Bob Dylan’s Favorite Movie Is Martin Scorsese’s Controversial ’80s Masterpiece – SlashFilm

Musician Bob Dylan, the trailblazing singer/songwriter, was final seen on the large display — a minimum of in a completely scripted, non-documentary capability — in Larry Charles’ 2003 dystopian drama “Masked and Nameless.” Within the movie, Dylan performs a really Dylan-like music legend named Jack Destiny who, after a stint in jail, is enlisted to carry out in a profit live performance. Regardless of a powerful solid, “Masked” is a reasonably crummy film with unclear politics, amateurish manufacturing, and a lazy, freewheeling high quality that makes your complete film really feel made up on the spot. 

However then, Dylan’s performing selections have at all times been a bit off-middle. In 1999, he performed a chauffeur in a neo-noir referred to as “Paradise Cove.” Earlier than that, he appeared within the 1990 thriller “Catchfire,” directed by Alan Smithee (actually Dennis Hopper). In 1987, he had a uncommon starring position in Richard Marquand’s drama “Hearts of Hearth.” You most likely have not seen these motion pictures. 

It is a good factor that Dylan is healthier recognized for his music, which has earned him just a few awards. He has an Oscar for penning “Issues Have Modified” for the 2001 film “Surprise Boys,” which additionally netted him a Golden Globe. He is additionally gained 10 Grammys, in addition to a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Oh sure, and he is additionally been inducted into the Rock and Roll Corridor of Fame. 

Oh sure, and he additionally has a Pulitzer Prize, a Presidential Medal of Freedom, an honorary doctorate from Princeton, and a Nobel Prize in Literature. And extra.

Because it occurs, he additionally has attention-grabbing style in motion pictures. On the Beacon Theater in 2019, Dylan was caught on tape (with the recording posted on X/Twitter) declaring that he was a giant fan of Martin Scorsese’s controversial 1988 non secular epic “The Final Temptation of Christ.”

Within the audio recording, Dylan, talking off the cuff, stated: 

“Martin Scorsese, he is on the market. He is one in all most likely the perfect administrators ever. My favourite film, I informed him earlier than, is ‘The Final Temptation of Christ.’ I believe he is gonna make one for ‘The First Temptation’ one in all as of late. Proper, Marty? […] You simply received to, for me.”

Dylan was clearly making a bit dad-stage joke together with his “First Temptation” crack; there was nothing about “The Final Temptation of Christ” that warranted or demanded a prequel. 

“The Final Temptation of Christ” is, in fact, Scorsese’s extremely contentious movie adaptation of Nikos Kazantzakis’ 1955 e book of the identical title. It’s a modernized biography of Jesus of Nazareth (Willem Dafoe) and particulars his life, with a particular concentrate on the assorted human temptations that he confronted, even because the Messiah. In Scorsese’s movie, Christ was usually fearful, extra usually uncertain, and even expressed lust. The “Final Temptation” of the title is the temptation of Jesus, whereas being crucified, to think about a human life for himself. He can return to his pals, marry Mary Magdalene (Barbara Hershey), and stay to be a really outdated man. He’s tempted to resign being the Messiah. It is a heady movie in regards to the nature of Christ and the humanity of a godly determine. 

The movie sported a powerful solid, with Harvey Keitel as Judas Iscariot, Harry Dean Stanton as Paul, and David Bowie as Pontius Pilate. The controversy surrounding “The Final Temptation of Christ” has been properly-documented right here at /Movie. There have been many protests from church teams who discovered the very ideas in “Temptation” to be blasphemous, however any movie with such ire surrounding it’s positively price seeing.

Bob Dylan favored Martin Scorsese’s film, and, maybe naturally, Scorsese beloved Bob Dylan’s music. Certainly, Dylan and Scorsese have crossed paths a number of instances of their respective careers, going all the best way again to the 1974 live performance movie “The Final Waltz, which /Movie referred to as the most effective music documentaries of all time. That movie targeted on the farewell tour of The Band, however featured scads of particular performances, together with a brief set from Bob Dylan. 

In 2005, Scorsese and Dylan teamed up once more, this time with Dylan because the star. The pair made the 208-minute “No Course Dwelling: Bob Dylan,” which can be as full a filmed biography as we might ever have of the musical legend. (/Movie additionally referred to as “No Course Dwelling” the most effective music documentaries of all time.) It is nearly like Scorsese and Dylan match properly collectively. Each, in any case, are often thought of among the many most essential of all American artists. 

However Scorsese and Dylan weren’t completed working collectively. In 2019, Scorsese made “Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese.” That movie is a curious collaboration, as Dylan and Scorsese ostensibly lined the actual-life occasions following Dylan’s 1975 “Rolling Thunder Revue” tour, however in addition they impishly combined in interviews with fictional characters, and included some false anecdotes. Solely a Dylan scholar would possibly be capable to spot instantly which segments are documentary footage, and which of them are fictional. Sharon Stone performs herself, however makes up a completely false story about her interactions with Dylan on the “Thunder” tour. Dylan himself claims, on digital camera, that he does not keep in mind the 1975 tour, however Scorsese’s film is clearly meant to muddy the waters, not clear issues up.