MOSCOW, November 2 (RIA Novosti) – The Moscow Prosecutor’s Office is checking The Last Temptation of Christ, a 1988 movie by renowned US film director Martin Scorcese, for signs of extremism, the office’s spokesperson said.
The probe was launched at the request of State Duma deputy Viktor Grin, who claims that the film, which is still censored in Chile, Singapore and the Philippines, “insults the feeling of millions of [Christian] believers and has a negative impact on public morals.”
The Prosecutor’s Office “is currently conducting a psychological and linguistic probe of the film’s concept,” the spokesperson said.
The Last Temptation of Christ, based on the controversial novel by Greek writer Nikos Kazantzakis, retells the story of Jesus Christ. Due to its radical departures from the Gospel and subsequent protests against blasphemy, the low-budget film became a media sensation and brought Scorcese his second Academy Award nomination for Best Director.
The Last Temptation of Christ was shown in Russia on NTV channel in 1997 despite public protests, including a personal address from then-Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II.
