Friday, May 4, 2012

The Last Temptation of Christ

When it was first released in 1988, this brilliant film from director Martin Scorsese never got the audience – or the positive attention it deserved -- because of the knee-jerk reaction from fundamentalist Christians who called the film blasphemous … without having seen a single frame. Twenty-five years later, it’s time to take another look at this misunderstood gem. Not only does it feature one of the bravest high-wire acting performances ever caught on film, that of Willem Dafoe in the title role, but it also features some fantastic cinematography and a stirring score from Peter Gabriel. Sure, some of the apostles’ accents are more New Jersey than Old Jerusalem, but if you just listen to what they say, and not how they say it, you’ll find a movie that is as close to a religious experience as you could want, no matter what faith you follow.

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