Thanks to Martin Scorsese...

[DerekG]

In lieu of Gibson's appalling exercise in brutality--"The Passion of the Christ"--I am even more grateful to the accomplished director for adapting the stunning mid-century novel into one of the unsung masterpieces of modern cinema.

I am grateful that Scorsese rejected the temptation to present us with the alien Christ, and instead embraced the construct of Jesus as existential hero. His casting of actor Willem Dafoe certainly fulfilled that ambition.

His Christ is the Messiah who yearns for romantic love; his is the Christ who seethes with righteous anger as prostitutes are nearly stoned to death in fits of religious zeal; his is the Christ who weeps when he sees what must be shunned if one is to be savior to humanity; his is the Christ who makes merry at weddings; his is the Christ who screams out "Why has thou forsaken me" not with soothing serenity, but with soul-quaking despair; and his is the Christ who conquers Satan and Death as he fufills an ethos of universal love.

The lover Christ.

The political Christ.

The revolutionary Christ.

This is the Christ I believe in--the Christ WE are capable of being.

And while Gibson's film is a valentine to evangelicals--many of whom already harbor an unhealthy fixation on violence and apocalypse--"The Last Temptation of Christ" is a love-letter to those who cherish the Christianity of Life.

Wherever you are, Mr. Scorsese, thank you.

[saltpoint]

1. Scorsese's film is arguably his best film ever.

Strong cast, right tone, just about perfect.

I'm buying you and Scorsese both a beer.

[NightTrain]

2. I'm an atheist, but even I liked the Jesus in Scorsese's film!

As I watched THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST (and subsequently read the 1959 novel by Nikos Kazantzakis), I thought, "If this is how Christ really was, then I can see why so many liberals and progressives admire him."

It's just a shame that so many people who consider themselves Christians rushed to boycott and protest the movie without even bothering to see it. As far as I could tell, it was one of the few truly religious films of the 1980s!

[H2O Man]

3. Oh, yeah!

I thought it was a great film. Not given its due, because it made people uncomfortable. The idea of sexuality and Jesus scares many people .... but when you think about a big, strong young man, traveling around the country-side, challenging authority ... there must have been a lot of young woman who found him appealing. It seems likely that he was married to Mary M., and must have been tempted to "retire" and live a quiet family life. Great movie.

[Leilani]

4. And Scorsese was harshly criticized!

Scorcese is my favorite director, & I can't believe he has never won the Academy Award.

My 2 favorites are Taxi Driver, & Goodfellas.

Also Willem Dafoe is one of my favorite actors.

[BeatleBoot]

5. I love his Blues series

Listened to it all day today...(and learned what I could)