Willem Dafoe Praises Martin Scorsese’s ‘The Last Temptation of Christ’

Director Martin Scorsese might be known for making some of the finest crime dramas around, such as Mean Streets, Goodfellas, Gangs of New York, and The Departed, but back in 1988, the Catholic auteur took a crack at bringing the story of Jesus to life in The Last Temptation of Christ. Based on Nikos Kazantzakis’ 1955 novel of the same name, the controversial film explored the struggles Jesus faced with various forms of temptation, including fear, doubt, and lust. Now, more than 35 years later, star Willem Dafoe is singing the praises of Scorsese’s movie, calling it “one of the best experiences” of his life.

Dafoe portrayed Jesus of Nazareth in The Last Temptation of Christ, which was shot on a budget of $7 million, and brought in a worldwide total of $33 million at the box office. Panned by religious organizations, critics — including Roger Ebert — lauded the movie and the script by Paul Schrader, saying that it “paid Christ the compliment of taking him and his message seriously.” The film remains a classic today, and is Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with an 82% rating, with fans giving it a slightly higher grade at 84%.

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Speaking with the Los Angeles Times about his more than four-decade career, Dafoe remembered his time on the set of The Last Temptation of Christ as being a positive one. Despite its brutal crucifixion scene and filming in grueling desert conditions, Dafoe called the experience “one of the best” he’s ever had as an actor.

“It was one of the best experiences I’ve had. People forget it was a low, low-budget movie. Shooting in Morocco, no trailers, Hollywood couldn’t have been further away. It was demanding, and I liked that. Throw me in the deep end, jump off the cliff, I’ll find my wings. That’s the best way. When I finished making that movie, I felt like, ‘Well, I gave it everything I had.’ That’s a good feeling.”

Martin Scorsese Plans to Make Another Movie About Jesus

Fresh off his critically acclaimed 2023 movie Killers of the Flower Moon, Scorsese might be looking to once more examine the life of Christ in a new film about Jesus he’s currently mulling over, and plans to finance himself. The best part? The 82-year-old director wants to make an appearance in the movie.

Speaking with Time magazine last year, Scorsese revealed that he’d like to take another crack at Jesus’ life, though at that point he wasn’t really sure what that looked like. “I don’t know what it’s going to be, exactly,” he said. “I don’t know what you’d call it. It wouldn’t be a straight narrative… But there would be staged scenes. And I’d be in it.”

There’s been little else said about the project since then, so it’s not entirely clear if Scorsese is still working on the movie, or if he’s turned his attention to something else. Reports came out earlier this year that it – along with his Frank Sinatra biopic – had been postponed, but that doesn’t mean he’s still not turning the idea over in his head. In the meantime, fans can check out The Last Temptation of Christ, which is available now on all VOD platforms.

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The Last Temptation of Christ

Release Date

August 12, 1988

Runtime

164 Minutes

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