I do not quite understand what Martin Scorcese hoped to accomplish to making this film. It is not really an accurate film about the historic figure of Christ, since the character bears little resemblance to him. Neither is it a religious film, since Scorcese shows little reverence for his subject.
As the movie begins, Jesus tells the audience that he has been hearing voices. We then see Jesus back at home and hard at work carving a cross for the Romans, who are preparing to crucify a Jewish prophet whose only crime seems to have been to announce that the Messiah was coming. Jesus is confronted by Judas Iscariot, a supposed friend of his, who belates Jesus for cooperating with the Romans in crucifying his fellow Jews. "You are worse than they are," he yells at Jesus.
After the crucifixtion of the hapless prophet, during which Jesus actually drives the nails into the prophet's wrists and ankles, Jesus is led by his voices to the village of Magdelene, where he finds his childhood friend Mary in a brothel. Having arrived at the brothel, he then proceeds to sit on the floor in front of Mary's bed and watch her work her magic on the other men in the room. Only after everyone has finished "visiting" Mary does he suggest to her that her profession may not be an ideal line of work, and she responds by questioning his manhood.
As Jesus travels around Judea, he meets different people, most of whom are wiser than he. Perhaps the most meaningful interaction is the one he has with John the Baptist, who is heading a baptism movement. The movement, like most of the events in this movie, has sexual undertones. When Jesus tells John that he preaches love, John tells him that God is not about love, he is about "the ax". After watching a crowd of people try to stone Mary Magdelene to death for adultery, he becomes convinced that John was right and fills with anger. He tells the crowds that come to hear him speak that he will "burn" them and that he is building an "army".
What makes the film problematic is not that Jesus is tempted by the very human desire to have a wife and children, and to avoid suffering, but that he is shown as morally weak, and as Mary Magdelene put it "pitiful."
Some people may object to seeing Jesus flogged and crucified naked, but that is how the Romans did these things. True, seeing Jesus naked is akin to seeing you brother or father naked, and is sure to make you wince if you have an ounce of reverence for him. Perhaps the most disconcerting scene is the sex scene between Jesus and Mary Magdelene. If Scorcese would have shown Mary with a baby after marrying Jesus, we would have gotten the picture.
As a film, it is largely well done. The music and visuals are beautiful, and Jesus' miracles are shown better than they have been in some other films (particularly the casting out of demons). However, the part of the movie between Jesus' removal from the cross and his return to it (you have to see the movie to know what I am talking about) is too long.
Scorcese puts a disclaimer at the beginning of the film that the movie is not based on the gospels, but on a fictional novel. The problem is that the movie still deals with a historical figure and the center of a major religious movement. Furthermore, Scorcese puts enough of the gospels into the movie to twist Jesus' words. If Scorcese wanted to show the eternal struggle between body and spirit, he should have found a fictional character to show it, not someone who actually lived. Scorcese's treatment of Jesus' life goes beyond mere creative license, and borders on character assassination.
As the movie begins, Jesus tells the audience that he has been hearing voices. We then see Jesus back at home and hard at work carving a cross for the Romans, who are preparing to crucify a Jewish prophet whose only crime seems to have been to announce that the Messiah was coming. Jesus is confronted by Judas Iscariot, a supposed friend of his, who belates Jesus for cooperating with the Romans in crucifying his fellow Jews. "You are worse than they are," he yells at Jesus.
After the crucifixtion of the hapless prophet, during which Jesus actually drives the nails into the prophet's wrists and ankles, Jesus is led by his voices to the village of Magdelene, where he finds his childhood friend Mary in a brothel. Having arrived at the brothel, he then proceeds to sit on the floor in front of Mary's bed and watch her work her magic on the other men in the room. Only after everyone has finished "visiting" Mary does he suggest to her that her profession may not be an ideal line of work, and she responds by questioning his manhood.
As Jesus travels around Judea, he meets different people, most of whom are wiser than he. Perhaps the most meaningful interaction is the one he has with John the Baptist, who is heading a baptism movement. The movement, like most of the events in this movie, has sexual undertones. When Jesus tells John that he preaches love, John tells him that God is not about love, he is about "the ax". After watching a crowd of people try to stone Mary Magdelene to death for adultery, he becomes convinced that John was right and fills with anger. He tells the crowds that come to hear him speak that he will "burn" them and that he is building an "army".
What makes the film problematic is not that Jesus is tempted by the very human desire to have a wife and children, and to avoid suffering, but that he is shown as morally weak, and as Mary Magdelene put it "pitiful."
Some people may object to seeing Jesus flogged and crucified naked, but that is how the Romans did these things. True, seeing Jesus naked is akin to seeing you brother or father naked, and is sure to make you wince if you have an ounce of reverence for him. Perhaps the most disconcerting scene is the sex scene between Jesus and Mary Magdelene. If Scorcese would have shown Mary with a baby after marrying Jesus, we would have gotten the picture.
As a film, it is largely well done. The music and visuals are beautiful, and Jesus' miracles are shown better than they have been in some other films (particularly the casting out of demons). However, the part of the movie between Jesus' removal from the cross and his return to it (you have to see the movie to know what I am talking about) is too long.
Scorcese puts a disclaimer at the beginning of the film that the movie is not based on the gospels, but on a fictional novel. The problem is that the movie still deals with a historical figure and the center of a major religious movement. Furthermore, Scorcese puts enough of the gospels into the movie to twist Jesus' words. If Scorcese wanted to show the eternal struggle between body and spirit, he should have found a fictional character to show it, not someone who actually lived. Scorcese's treatment of Jesus' life goes beyond mere creative license, and borders on character assassination.