Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6824 in DVD
• Released on: 2003-04-14
• Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Full Screen, PAL
• Original language: German, French, Italian, Spanish, English
• Subtitled in: German, English, Danish, Finnish, Polish, Turkish, Hungarian, Portuguese, Bulgarian, French, Dutch, Norwegian, Swedish, Czech
• Dubbed in: English
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
It isn't difficult to imagine why this 1988 retelling of the Crucifixion story was picketed so vociferously on its release in the US--this Jesus bears little resemblance to the classical Christ, who was not, upon careful review of the Gospels, ever reported to have had sex with Barbara Hershey. Heavily informed by Gnostic reinterpretations of the Passion, The Last Temptation of Christ (based rather strictly on Nikos Kazantzakis's novel of the same name) is surely worth seeing for the controversy and blasphemous content alone. But the "last temptation" of the title is nothing overtly naughty--rather, it's the seduction of the commonplace; the desire to forgo following a "calling" in exchange for domestic security. Willem Dafoe interprets Jesus as spacey, indecisive and none too charismatic (though maybe that's just Dafoe himself), but his Sermon on the Mount is radiant with visionary fire; a bit less successful is method actor Harvey Keitel, who gives the internally conflicted Judas a noticeable Brooklyn accent, and doesn't bring much imagination to a role that demands a revisionist's approach. Despite director Martin Scorsese's penchant for stupid camera tricks, much of the desert footage is simply breathtaking, even on small screen. Ultimately, Last Temptation is not much more historically illuminating than Monty Python's Life of Brian, but hey, if it's authenticity you're after, try Gibbon's. --Miles Bethany

Customer Reviews

Controversial for the wrong reasons?
Great cinematography, but it really needs to be seen on a big wide screen at the cinema I think personally. Most of the story is your normal bible stuff - OK a little strange at times, but near the end it went completely bonkers. I thought I was getting an LSD flashback it was that weird. There he was having sex with anybody called Mary and married to a child! It did have a lovely twist at the end though that puts everything back in place and order so don't fear. Nice cameo from David Bowie as Pontius Pilate - Strange! Lots of other faces - too many to name. All in all worth watching.

A thought-provoking masterpiece
I have just rewatched The Last Temptation of Christ on video and shall definitely be upgrading to DVD. I think this film stands the test of time very well indeed. It is thought-provoking, moving, has breath-taking visual imagery and a great score. I thought the performances especially from Dafoe, Keitel, Hershey and Bowie were excellent. I am not a Christian but found the drama of the struggle between Christ's divine and human natures which is at the heart of the film a realistic and relevant meditation on the figure of Christ. I find it hard to understand how some Christians were offended by this film when it was released as ultimately it endorses the significance of Christ and his teachings, albeit in an unusual way. I would describe this as a must-see film for believers and non-believers alike.

The Most Controversial Film of the 80's
The last year of Jesus Christ ( Played by William Defoe) becomes the messiah of the Jews and showing them his teaching of love and life, then persecuted then crucified, during his crucifixion he dreams of a archangel showing him of what would it be like it he was a mortal Israelite, married to Mary Magdalene ( Barbara Hershey) and as a family man, also being driven by divine doubt, the voice of god and human desires.

A great and highly misunderstood biblical movie that was heavily criticized as blasphemy and sacrilege by some religious groups, it was the most controversial movie of the year 1988, some theaters refused to have it shown and Universal pictures whom owned the movie was protested as well. I think this is a very artistic and well done movie showing what Christ would be like as a mortal man, Dafoe plays Jesus good including the other cast like Barbara Hershey, William Defoe, and David Bowie.