Willem Dafoe, Harvey Keitel, Verna Bloom
The life of Jesus Christ, his journey through life as he faces the temptations that all humans face during their lives, and his final temptation upon the cross.
DVD Release Date: April 25, 2000
Stats: 1,663 reviews
I loved this movie as whole film. I thought it fantastic. The cast and the way they acted i think was kool for this film because they made it that much more different. This my favourite film of Jesus christ
For all of the drama surrounding this movie upon its initial release, I found it boring in spots. Jesus shouldn't be boring
I'm an atheist.
Hands down the best portrayal of Jesus ever committed to screen. Defoe's performance is magnificent as is the rest of the cast(although Keitel is a bit rubbish).
Yes it wa controversial, but it was based on a book, not the bible. And people don't realize but at that end in thsi movie he chooses the Cross to die for humanity.
The best film on the life of Jesus Christ (next to Pasolini's "The Gospel According to St. Matthew"); mainly because he is portrayed as a person and not a symbol.
as a motion picture, this is surely a very accomplished one, gorgeous movie, has a great depth of story, but although i categorized this as a fantasy film, the last scene is just too 'fantasy' for me, and not quite satisfactory, even a little bit lame..
I love Martin Scorsese, Willem Dafoe, and Harvey Keitel, but this movie just dragged even with all of that talent. The story was interesting, and I'm sure that back in the late 80s it was quite controversial, but by today's standards it was tame. So without the controversy, we're...( read more)
The film itself is not badly made, and it even has its good points, but its mostly repugnant for its unworthy depiction of Jesus as arrogant, cowardly, prone to violence, and possibly bipolar. This movie is often lauded by atheists and left-wing pseudo-intellectuals, but that's b...( read more)
I have a big problem with this movie, and no, it isn't necessarily the story element of Jesus wanting to escape His crucifixion. Heck, I can understand Jesus not wanting to be crucified, and the Bible even depicts Jesus, shortly before the event, asking God to spare Him such a grisly fate. No, Jesus' understandable desire to lead a normal life is not what I take issue with. What I take issue with is the way Jesus' character is portrayed throughout the movie. He's constantly shown as being egotistical, prideful, and violent, saying things like "I'm the one who decides who stays and who goes!" and "Once I believed in love. Now I believe in this!" while hoisting an axe over His head. Not only is this a gross and utter mischaracterization of Jesus, but it also renders various authentic Biblical events nonsensical. Take, for example, the scene in which Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey. The real Jesus did this to show His humility and lack of pretension, but the viewer doesn't believe for an instant that Willem Dafoe's arrogant Jesus would be satisfied with anything less than a white stallion. As I was watching this, I felt as if I was watching a movie about Muhammad, not Jesus. It's just a complete and total misfire.
Now, I've never read the novel upon which this film is based, so for all I know, the disrespectful and inaccurate depiction of Jesus' nature might not be the fault of the filmmakers exclusively. However, that doesn't alleviate the anxiety I feel for Jesus' good image in the eyes of all those people who praise this movie as truly great. I shudder to think of an atheist or other non-Christian person deriving their first impression of Jesus Christ from this movie.
May I recommend "The Greatest Story Ever Told", starring Max Von Sydow, instead?
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