| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Willem Dafoe | ... | ||
| Harvey Keitel | ... | ||
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Paul Greco | ... |
Zealot
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| Steve Shill | ... |
Centurian
(as Steven Shill)
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| Verna Bloom | ... | ||
| Barbara Hershey | ... | ||
| Roberts Blossom | ... | ||
| Barry Miller | ... | ||
| Gary Basaraba | ... | ||
| Irvin Kershner | ... |
Zebedee
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| Victor Argo | ... | ||
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Michael Been | ... | |
| Paul Herman | ... | ||
| John Lurie | ... | ||
| Leo Burmester | ... |
Nathaniel, Apostle
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The carpenter, Jesus of Nazareth, tormented by the temptations of demons, the guilt of making crosses for the Romans, pity for men and the world, and the constant call of God, sets out to find what God wills for Him. But as His mission nears fulfillment, He must face the greatest temptation; the normal life of a good man. Based, not on the Gospels, but on Nikos Kazantzakis' novel of the same name. Written by Nick Lopez <ntlopez@fas.harvard.edu>
Despite what its critics say (most of whom haven't even seen the movie), "The Last Temptation of Christ" is one of the most deeply religious movies I have ever seen. What makes it so powerful is that it does not portray Jesus as an all-righteous, preachy figure; it portrays Him as a man. He was the son of God, but more importantly He was human. He could hurt, love, feel pain and joy, and He could make mistakes just like any of us. He had to overcome temptation. Martin Scorsese, for whom this was a long labor of love, directs a beautiful movie with all around excellent performances, particularly Harvey Keitel as Judas and Willem Defoe as Jesus. The "Last Temptation" segment which draws most of the movie's criticism, is the most important part of all because it shows how close God truly is to us, if only those critics would watch the movie before judging it, they might realize that.