The Last Temptation of Christ, based on a Greek novel, was directed by Martin Scorsese. The movie took a unique approach by portraying the human flaws and struggles of Jesus Christ. The film "depicted Christ being tempted by imagining himself engaged in sexual activities".
This creative choice, based on a novel, triggered an immediate backlash from conservative believers. Religious groups viewed the grounded portrayal as a direct insult to their faith. What started as peaceful opposition quickly spiraled into a hostile, nationwide campaign in the US. The hostility eventually crossed dangerous lines. Rallies took an ugly turn. "In one of the most extreme incidents of intimidation, a top Hollywood executive received a severed, bloody pig carcass at his office," a recent New Yorker article says.
The antisemitic rhetoric was shocking. Why did anti-Jewish commentary take off when Martin is a Catholic? The film was funded by MCA, the parent company owning Universal Pictures. The top executives running the studio at the time were Jewish.
The epic religious drama was released in 1988.
