The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)

[Bates_Motel]

Originally Posted by AnamorphicWidescreen

In any case, I remember the extreme controversy that this film experienced when it was first released in '88, though after re-watching the film & paying a lot more attention this time I really don't understand why the movie was such an issue for so many people.

I don't consider myself extremely religious but even if I was, I don't see the film as being critical or slamming religion or Christ - far from it. If you watch the movie carefully

[Show spoiler]Christ never actually gives in to his temptation to get married, have a family, etc. At the end of the film as he's dying he is just imagining what would have happened had he been tempted to live this type of life, but he doesn't actually do this. I'm not sure if all those who saw or heard about the film truly understood what was going on in the end, i.e. the scene when the small child (who represented the devil, I think) took him down from the cross & he ended up getting married, etc. only happened in his mind....

That's because the people and religious groups protesting the film hadn't actually seen it. They were just going by what they heard happened out of context.