Willem Dafoe recently opened up about the intense controversy that surrounded his 1988 film The Last Temptation of Christ during a career masterclass at the Sarajevo Film Festival. The veteran actor, who was at the festival to receive the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo award, reflected on one of cinema’s most controversial religious films and the shocking backlash it received from religious groups.
The film, directed by Martin Scorsese, depicted Jesus as a man struggling with human desires and temptations, including fear, doubt, and lust. This portrayal was vastly different from traditional biblical films and sparked massive protests before it was even released. Conservative Christian groups organized boycotts, theater chains refused to show the movie, and some religious leaders even called for all copies to be destroyed.
