[Tim Wilkins]

I remember when this movie came out and the controversy over it. So... before paying nearly $35 for this DVD can anyone share their experiences with this DVD. Most reviews I have read rate the story/movie high. How is the quality of the DVD?

 

[Salmoneous]

It's a very well made movie - Scorsese is a pro as always. It raises a lot of interesting issues and gives you things to think about. The Bible tells us that Christ was both fully human and fully devine. Much of what we see/read/hear about Him focuses on Christ the Deity. Scorsese puts the spotlight more on Christ the man. A lot of people will reject the image this movie paints. That's not really the point of the movie. The point is to get you to think - to view Christ from a side most people gloss over. As a movie, as a controversy and as religious thought piece, it is something worth seeing.


That said, while it is a "must see" picture IMO, it isn't necessarily a "must own" DVD. It's not the kind of movie you watch over and over, not would I expect it to be picked out to be watched on movie night when you've got the gang over. At $35, I'd tag it a rental.

 

[Larry Davis]

I didn't find it to be compelling filmmaking. I saw it a long time ago. Some (much I guess) of the film is not derived from the bible. From what I remember it was really a bizarro world interpretation, like a "what if" take on the Christ story. I think this is one of those movies that you see just to say that you saw it. I would definitely rent before I bought. Willem DaFoe is a great actor, though. From Jesus Christ to Bobby Peru. That's what I call range!

 

[Shaded Dogfood]

I've seen it, taped it on beta and watched it again, bought the DVD several years ago (at considerable expense) but haven't watched it yet.


It's a good picture, and with an absolutely superb score by Peter Gabriel. It tends to offend Christians, it seems.

 

[Dean Roddey]

I'm very much into off the beaten track movies, and tend to love movies that others lambast as overly quirky or intellectual or slow or whatever. But I have to admit that I just couldn't get into this one at all, which might make it the only Scorsese movie I didn't really get into. I'm not sure what it was. Maybe I wasn't in the mood, but I just kept drifting off and couldn't get into it at all. Maybe it's because I'm non-religious and therefore it had not real sub-text for me.

 

[Robert George]

Quote:

It tends to offend Christians, it seems.

Some Christians. Or perhaps, some so-called Christians.

 

[McPatrickClan]

I didn't watch too much of it (years ago) and as a Christian, I remember being put off by it. Then again, I was put off by the mirror scene in 25th Hour, but I'm glad I fought through it. I got the point hours later.


I may have to check this movie out again.

 

[nutt]

Scorsese movies I own: GoodFellas, The Grifters


Scorsese movies I would buy before I get to Last Temptation of Christ: Raging Bull, Taxi Driver, Mean Streets, Casino, The King of Comedy.


I am not trying to say that Last Temptations is bad, because I liked it. But I am saying that Scorsese made a lot of really great movies, and I would buy at least 6 others first. Even among religious Scorsese movies, I might get Kundun before Last Temptation.


Tim

 

[Rachael Bellomy]

Tim, I'll be the chief of the minority oppinion. I like the film. I love the Peter Gabriel score. The story is obviously designed to cause one to examine their own religious beliefs. This frightens some folks, me thinks. I like the casting...Defoe, Harry Dean Stanton, Harvey Keitel, ect. It's GANGS OF JURUSALEM casting but I liked it. I really like Keitel as Judas.


When I saw the film in the cinema years ago, protectors of the faith were protesting outside the theatre. They told me I was going to hell...I quess I'm doomed! ...because I liked the film. BTW, none of the protesters I questioned had actually seen the film.


BTW, the film has a disclaimer that it's not following the scripture note for note. They don't really change any scripture, but they do add some elements. i.e. - Jesus is given a personality ( I won't say what it is), Judas is always wanting to raise his sword on the Romans...he wants an armed insurrection... anyway, this personality fits the reality of the times in Israel but proably isn't scripture derived. I like the way M.S. done'ed it!

 

[Stable Dave]

Quote:

Originally posted by Tim Wilkins I remember when this movie came out and the controversy over it. So... before paying nearly $35 for this DVD can anyone share their experiences with this DVD. Most reviews I have read rate the story/movie high. How is the quality of the DVD?

Hey Tim, if you do end up buying it it's $28.76 shipped at deepdiscountdvd.com.


I recently ordered this after reading some excellent reviews, but most people I ask say it's a bit slow.

 

[BigguyZ]

I haven't seen the movie, but as a Peter Gabriel fan I know the score well. It seems to me that this movie was a landmark for PG, as he began to take a path into world music after working on this. I'd almost get the DVD for the PG interview....

 

[MikeM]

Tim:


The movie is a mixed bag with some arresting visuals, new take on the testament and a stellar performance from Willem Dafoe. There's also a lot of poor editing choice sin my opinion and a little too much of Scorsese's heavy handed interpretations. Having said all that, I had a big problem with the DVD -- it's atrocious looking with edge halos galore.

 

[Dertah]

Great Movie - Great DVD.


Scorese films I own but would sell before Last Temptation: Mean Streets, Goodfellas, The Grifters, Raging Bull and Casino.


While the video isn't the best, the Peter Gabriel score is and sounds fantastic and I am not a Gabriel fan.


Keitel and Dafoe gave me a new perspective on the greatest acts of betrayal and forgiveness in Christian ideology.


I was raised in a very religious family where the proper way to worship Christ was force fed - consequently I have not gone to church since I moved out 10 years ago. Watching this movie last year (and engaging in several post viewing conversations with friends - yes we did whip it out for the gangs all here Saturday night show) was the first time in over 20 years that I actually enjoyed learning and contemplating the divinity and humanity of Jesus.


Overall - I had a great time and I hope to convince my mother to watch it with me sometime.

 

[Darrel Johansen]

I'd recommend just getting Peter Gabriel's CD if that's what makes this movie for you. I do have the CD and have avoided the DVD. I have seen this movie a couple of times. I agree that the quality is quite bad, but the movie itself is pretty boring, IMHO. I read the book a long time ago and enjoyed it, and was looking forward to the movie. When it first came out on VHS, Blockbuster refused to carry it because there was such an uproar in certain segments of the christian community.


As to whether this follows scriptures or not, it has long been pointed out that very little is actually known of the historical Jesus. The gospels are strangely contradictory in some ways, accenting different aspects of the story for reasons, one would believe, that emphasize the particular areas of the early movement that the individual gospel writers were using to form the church.


If this had been written in the 2nd century, perhaps it would have been one of the "lost gospels" --the accounts of Jesus' life that were intentionally left out of the bible or suppressed like the story of Q.

 

[eweiss]

Quote:

Originally posted by Darrel Johansen If this had been written in the 2nd century, perhaps it would have been one of the "lost gospels" --the accounts of Jesus' life that were intentionally left out of the bible or suppressed like the story of Q.

I didn't think "Q" was "surpressed." I thought Q (from the German word Quelle(?), meaning "source"?) was what scholars surmised was a lost document that contains the traditions and sayings that Matthew, Mark, and Luke (the synoptic Gospels) share, and hence explains why these three Gospels have a lot of common material -- i.e., they all used Q as one of their sources, though each modified it in part.

 

[mpedris]

A good movie. Havent seen the DVD, but the movie is VERY thought-provoking. Makes you stop and think for a moment (provided you're open-minded enough). Makes you question issues.


I enjoyed the movie very much though I cannot comment on the quality of the DVD.

 

[Version]

eweiss is right.

The theory on "Q" is that it was a lost document that the synoptic gospel writers (Matthew, Mark and Luke) used as a source to write their books from. Hardly suppressed.

 

[Aliens]

Hey eweiss, another thread dealing with a religious topic...you must be on a high about now. Hmmm, I wonder how long it will take until this gets off topic and deals in religious interpretation? I don't give it past today.

 

[Darrel Johansen]

Quote:

Hardly suppressed

--just "lost"...

 

[BradZ]

I'll add my .02...


Loved the movie, book, and soundtrack. Personally, I have a master's in Theology and always enjoy a well made movie which provokes religious discussion. I'll echo the comments made by others that this movie does not purport to be fact, but rather is intended to make one think about the humanity of Christ. Nothing here is contradictory to the synoptic Gospels, if anything I find it to be a rather nice interpretation of Mark's view of Christ. As far as straying from the Bible, how many movies do you know that include everything from the book? Scorcese and the author (can't remember his name right now) do have an agenda, but since they don't hide that agenda I see no reason why anyone should have been offended- but matters of religion are taken so seriously.


I definitely recommend renting before you buy, it is slow, but for me it was worth the purchase- YMMV.