The Last Temptation of Christ: Everett Collection

The Last Temptation of Christ

THE CONTROVERSY Martin Scorsese's adaptation of Nikos Kazantzakis' novel portrayed Christ (Willem Dafoe, center) as someone who had to struggle with his humanity — including fantasies of rejecting his destiny and living out a fleshly existence with Mary Magdalene (Barbara Hershey, left) — before ultimately accepting his divinity and sacrificing himself on the cross. Judas (Harvey Keitel, right) is portrayed as heroic for agreeing to fulfill God's plan by betraying Jesus.

THE FIRESTORM Though the Catholic Scorsese defended his film as an affirmation of faith, several Christian groups called Temptation sacrilegious. Some activists offered to buy all the negatives in order to destroy them, while others called for a boycott of Universal. Scorsese and top Universal executives received death threats, and some anti-Semitic protesters blamed a cabal of Jewish executives for releasing the film.

THE AFTERMATH The controversy failed to draw moviegoers — Temptation grossed just $8.3 million in theaters and made religious topics anathema in Hollywood for years afterward.