The Last Temptation of Christ

The Last Temptation of Christ has built a devoted audience in the US on Criterion Channel among viewers who want their drama to earn its emotional beats. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. A 7/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Willem Dafoe anchors it with a performance that rewards close attention. Put it on tonight on Criterion Channel and see for yourself.

The Last Temptation of Christ is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. The Last Temptation of Christ trusts its audience to sit with discomfort instead of resolving it too quickly. Jesus, a humble Judean carpenter beginning to see that he is the son of God, is drawn into revolutionary action against the Roman occupiers by Judas -- despite his protestations that love, not violence, is the path to salvation. The burden of being the savior of mankind torments Jesus throughout his life, leading him to doubt. Willem Dafoe and Harvey Keitel lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 1988. What elevates The Last Temptation of Christ is a refusal to let any character off the hook too easily. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

For anyone looking for storytelling that takes its characters seriously, The Last Temptation of Christ delivers. It stands on its own even without an obvious comparison point. Best experienced as a single, sustained watch from start to finish. Willem Dafoe carries the material with a performance that rewards close attention. Worth starting sooner rather than later.