2. The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)
Another religious film, The Last Temptation of Christ got itself into trouble for portraying Jesus as a human man with wants and needs which didn't sit well with religious people who wanted their Christ more.. Christlike. For me the most controversial scene is when an angel comes to Jesus as he is on the cross and tells him he is not the son of God or the Messiah. He escapes invisible from the cross and goes on to have a child and lead an idyllic life with Mary Magdalene. Unfortunately, she dies suddenly and he takes Lazarus' two daughters as his wives. He has a peaceful life with them and many children. When he is an old man, Jesus calls some of the apostles to his bed side. They say that the angel who helped him off the cross was in fact Satan. Jesus crawls through a war torn Jerusalem to his crucifixion site and begs God to let himself be his son. Jesus is once more on the cross. He has passed the last temptation of getting married and not dying. Mankind is saved and Jesus shouts 'It is accomplished!' This radical departure from Gospel narrative has offended many Catholic countries. Even if it is just a supposition of what Jesus' life would have been like had he not been crucified. I think Jesus was probably a more complex figure than the Gospels portrayed him. I'm sure he had his doubts and temptations. Kudos to Scorsese for having the cojones to tackle this one.