At Blockbuster, of all places. I remember, when the movie first came out, the then-owner of Blockbuster refused to stock it. Since I’m too lazy to find another video outlet, I never saw the film. Now that they’re under new ownership (are they publicly traded?), I guess they want my money more than they want to protect me from theological confusion (and good for them, I say).
I loved the book; it’s one of few that I’ve read more than once (so many books, so little time). So, given that I loved the book, I want some informed opinion – is the movie worth seeing for anything other than the now-discounted “shock” value of it?
It’s been a few years, but I recall thinking the movie was really well done on the whole. Not very salacious at all. The “Jesus/Mary M.” love sequences were tasteful and brief. . . and parts of Christ’s 40 days in the desert were somewhat “artily” done, at least for Scorcese. Fairly compelling.
And I mean, Martin Scorcese. It’s not like you should be worried. : ) Willem Dafoe as Jesus didn’t really work for me, but it’s not like he’s any hack either.
I saw TLToC when it came out, at a cinema in L.A. There were protesters marching around with signs and passing out flyers. When I left the theatre I thought, “What’s all the fuss?”
I saw it on its first run at the Little Art Theatre in Yellow Springs, Ohio. My theology professor (at my Lutheran college) encouraged her New Testament class to go, offering rides and even free tickets to the reluctant (I would have gone anyway). On my way out of the theatre someone tried to give me a Bible (“Read the real story!”…Gideon, the cheapskates), but everyone was cordial.
At the time and on later viewings, I thought the movie was very well done. Willem Dafoe as Jesus and Harvey Keitel as Judas would not have occurred to me…not to mention David Bowie as Pontius Pilate. Some people found the accents troublesome, but I though casting Englishmen as imperial Romans and having Jesus and his posse talk like New York Jews was kind of clever.
Many people my age (thirtysomething) are fond of the Peter Gabriel soundtrack, too.
I’m a recovering Catholic/agnostic. When I saw that movie for the first time four years ago, it made me wish that I had some religious faith. No movie has ever done that to me. It’s absolutely beautiful.
I’m an AME Methodist, my friends in college largely Baptist and Methodist or Episcopalian. But we had “movie night” once a week, and during one of my turns I picked this movie for my friends. They took one look at scrawny Willem DaFoe and all his self-loathing despair and decried it as “white folks’ take on Jesus”. But they watched.
Another half hour into the movie – during Jesus’ temptation in the desert – and they were all singing a different tune. The extended last third of the movie had them all absolutely riveted. The ending floored everybody.
Excellent. If you loved the book, yes, see the movie. Scorsese does a faithful adaptation.
I’m a devout atheist but am writing a dissertation on late Medieval religious art, so I have an anthropological openness to the narrative possibilities and a respect for belief. I haven’t read the boook but I like the movie a whole, whole lot. It makes Christianity mean a lot more to me than the other works. . .
tangent:
I mean, if JC knew for certain everything was going to be all right in the end and never had any thought of options or possiblities for his life, what was the big deal about his sacrifice? I mean, if I knew FOR CERTAIN that I was the son of God and would be resurrected and save mankind, et al, sure, go ahead and torture me for 12 hours and nail me to the cross, sheesh. Lots of people, historically have had worse days for no apparent reason. . . sorry, tangent. This paragraph belongs in GD. . .
Good film. I like how the character/motives of Judas are understood as complicated, as it should be. I like how JC gets to reclaim his human half in this version of the narrative. It’s something humans can understand. And the soundtrack is great.
I’ve gotta ask, were you going to school in Cedarville by any chance?
Mr. Zeldarae is from Yellow Springs (grew up and hung out with Dave Chapelle and his brother and sister) and I lived there with him for a few years in the early 90’s. I love the Little Art!
As to the OP’s question, I saw it in the original theatrical realease and was blown away (recovering Catholic, also). I must have been about 19 at the time. The oddity of my viewing was the fact of the theater where I saw it also served food and alcohol. So sitting there drinking a pitcher of beer while Jesus is in the desert is recomended.
The portrayal of Jesus of Nazareth was a total dealbreaker for me. Guy acted stooopid through the entire movie. Clueless. Box of rocks.
Duh, I, uh, guess I’m supposed to go get my ass killed now. Dunno why, none of this makes any sense to me, but a messiah’s gotta do what a messiah’s gotta do. But bummer, man. Oh, maybe I can play with the cute chicks instead? Yeah, that would be better, for sure. Oh, no, wait a minute. No, there’s this thing I’m s’posed to do, I better do it. It’s my job. I’m the savior. Time to go be the crucify-ee. Dang, I’m gonna be glad when this is over.
:rolleyes:
Getting it on with Mary Mag didn’t bother me. I don’t care who he fucketh. But Jesus (to coin a phrase), give the guy credit for having done some of what he did for reasons that made sense to him at the time.