The Last Temptation of Christ

Martin Scorsese's controversial 1988 adaptation of Nikos Kazantzakis' novel, in which Jesus Christ (Willem Dafoe) experiences doubt concerning his chosen role as mankind's savior, is here given the red carpet Criterion treatment with a crystal-clear, luminous widescreen digital transfer and a new Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack (that beautifully captures the nuances of Peter Gabriel's haunting score). The audio commentary by Scorcese, Dafoe, screenwriter Paul Schrader, and film historian Jay Cocks is consistently interesting and illuminating, although the home video footage shot by Scorsese on location is rather mundane. The disc also features research articles, production stills and costume designs. Highly recommended. (R. Pitman)[Blu-ray Review—Mar. 13, 2012—Criterion, 163 min., R, $39.95—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1988's The Last Temptation of Christ sports a great transfer with DTS-HD 5.1 sound. Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director Martin Scorsese, star Willem Dafoe, and writers Paul Schrader and Jay Cocks, “On Location in Morocco” behind-the-scenes footage shot by Scorsese (16 min.), an interview with composer Peter Gabriel (12 min.), photo galleries (of instruments used in the score, costume design, research and production), and a booklet featuring an essay by film critic David Ehrenstein. Bottom line: a welcome Blu-ray debut for this controversial contemporary classic.]