The central idea of the film is that Jesus Christ was simultaneously divine and human. This inner conflict is what defines his behaviour and it leads to the "Last Temptation" when he is on the cross - not sex, as some critics suggested, but domesticity; the chance to live a full life as a human being, which naturally includes sexual love. Throughout the film, we are presented with a Christ who understands what it is to be human, full of doubt and frustration at the demands placed on him by a powerful God. He is made a recognisable, sympathetic figure rather than the usual smiling piece of cardboard that we are used to from other religious films. There are many moments in the film which are inspired by events in the Gospels, but they are brought down to earth and made believable. Scenes such as the Sermon on the Mount and the resurrection of Lazarus are placed in a convincing historical context and consequently produce a new understanding of what they symbolise. The disciples are a likeable group of rag-tag dreamers from the streets who bring everything spiritual down to an easily comprehendable level. The decision to give them Brooklyn street accents was much derided, but as Paul Schrader points out on the commentary, they should really be speaking in Aramaic and, in any case, wouldn't necessarily have gone to elocution classes.

Willem Dafoe gives an extraordinary performance as Jesus - a virtually impossible part which has beaten many actors. He's vulnerable but intense, frequently switching moods as he gradually realises the plan God has worked out for him. He's matched by Harvey Keitel's Judas - an unfairly derided performance - and the scenes between them are the most powerful in the film. These two actors take sometimes abstract spiritual ideas and make them compelling drama, and Dafoe, in particular, triumphs in the most difficult scenes, those where he is required to express a great deal through very little action.

However, this is clearly a director's film first and foremost, and it's a remarkable piece of work. With 55 days of shooting and a restricted budget, Scorsese was forced to use all the skills that he learned from his days as one of Roger Corman's proteges. There's a sense of urgency to the film which belies its two and a half hour running time, and the camera set-ups are constantly surprising and imaginative. It's as though the subject, incredibly personal for Scorsese who once wanted to be a Catholic priest, has urged him to abandon the empty stylistics of "The Color Of Money" and rediscover his passion for elemental filmmaking. The film was shot in Morocco and it's no surprise that it looks quite stunning. The visual influences on the film are many and varied, from the paintings of Caravaggio to John Boorman's "Exorcist II The Heretic", although this aspect is sadly not explored as fully on the disc as it has been in interviews with Scorsese elsewhere. Every single frame is infused with a love of the subject and of the medium, and this is what makes it one of Scorsese's best films. Never at any time do you feel that he's just doing something to please his audience. This sort of inspired work helps me understand why people have to become filmmakers - they don't have a choice !

I could write about this film for several thousand words, but I'll resist the temptation and just mention a couple of other important aspects. Firstly, the music by Peter Gabriel is one of the most interesting scores of recent years. It combines traditional middle eastern music with contemporary rythems and comes up with something that is totally unique. Even if the visuals weren't emotionally overwhelming, you could close your eyes and be transported by the music score. Secondly, a word about the controversy which has attended the film ever since it was released. This was mostly stirred up by religious right wingers who had political and financial motives for their comments and was expressed in ways which were decidedly un-Christian, not to say anti-Semitic. In the cold light of day, I can understand why someone might feel offended by the film if they believe that the Bible contains the only truth about Jesus Christ. But, blasphemous the film is not. It's a sincere, tactful - sometimes too tactful - statement of belief, from the heart of a great artist, and in a free country it's the sort of thing that has a right to exist. I'm not a Christian, nor do I have any particular religious beliefs, but this film spoke to me in a very emotional and personal way and, as it ends up with a strong statement of Christ's divinity, I can't imagine any open-minded Christian feeling anything but heartened by the film.

So, enough raving about the film, let's rave about the disc. This is a Criterion Collection release and it lives up to the label's reputation for excellence. There are no flaws on this disc and I recommend it unreservedly. My only complaints are very small niggles about what has been missed out.

The picture quality is flat-out stunning. Having seen this film on the big screen when it was released, I was aware of how spectacular the images were, but it never really came over well on video. On DVD, however, the images are beyond criticism. Crisp, clear, rich in colour and well defined in contrast, the picture is wonderful. I couldn't see any artifacting, although some of the dimly lit night scenes present an obvious challenge, and the image is totally free from grain. This is reference quality stuff. It's an anamorphic transfer - a relatively new departure for Criterion - and is presented in the correct 1.85:1 aspect ratio. Incidentally, make sure you don't have your DVD player set on "4:3 pan and scan" rather than "letterbox", because the disc will then cut off the sides and make the image look horrendous. This is accidental, but shouldn't affect most viewers.

The soundtrack is also very pleasing. The original Dolby Stereo soundtrack has been remixed into very impressive Dolby Digital 5.1. It's a wonderfully involving surround track that successfully emphasises the music track without drowning the ambient effects or the dialogue.

There are a number of impressive extras. The best is certainly the audio commentary. What makes this particularly exciting is that it's the first time Scorsese has recorded a track for one of his own films. Naturally, he is fascinating, although the commentary track also includes contributions from Jay Cocks, Paul Schrader and Willem Dafoe. All of them have interesting comments, but Scorsese is relaxed, witty and riveting. I wish he had been given a track to himself, to be honest, although Schrader is very revealing about the theological aspects of the film. I also liked the description of Willem Dafoe, dressed as Christ with a fag hanging out of his mouth. As usual with Criterion, the commentary is well edited without any of that embarrassing giggling and lengthy pausing that afflict other commentaries.

There is also some fascinating "home movie" footage from the location shoot in 1987, shot by Scorsese with a video camera. This only lasts 14 minutes, but it's a revealing insight into the day to day frustrations of making a film. Interesting to see the actors relaxing as well - I was particularly surprised to see how casual and funny Harvey Keitel seems to be in real life. This material is of low quality, as you would expect given the source. We also get an interview with Peter Gabriel about how the music score was assembled and pictures of the various unusual instruments used. A bibliography is included, with a lengthy but interesting article about archaeological material. Finally, there are a generous assortment of stills and costume designs which are worth lingering over.

There are an acceptable 30 chapters and the packaging includes an essay on the film from the established critic David Ehrenstein.

My only criticism of the extras is that there is no visual coverage of the major controversy engendered by the film. This would have provided more than enough material for a documentary, possibly along the lines of "The Battle for Brazil".

The package is generally a triumph. Criterion have finally done a Scorsese film proud, and I hope that they get their hands on "The Age of Innocence" or "Mean Streets" at some stage. I strongly recommend the film to everyone who hasn't seen it. It's a pivotal work in Scorsese's career and proves conclusively to any doubters that there is more to him that flashy editing and Joe Pesci kicking people's heads in - not that there's anything wrong with that. Yet again, Criterion have produced a disc that will enhance any collection.

Mike Sutton