The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) — Scorsese, Schrader, Controversy, and the Catholic Backlash

It’s all been building up to this. The Last Temptation of Christ is one of the most, if not the most, controversial films of the 1980s—and of Martin Scorsese’s career. Willem Dafoe plays Jesus, but this isn’t your grandmother’s technicolor epic Messiah. This Jesus wrestles with violence, lust, and self-doubt. Naturally, the film enraged many Christians. There were boycotts, bans, death threats against Scorsese, and even a terrorist bombing by Catholic Integralists. Cisco and Bill were too scared to go it alone—so they brought in fellow Detroit native Eric Kiska from A24 on the Rocks to ask: Is The Last Temptation of Christ a good film? Is it offensive to Christians—or to Jesus himself? Did people overreact? Tangents include: David Bowie’s worst haircut, Pasolini’s Gospel According to St. Matthew, Pope Gregory's lies about Mary Magdalene, and (you guessed it) another loaf of bread in cinema. 👕Check out our new Merch Store! We've got t-shirts, hats, tote bags and branded denim jackets! 📚Support us and local booksellers via Libro.fm here. 📲 Follow us on our socials at Instagram and Tiktok.