Film Screening: 'The Last Temptation of Christ'

Winona State University's English Department, Mass Communication Department, Sociology Department, Darrell W. Krueger Library and Sounds of Cinema are sponsoring a screening of the motion picture The Last Temptation of Christ on Thursday, April 10th, 2014 at 7pm in the Stark Hall Auditorium at Winona State University. The event is free and open to the public.



Directed by Martin Scorsese and based on the novel by Nikos Kazantzakis, The Last Temptation of Christ is a fictional take on the life of Jesus, dramatizing the struggle between earthly desires and higher callings. Roger Ebert wrote, “This film is likely to inspire more serious thought on the nature of Jesus than any other ever made.” Ebert’s prediction was partly correct. When it premiered in 1988, The Last Temptation of Christ incited a fierce public debate. But, as is often the case with controversial movies, the arguments over the film had little to do with its actual content and many of the charges against it were irrelevant, disingenuous, and stupid. This reaction was unjustified and unfortunate. Scorsese and his filmmaking crew went about making this picture with an earnest regard for the subject matter and at the very least The Last Temptation of Christ is one of the most interesting religious pictures ever made. It remains a challenging film but it is worthy of serious consideration by believers and non-believers alike.

The Last Temptation of Christ is rated R by the MPAA. 

A webpage with links to reviews and essays on The Last Temptation of Christ can be found here.

Check out the Facebook event page here.

Questions about the screening can be referred to: nwardinski@winona.edu.