Man in Scorsese's The Last
Temptation of Christ
Reluctant to shoulder his holy responsibility, the Nazarene is convinced through a series of visions and miracles that he is the prophesied Savior. He invigorates his growing number of disciples to the point of impending violence before discovering that love for all is his Father's will. The prophet Isaiah appears to Jesus in a vision and declares that he must be sacrificed for man's sins. Jesus implores Judas to betray him to the Centurions so that he may be crucified. Judas complies, and Christ is taken into Roman custody and sentenced to death.
At the crucifixion, a young angelic girl assures Jesus that God doesn't need such a sacrifice, and saves him from death. Jesus then begins a normal existence - eventually starting a family. He grows old and content with his ordinary life, lamenting all the "wrong ways" he had previously tried to find God. On his deathbed, his former disciples return to condemn him, revealing that his guardian angel is actually Satan himself. He begs God to forgive his betrayal, his hallucination ends - and we return to him still on the cross. Having resisted his last temptation, he exclaims accomplishment before dying.
Against the outrage of the moral majority (who labeled the work as blasphemy), the film was released to critical acclaim. The film is a powerful experience due to Dafoe's performance, Scorsese's sharp direction, Paul Schrader's screenplay (based on Nikos Kazantzakis' existential 1951 novel), Michael Ballhaus' lively photography and a moving world music score by Peter Gabriel. Truth lies in its depiction of Christ as both Man and God - flesh and spirit. The film works as both entertainment and inspiration, defining the dichotomy of man's animalistic nature and search for spiritual redemption.