The Last Temptation of Christ story
The Last Temptation of Christ is a 1988 epic religious drama film directed by Martin Scorsese. Written by Paul Schrader with uncredited rewrites from Scorsese and Jay Cocks, it is an adaptation of Nikos Kazantzakis' controversial 1955 novel of the same name. The film, starring Willem Dafoe, Harvey Keitel, Barbara Hershey, Andre Gregory, Harry Dean Stanton and David Bowie, was shot entirely in Morocco. The film depicts the life of Jesus Christ and his struggle with various forms of temptation including fear, doubt, depression, reluctance, and lust.
29 total · 1 choice · 7 major · 21 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| resisting a temptation | choice | The title alludes to Jesus' struggle with various earthly temptations, including lust, power, and, perhaps most notably, the desire to lead an ordinary life and have a family. |
| betrayal | major | The story built up to Judas pointedly, but reluctantly betraying Jesus by sharing intel on the Savior's location with the local authorities. |
| god and follower | major | The story delves into the Jesus' relationship with God. |
| human self-sacrifice | major | The story builds up to and concludes with Jesus dying willingly on the cross to save humankind from their manifold sins. |
| life in the ancient Greco-Roman world | major | The story depicts the life of Jesus Christ in Roman occupied Judea. |
| remorse | major | Jesus generally exuded an aire of guilt. The prostitute Madgalen denied him forgiveness before he set out into into the desert. He was denied. He at one point spoke of being ashamed for all the "wrong ways" he'd "looked at God". |
| revolution in society | major | Jesus' followers were hankering for an armed revolt against their Roman occupiers. |
| the Devil | major | Satan appeared to Jesus in various guises. First, in the form of a lion, offering Rome to the Savior of humanity. Soon after, in the form of fire. In the later part of the film, Jesus lived out his life in the presence of Satan himself in the guise of his guardian angel. |
| angel | minor | Satan appeared to Jesus in the guise of an innocent angel. |
| capital punishment | minor | Magdalen was about to be stoned for prostituting herself on the Sabbath. |