The Last Temptation of Christ · reception & legacy

How The Last Temptation of Christ has been received, argued over, and remembered.

The arc

In 1988 it sparked worldwide protests, bans, and even a firebombing of a Paris cinema screening it — mostly from people who hadn't seen it. Today it's widely regarded as one of Scorsese's most personal and sincerely devout films, and the controversy reads as the great irony of his career.

What's debated

The perennial debate: was the outrage ever about the actual film — which fans insist is a work of profound faith, not blasphemy — and does it belong in the top tier of Scorsese's canon or remain a noble, thorny outlier?

Its footprint

It's the benchmark against which every subsequent 'sacrilegious movie' panic gets measured, and Peter Gabriel's score 'Passion' became a landmark in its own right — endlessly reused and imitated. David Bowie turning up as Pontius Pilate remains a beloved bit of casting trivia.

Where it stands

A canon climber and essential Scorsese deep cut — the 'you haven't really done Scorsese until you've seen this' pick for cinephiles beyond the gangster films.

Named by the director

Influences Martin Scorsese has publicly named — the director's own word, distinct from the inferred lines of influence.

• The Gospel According to St. Matthew (1964) — Scorsese repeatedly cited Pasolini's stripped-down Gospel as the key modern Christ film he was responding to, wanting a similarly human, non-Hollywood Jesus.
• The Flowers of St. Francis (1950) — Scorsese has pointed to Rossellini's casual, humane treatment of sacred subject matter as a model for his own approach.