Martin Scorsese: Ranking His Movies From Worst To Best

5. The Last Temptation Of Christ

No other subject matter is more appropriate for Martin Scorsese's fascination with sin, guilt and redemption than the story of Christ, and it is to the life of Jesus he turned for The Last Temptation of Christ, a movie which caused more controversy than anything else the great director made. Willem Defoe plays Jesus with a searching probity, his doubts etched firmly on his rugged face. Whereas most Biblical-themed movies lean towards an over-earnestness which deprives it of anything to challenge the audience, The Last Temptation of Christ isn't afraid to pose difficult questions about the nature of faith. The controversy at the time of its release tended to overshadow Scorsese's real accomplishment - The Last Temptation of Christ is an ambitious work which throws up some challenging questions; it's certainly a considerably maturer work than the more recent Mel Gibson film The Passion of the Christ.