2019 (164 mins)Where
Gallery of Modern Art & Cinema A
About
The Last Temptation of Christ will screen from an imported 35mm print.
Martin Scorsese’s religious epic The Last Temptation of Christ is a powerful examination of faith and doubt. In a bold departure from the Gospels, the film portrays Jesus (Willem Dafoe) as a figure with an unfathomable burden whose worldly connection to humanity causes him to succumb to temptations of doubt, fear and flesh.
Based on the novel by Nikos Kazantzakis, the film was incredibly controversial upon release – with religious groups objecting to the reworking of holy stories and scenes of Jesus enticed by sexual thoughts – and a cinema in Paris was even firebombed by a fundamentalist Catholic group angered by its screening. However, Scorsese and Paul Schrader (who wrote the screenplay adaptation of the book) were both raised in devoutly Christian households and hold thoughtful, complex understandings of the scriptures that do not render themselves in mere provocations.
Having crafted fascinatingly flawed protagonists with their previous two films together – Taxi Driver 1976 and Raging Bull 1980 – Scorsese and Schrader’s decision to depict Jesus on screen with a similarly unflinching eye was certainly a bold decision. The high-profile cast – Dafoe as Jesus, Harvey Keitel as Judas Iscariot, David Bowie as Pontius Pilate, and Barbara Hershey as Mary Magdalene – deliver captivating performances in a grand, yet personal, production from two of American cinema’s most potent figures.
Production Credits
- Director: Martin Scorcese
- Script: Paul Schrader
- Cinematographer: Michael Ballhaus
- Editor: Thelma Schoonmaker
- Production Company: Universal Pictures
- Print Source: NBC Universal Archive & Collections, Los Angeles
- Rights: Universal Pictures Australia
- Screening Format: 35mm
- Year: 1988
- Runtime: 164 minutes
- Countries: Canada, United States
- Language: English
- Sound: Stereo
- Colour: Colour