Of all Martin Scorsese’s films the one that amazes me the most is The Last Temptation of Christ. Sure Raging Bull is a cinematographic wonder, Goodfellas a gritty mob classic, and Taxi Driver a mesmerizing descent into madness, but it’s the story of Christ as adapted from Nikos Kazantzakis’ controversial novel that maintains a powerful grip on my filmic psyche. Ethereal and sumptuous from start to finish, The Last Temptation of Christ is Scorsese’s overlooked masterpiece worthy of thorough examination.

In this scene, Jesus, superbly portrayed by Willem Dafoe, chastises those who claim to be devoid of sin and delivers a warning that there is a God, and HE is watching. This is just one of many extraordinary scenes in The Last Temptation of Christ: