35 years after the publication of The Last Temptation of ChristMartin Scorsese is preparing a new film about Jesus.
The legendary American filmmaker, who just celebrated his 81st birthday, revealed to the Los Angeles Times that the script for the feature film has already been written and he intends to shoot it in the coming months.
The director of “Taxi Driver” and “Goodfellas” is currently campaigning to promote his latest film “The American Note”’s nomination for the Oscars.
Scorsese's next film is titled “A Life of Jesus” and is based on the novel of the same name by Japanese author Shūsaku Endō. He will explore the teachings of Christ “without falling into proselytism,” the filmmaker told the Los Angeles Times.
Unlike “The Last Temptation of Christ,” the story of the film takes place in modern times.
“I'm trying to find a new way to do something [la religion] “The aim of the film is to make it more accessible and to remove the negativity that is often associated with organized religion,” explained Scorsese, who will co-direct the film with Kent Jones (Hitchcock/Truffaut).
“Right now, when you say the word religion, everyone is outraged because it has failed in many ways. But that doesn't necessarily mean that the initial impulse was bad. You can reject it [la religion]. But it could fundamentally change the way you live your life. I’m just saying don’t just dismiss it.”
We remember that the film “The Last Temptation of Christ” caused a scandal when it was released in 1998, particularly because Scorsese portrayed Jesus as a man – played by actor Willem Dafoe. In a very controversial scene, Jesus was even seen making love with his wife Mary Magdalene.
Martin Scorsese has often dealt with the theme of faith in his films. In 2016, he adapted another novel by Shūsaku Endō, Silence, for the big screen, which tells of the mission of Jesuit priests in Japan in the 17th century.