The Last Temptation of Christ

[TallahasseeGrannie]

I finally watched the DVD last night. (probably the last person in the world to see it.) I found the crucifixion scene actually more harrowing than Mel Gibson's version.

I am a bit confused at all the hoo-haa about it, as it tells you right off that it is fiction, and not taken from the gospels.

Obviously, Jesus had to give up everything, including a family.

Some things that struck me was that Paul was portrayed as basically a jerk. His line "Jesus, I am glad I met you; now I can forget about you." was very sobering.

I also found it mildly amusing that this is one "Jesus movie" with virtually no English accents (except for
David Bowie.) The cast all sounded like they were from Brooklyn or Chicago.

It's interesting to me that Judas was portrayed as he appears to be (haven't read it) in the Gospel of Judas, and the concept of Christ being taken off the Cross is part of the DaVinci Code myth.

I liked it. Food for thought.

[regnaD kciN]

1. My problem with Scorsece's film...

...was that I had read the original Nikos Kazantzakis novel first. And the novel was much better than the film. In fact, it seemed to me that, if Paul Schrader had deliberately tried to do a screenplay that eliminated everything good about the book, he couldn't have done a more effective job.

I guess my point is read the book! ;-)

(BTW, there's nothing in DVC about Christ being taken off the cross. That was a Kazantzakis original -- and also handled much better in the book, as was Paul. In the film, he struck me as more a used-car-dealer caricature, sort of a "Saul Worthington and his God Spot.")