The Last Temptation of Christ

It all began with Nikos Kazantzakis’ 1955 novel, for which the author was excommunicated from the Catholic Church. The book was given to Martin Scorsese by actress Barbara Hershey, who later played Mary Magdalene in the adaptation. The creator of Taxi Driver fought for a long time to direct The Last Temptation of Christ. Scorsese, who never conceal the importance of faith in both his art and life, was not looking for cheap sensationalism, but rather an intimate relationship with God and moving closer to the mystery of the absolute. In Willem Dafoe’s iconic interpretation, Jesus is first and foremost a man: an idealist and reformer full of doubts, not quite understanding the task Father sets before him. The Last Temptation of Christ restores to his character all the social subversiveness contained in the biblical text, later ossified in the teachings of the Church. What seems radically iconoclastic is in fact an attempt to return to the original source, a passionate search for truth, and a testament to a mature spirituality liberated from rigid dogma, making this film one of the most poignant religious films in history.

Katarzyna Kebernik

Martin Scorsese (born 1942) is one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, a master of storytelling and visual artistry. His films, such as Taxi Driver (1976), Raging Bull (1980), and GoodFellas (1990), redefined gangster and psychological cinema. He won an Oscar for The Departed (2007) and later impressed with the epic The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) and Killers of the Flower Moon (2023). Blending grand spectacles with intimate storytelling, he explores themes of guilt, redemption, and violence. His work is driven by passion, precision, and a deep understanding of human nature