Was Jesus just a man with his limitations and needs, unwittingly called to a mission that exceeded him and filled him with regrets? The writer Nikos Kazantzakis brought his doubts to the role and was excommunicated by the Greek Orthodox Church in 1955. Under the direction of Martin Scorsese, his work became one of the most misunderstood films in the history of cinema and provoked disproportionate intolerance on the part of of the most conservative sectors.
The film was not screened until 1988 at the Venice Film Festival, supported by scenes of mass hysteria and unusual police control, and was banned or censored for years: the fanatical reaction of certain groups continued to manifest itself. Catholics were incapable of accepting the more human side of their redeemer.
