1. The Last Temptation (The Last Temptation of Christ, 1988)
For the vast majority of the other films on this list, the dream sequences are complementary to the piece. They add to the unfolding story and give helpful clues into the mindset of the characters. Very few are the crux of the story the work is trying to convey. In Martin Scorsese's loving ode to the Christian Savior he takes the extremely controversial idea that Jesus was in fact... a flesh and blood human. He was born with all our strengths, and weaknesses. After inciting political rebellion against Rome, Jesus is being crucified one of the most horrible ways to die imaginable. The pain would be nearly unbearable, when all seems lost he is spared from the ordeal by a seemingly benevolent archangel sent by God. He feels the pain no more, his wounds are all healed and he isn't the Messiah after all. He can go on and live a normal life free from the responsibilities of being the offspring of the devine. He is finally able to give into his desires of the flesh with Mary. She dies later (as the Angel remarks, God wanted it this way) but he moves on and has children, a family who adore him and years pass. On his deathbed as Jerusalem burns, Judas comes to him to tell him how this wasn't suppose to be. How could he settle for this existence? He was supposed to die up there on the cross, a martyr for all to see, the archangel deceived him. Jesus realizes that for him, being human was never enough, not his purpose on earth, and asks to be put on the cross again. As he is revived from this hallucination he knows he has passed the last temptation: living life as just a man. "It is accomplished!" he screams, yes indeed immensely.
Honorable mentions:The Big Lebowski ("Gutterball"),
Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame ("Hellfire"), Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back (Yoda test Luke with his choices), A Christmas Carol (Anyone of them).