Such a title implies that, whatever your beliefs about the nature and life of Jesus Christ, he was a man, born of woman and subject to the temptations that all men and women experience.
That this narrative portrays Christ first as man, and second as son of God, clearly illustrates the philosophical underpinnings of the author's novel and Scorsese's (an ex-priest himself) film and makes it all the more believable and feasible that Christ had many doubts about his role. Indeed, it is well know that, in Gethsemane, he begged to be released from the need for crucifixion; moreover, he cried out in anguish about being abandoned while suffering on the cross both indicative of all too-human reactions.
So, that aspect should not upset any people who believe in the sanctity of Christ. If it does, that says more about the quality of their own belief than in the truth of the portrayal.
What should upset them more is the manner in which the narrative turns the betrayal of Christ on its head - a truly imaginative and thought provoking perspective that had not occurred to me, growing up, as I did, steeped in the Christian faith. That part of my life is long gone, but the fascination with Christ arguably the first political dissident who changed the world remains (Karl Marx probably comes in second).
I first saw this film ten years ago, and saw it again just recently. Time has not dimmed the effectiveness of Scorsese's direction and the acting by the stellar cast. While Willem Dafoe takes the role of Jesus in his stride, I think most kudos go to Harvey Keitel as Judas Iscariot, shown as a political opportunist who wants to see the Romans crushed and the Kingdom of God established on earth; Judas is, alas, the ultimate man who missed the ultimate point. Special mention goes to Harry Dean Stanton as Saul the tax collector (later St. Paul) while Barbara Hershey is very effective as Mary Magdalene. David Bowie's (almost) cameo appearance as Pontius Pilate was adroitly casual, if not entirely indifferent about the man on trial.
The value in this narrative is that there may be more real truth in it than in some of the Gospels that were, after all, written many years after the actual crucifixion. Time, as we know, has a habit of playing tricks on our memories.
This is not the movie for hard-core believers in the New Testament. It's a finely stated exposition of a point of view about the nature of our humanity and one that demands consideration, whether or not you believe in God and an afterlife: very much a departure for Scorsese but one that is well worth the time to see.
That this narrative portrays Christ first as man, and second as son of God, clearly illustrates the philosophical underpinnings of the author's novel and Scorsese's (an ex-priest himself) film and makes it all the more believable and feasible that Christ had many doubts about his role. Indeed, it is well know that, in Gethsemane, he begged to be released from the need for crucifixion; moreover, he cried out in anguish about being abandoned while suffering on the cross both indicative of all too-human reactions.
So, that aspect should not upset any people who believe in the sanctity of Christ. If it does, that says more about the quality of their own belief than in the truth of the portrayal.
What should upset them more is the manner in which the narrative turns the betrayal of Christ on its head - a truly imaginative and thought provoking perspective that had not occurred to me, growing up, as I did, steeped in the Christian faith. That part of my life is long gone, but the fascination with Christ arguably the first political dissident who changed the world remains (Karl Marx probably comes in second).
I first saw this film ten years ago, and saw it again just recently. Time has not dimmed the effectiveness of Scorsese's direction and the acting by the stellar cast. While Willem Dafoe takes the role of Jesus in his stride, I think most kudos go to Harvey Keitel as Judas Iscariot, shown as a political opportunist who wants to see the Romans crushed and the Kingdom of God established on earth; Judas is, alas, the ultimate man who missed the ultimate point. Special mention goes to Harry Dean Stanton as Saul the tax collector (later St. Paul) while Barbara Hershey is very effective as Mary Magdalene. David Bowie's (almost) cameo appearance as Pontius Pilate was adroitly casual, if not entirely indifferent about the man on trial.
The value in this narrative is that there may be more real truth in it than in some of the Gospels that were, after all, written many years after the actual crucifixion. Time, as we know, has a habit of playing tricks on our memories.
This is not the movie for hard-core believers in the New Testament. It's a finely stated exposition of a point of view about the nature of our humanity and one that demands consideration, whether or not you believe in God and an afterlife: very much a departure for Scorsese but one that is well worth the time to see.