The Last Temptation of Christ | Rotten Tomatoes

The Last Temptation of Christ

R

Released Aug 12, 1988

2 hr. 44 min.

Drama

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List

82%

104 Reviews

Tomatometer

84%

25,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Jesus (Willem Dafoe), 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 (Harvey Keitel) -- 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. As he is put to death on the cross, Jesus is tempted by visions of an ordinary life married to Mary Magdalene (Barbara Hershey).

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Critics Consensus

Contrary to accusations of irreverence, The Last Temptation of Christ's biggest sins are actually languid pacing and some tinny dialogue -- but Martin Scorsese's passion for the subject shines through in an oft-transcendent rumination on faith.

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Joshua T

You think this better than The Passion of the Christ, that dumb

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

04/07/24

Full Review

Michael V

The Last Temptation of Christ is a 1988 epic religious drama film directed by Martin Scorsese ✝️ It's good 🙂 I'd recommend it if you like this genre 👍🏼 An interesting perspective, but too long… 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.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/24

Full Review

sopita d

que podría decir de esta película solamente es Jesús, un hombre convertido en el mesías, no importa sus deseos o tentaciones ni siquiera su muerte. Lo que verdaderamente importancia es el, el símbolo que representa su muerte.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

12/17/23

Full Review

Code X

Hard to follow, horrible over acting and terrible slow moving

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

11/16/23

Full Review

Elew G

A very cool Jesus film.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/11/23

Full Review

Jason W

I am amazed by all the positive reviews of this film. I usually love Martin Scorsese films however, this one was a meandering mess, and I had no clue what the heck he was trying to say. A very bad movie . The acting is horrible especially for the first hour of the film and when he says it's not based on the gospels… no kidding this Jesus has nothing to do with the Jesus of the Bible or history for that matter. Simply one of the worst movies I've ever seen. Having said that I usually love Scorsese films so many great ones. But on this one, it was a huge swing and a miss for me. I am still utterly shocked that people can even give this movie a positive review. Even the set pieces were terrible. The acting, script and point of the film. How can you have a guy portrayed Jesus as a scared wimp. You might as well just go out and make a farce of a comedy. If you're going to throw out the gospels when trying to tell the story of Jesus. Mel Brooks, the history of the world was a farce and a comedy and worked well on most levels. However, this film is just a major disappointment for me , anyways, I hope he's not going to go back to telling more stories about Jesus. I saw an interview where he said he planned on doing that. I think this is a subjec he should just leave alone and stick to subjects that he has a better grasp of.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

10/16/23

Full Review

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Martin Scorsese

Director

Willem Dafoe

Jesus of Nazareth

Harvey Keitel

Judas Iscariot

Barbara Hershey

Mary Magdalene

Paul Greco

Zealot

Verna Bloom

Mary

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The Last Temptation of Christ: Official Clip - The Last Supper

3:25

The Last Temptation of Christ: Official Clip - Guardian Angel at Golgotha

2:56

The Last Temptation of Christ: Official Clip - I Want To Be The Messiah!

2:31

The Last Temptation of Christ: Official Clip - Pontius Pilate

3:33

The Last Temptation of Christ: Official Clip - Tempted by Satan

3:33

The Last Temptation of Christ: Official Clip - Crown of Thorns

3:22

The Last Temptation of Christ: Official Clip - Paul's False Testimony

4:24

The Last Temptation of Christ: Official Clip - The Crucifixion

2:25

The Last Temptation of Christ: Official Clip - Jesus' Heart

3:05

The Last Temptation of Christ: Official Clip - The Cleansing of the Temple

3:43

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The Last Temptation of Christ: Trailer 1

1:44

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Kathleen Sachs

Chicago Reader

...shockingly potent, leaving me in tears...

Dec 27, 2022

Full Review

Jay Scott

Globe and Mail

Scorsese and Schrader have made a courageous film that people of all religions or no religion should be able to watch with identical fascination.

Dec 7, 2022

Full Review

Jay Carr

Boston Globe

It's a challenging film in the best sense, a gritty, deeply felt effort to renew the significance of Christ in terms of contemporary experience, and one that reminds us of how radical Christ was.

May 6, 2022

Full Review

Michael Bronski

Gay Community News (Boston)

The film is a fine and powerful statement of religious and political conviction.

Sep 14, 2022

Full Review

Rene Jordan

El Nuevo Herald (Miami)

A marvelous film…more genuinely Christian than the ridiculous parodies in the style of King of Kings, and Cecil B DeMille. [Full review in Spanish]

Jun 15, 2022

Full Review

Stephen Hunter

Baltimore Sun

It's a powerful if flawed film, made not to blaspheme but to explore. It's a Christian film in the best sense of that word.

Rated: 3/4

May 6, 2022

Full Review

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Synopsis

Jesus (Willem Dafoe), 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 (Harvey Keitel) -- 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. As he is put to death on the cross, Jesus is tempted by visions of an ordinary life married to Mary Magdalene (Barbara Hershey).

Director: Martin Scorsese
Executive Producer: Harry J. Ufland
Distributor: Universal Pictures, Criterion Collection
Production Co: Universal Pictures
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 12, 1988, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 18, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $8.2M
Sound Mix: Surround

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