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The Last Temptation of Christ

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The Last Temptation of Christ

Old 01-30-04, 12:59 PM
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The Last Temptation of Christ

What are everyone's thoughts on the Scorsese film?

Opinions on Dafoe? Keitel?

It does say it's a work of fiction at the beginning.



Old 01-30-04, 01:39 PM
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I truly think it is one of the most interesting movies ever made. I do regard it as nothing more than a work of fiction though, and cannot see it as the truth, especially since all of the disciples come from New York seemingly.
Old 01-30-04, 01:45 PM
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I saw this again recently and liked it. The soundtrack by Peter Gabriel is particularly good. There is some stunning photography but there are also some hokey parts. I also thought the pacing was pretty strange at parts. There are some interesting concepts in the film that I am still mulling over like the the people's reaction to Lazarus and the actual "Last Temptation". I didn't get a chance to listen to the Criterion commentary but made it through most of the extras and found them worthwhile.
Old 01-30-04, 01:50 PM
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I think that casting Harvey Keitel as Judas was a masterstroke.

What I see in the movie is Scorcese taking his own tour through his perceptions of faith. His direction is, as always in those days, fascinating and exhilirating.

Harry Dean Stanton as Paul is my other favorite role in the movie.
Old 01-30-04, 02:50 PM
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i've only seen this movie once. I really need to get it. I really liked it when i saw it. Thought the acting was great. During the movie I was getting offended at parts as a christian, but when I saw it through to the end I realized what was up. It gave me chills at parts and I really like how he focused the story on the human side of christ instead of portraying him as a distant godly figure (even though he was both God and man). Many people tend to forget he was human it seems....

It's interesting in one of the newest EW, an interview with david carridine, he states that he gave the book to scorsese and told him he had to make it...and that if it didn't take him so long to make it that he would have played Jesus....

with all that said, I can't wait for the passion of the christ.
Old 01-30-04, 05:52 PM
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Its one of Scorcese's best!
Old 01-30-04, 08:23 PM
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It's kind of funny, watching this now, with a different context.

I half expect to see, late in the movie, Steve Buscemi to walk up to Judas and say "Somebody's shoved a red-hot poker up our ass, and I want to know whose name is on the handle!"

Or for Paul to stand up, lift one finger, and recite the Repo Man's code.

Or for Pontius Pilate to start singing "Ch-ch-ch-changes!"
Old 01-30-04, 11:37 PM
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I think it's the casting that kills this movie.

It all sounds so good on paper. I don't doubt Scorses's dedication and sincerity in making this movie. But I don't think he pulls any of it off. Every scene in it feels so half-assed. Comprimised. A big fumbel on the part of it's makers.

I remember the controversy when this movie came out. The movie theater was like airport security. People having their purses or backpacks checked out.
Old 01-31-04, 02:05 AM
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Great picture. The last half-hour was particularly fantastic.

John the Baptist's introduction, complete with chanting mystic headbangers, always stuck with me. So completely different from the conventional sanitized images of early Christianity, and (oddly enough for this film) completely in keeping with the Biblical account.

"What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?"
Old 01-31-04, 08:51 AM
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Originally posted by Crocker Jarmen
I think it's the casting that kills this movie.

It all sounds so good on paper. I don't doubt Scorses's dedication and sincerity in making this movie. But I don't think he pulls any of it off. Every scene in it feels so half-assed. Comprimised. A big fumbel on the part of it's makers.
...
I very much agree with you but obviously we are in the minority, at least in this Forum.

I read Kazantzakis' novel a long time ago, before the movie was released. I thought the book was a masterpiece or close to it but I was stunned by how poorly the film translated it all.

I am curious. Has anyone else here read the book?
Old 01-31-04, 10:42 AM
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I think Scorsese's picture was good considering the source material as the book is about as shootable as Naked Lunch IMO.
Old 01-31-04, 01:44 PM
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The book is marvelous, and I love Scorsese's film too. I think it's one of his most passionate (no pun intended) and emotional films with unforgettable images and sounds. The 'earthiness' of it makes it all the more powerful for me, and the humor too (and there is plenty of it).
Old 01-31-04, 01:54 PM
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Originally posted by xDareDevilx
It's interesting in one of the newest EW, an interview with david carridine, he states that he gave the book to scorsese and told him he had to make it...
That's weird. On the commentary Scorsese claims Barbara Hersey gave him the book and demanded to be Mary Magdelene
Old 01-31-04, 04:44 PM
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Scorses says he was given the book by Barbara on the set of Boxcar Bertha, which also starred Carridine. Who knows, maybe Carridine give to him first. Or maybe this all just confirms my long held suspicion that David Carridine and Barbara Hershey are infact one and the same.
Old 02-02-04, 03:40 AM
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Originally posted by Crocker Jarmen
Scorses says he was given the book by Barbara on the set of Boxcar Bertha, which also starred Carridine. Who knows, maybe Carridine give to him first. Or maybe this all just confirms my long held suspicion that David Carridine and Barbara Hershey are infact one and the same.
If it wasn't so incredibly obscure and hard to find, I would tell you to check out "Sonny Boy". David Carradine plays the whole film in drag. He's definitely not Barbara Hershey
Old 02-09-04, 04:31 AM
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I would've liked to have a solo Martin Scorcese commentary
track on the dvd.

I want his scene-specific thoughts.
Old 02-09-04, 04:41 AM
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The concept was good, and I have no beef with the casting, but it seemed to just clunk along. Still, it was an interesting movie to make, it just never really captured my attention. I'm not a religious person, but I understand the importance of religion in shaping my life-- and most peoples' for sure. But in the end it just seemed forced to me, like all of the actors were saying their lines and thinking... 'wow, this is really meaningful stuff.' Althougth I was fairly young when this came out and could be biased because I remember so much of the CONTROVERSY that the media invented to surround the movie.

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