Product Description

At last, Martin Scorsese's most personal masterpiece can be seen outside of the controversy it engendered, and be seen for what it is: a l5-year labor of love. Nikos Kazantzakis' landmark novel comes to breathtaking life in this moving and spiritual film. The all-star cast includes Harvey Keitel, Barbara Hershey, Harry Dean Stanton, David Bowie, and Willem Dafoe as Jesus. Criterion is proud to present this cinematic treasure in an exclusive Director Approved special edition.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #19213 in DVD
• Released on: 2000-04-25
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: AC-3, Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Special Edition, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 163 minutes

Amazon.com essential video
It isn't difficult to imagine why this 1988 retelling of the Crucifixion story was picketed vociferously upon release--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 it's difficult to find in skittish chain video stores. 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 spacy, 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

DVD features
Criterion's release of Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ effectively presents both the film's beauty and controversy. Produced on an extremely tight budget, The Last Temptation of Christ has a very epic feel that is wonderfully captured on this DVD. Though a few specks and scratches are apparent throughout the 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen presentation, the overall visual quality is quite sharp and vibrant. The newly mastered Dolby Digital 5.1 track is a phenomenal improvement, noticeably enhancing ambient sounds, dialogue, and Peter Gabriel's moving soundtrack. There are various added extras that really put the f'lm's content into perspective. The stellar commentary track includes director Martin Scorsese, star Willem Dafoe, screenwriter Paul Schrader, and film critic Jay Cocks candidly discussing various aspects of the production, including the initial obstacles, extensive research, and notorious controversial elements. This is a great DVD for fans and an informative one for those who wish to see past its notoriety. --Rob Bracco

Customer Reviews

The most spiritual movie ever made
The Last Temptation of Christ shows Christ as one who struggled, and some Christians find that blasphemous. Isn't it ironic that in the bible, Jews had Christ crucified for blasphemy, and now some Christians would have Scorsese excoriated for blasphemy?

Christ was revolutionary, and this movie gets that accross with more impact by straying from the familiar biblical account. Some wrong ideas are given voice in the course of this story, but not sympathetically. We learn in this movie that the truth is important and to be careful what voices we follow, and for that wisdom we look... where?

The Last Temptation of Christ suggests that God is to be discovered, not taught. If we wrote down what we discovered, we might all of us be bible writers. Is that blasphemy?

Faith-Stretcher!
Want to be stretched in your faith stance? Watch the "Last Temptation of Christ". Dealing with the humanity of Jesus is always a ticklish endeavor, and Willem Dafoe et al. pull it off. Some folks make not like it; they may even hate it. However, one cannot see this flim and come away neutral. It demands a response. A great discussion-starter.

A lousy film
I'm old enough to remember the controversy surrounding the release of this film. Concerned about the charges of "blasphemy!" that I heard shouted by the movie's most ardent critics -- including many who hadn't seen the film but only knew of some of its contents -- I avoided it for the better part of 20 years. Friends whom I trust suggested the movie's spiritual content was not "that bad" and the film had some redeeming value to it.

So I rented it with an open mind, hoping to see a depection of the human side of Jesus, as most "Jesus movies" depict only his divine characteristics. I was sadly disappointed. More than human, this fictional story of Christ depicted him as a weak, sniveling, reluctant messiah lead by the nose by an overbearing Judas. The Jesus of the Gospels, though not thrilled at the thought of his crucifixion, was not reluctant to teach, to lead. As a child, he taught in the synagogue. Scorsese's Jesus (I know Kazantzakis wrote the book on which the film is based) was not only lacking any sign of divinity, but was nothing anyone of the day would have called a "Rabbi."

I know that I will get blasted for this review and get a lot of "not helpful" votes. But it needs to be said that, on top of the lousy story, the acting was atrocious.

This movie was one of the worst films I've seen. It's a stinker.

For those you might watch this film to be "moved" or to get a feel for Jesus's suffering and sacrifice, you're wasting your time. Want to see pain and sacrifice? See Gibson's the Passion of the Christ. Heck, you'll get more out of Jesus Christ Superstar than this dog of a movie.

Don't buy it. Don't rent it. You'll thank me later.