The Last Temptation of Christ

EXT. NAZARETH - MORNING

From above:
Flying close over a thick grove of olive trees.

MUSIC fades into the sound of wings beating through the air.

We hear (OVER) the voice of a young man, thoughtful but

strong.

JESUS (V.O.)

The feeling begins. It's a light

tingling at first. Right on the top

of my head. Very tender. Like a

caress. Soft wings carrying me to

Paradise. Then the pain starts.

Now we see JESUS, the son of Mary, 28 years-old, sleeping

under an olive tree. The mid-morning sun (OVER-EXPOSED) shines

on his stubby face. He is dreaming.

JESUS (V.O.)

It feels like the bird has grabbed

me from behind. Just above the neck.

Talons slip underneath the skin and

work and claw their way up the back

of my neck. Then the real pain begins.

Each claw digs into the soft matter

behind my brain, and then across the

top of my head toward my eyes. Just

before they reach my eyes, they dig

down...

Jesus wakens. He looks around.

JESUS (V.O.)

And I remember. I have to make a

cross.

While he is still speaking he reaches up to touch the back

of his head, where the pain started. He pulls his fingers

away. There is blood on them.

CUT TO:

INT. CARPENTER'S WORKSHOP - DAY

Jesus shapes a long piece of timber with an adze. His patched

tunic rests on the workbench. Walls are hung with tools.

A nail-studded belt hangs from a hook above his head. The

belt is speckled with dried blood. Two drops of fresh blood

drip off the belt onto the ground.

JESUS (V.O.)

At first I fasted for three months.

Then I whipped myself before sleeping.

At first it worked, then the headaches

returned. I know it's God. Or the

devil. Who can tell them apart? They

exchange faces; God sometimes becomes

all darkness, the devil all light,

and they become confused in my mind.

Outside, there are NOISES of a crowd gathering nearby.

Undistracted, he finishes off the piece of timber, which has

become the crossbar of a cross. He places the crossbar between

two brackets on the wall, then puts himself halfway between

them and stretches out his arms, gauging the proper

proportion.

CUT TO:

EXT. NAZARETH STREET - DAY

Narrow and crowded with citizens on their way to a

crucifixion. A ROMAN SOLDIER watches them with professional

disinterest. His armour is non-existent, his uniform is

certainly not splendid. He looks like a sloppy traffic cop.

PEOPLE come from behind him and walk in front.

Over the soldier's left shoulder appears a man with blazing

red hair and beard, moving with the crowd. He walks close

behind the soldier for just a moment. Very professionally,

he cuts his throat. The soldier falls to the ground. The man

keeps walking calmly and the camera follows as, in the

background, people start to notice that a soldier has been

stabbed.

A WOMAN screams. Two other MEMBERS of the crowd grab her and

silence her, while SEVERAL OTHERS drag the body off into a

hut.

The red-haired man keeps walking. This is JUDAS.

CUT TO:

EXT. NAZARETH CARPENTER'S WORKSHOP - DAY

Jesus looks toward the door, almost as if he has felt the

murder.

JESUS (V.O.)

Who is it? Who are you? Why are you

following me?

Judas enters, sees Jesus working on the cross.

JUDAS:

Are you ready?

Jesus doesn't answer.

JUDAS:

I said are you ready?

He grabs him. Jesus still doesn't answer. He keeps working.

JUDAS:

You're a disgrace.

Jesus smiles at him.

JESUS:

I'm the disgrace? Judas, I see the

blood on your knife.

Judas lets go of him. He takes the knife from inside his

cloak and removes it from its scabbard. He wipes the blood

off the blade with a rag.

JUDAS:

Come with us. Help us.

JESUS:

Leave me alone.

JUDAS:

No. This time you won't finish.

He grabs Jesus' hands and holds them.

JUDAS:

Listen. Everything's ready. We're

going to save the Zealot. He could

be the one we've been waiting for.

You can't just pray for the Messiah.

You've got to help him. You can't

expect God to do everything. He needs

our help too.

JESUS:

He'll have to do it without me.

JUDAS:

You might be killing the Messiah.

This Zealot today is not like all

the others. I feel it. He's different.

Don't finish the cross. Come with

us. Don't you want to be part of it?

You want the Romans to be here

forever?

JESUS:

The Messiah has nothing to do with

the Romans.

JUDAS:

Yes he does. How else do you expect

to be free? If this Zealot is the

Messiah and we don't save him, then

he'll die and we'll never know. But

if we save him, the miracle might

happen.

JESUS:

What miracle?

JUDAS:

The sign, the signal. The royal crown

of David will shine on his head.

JESUS:

It can't be much of a miracle if we

have to help.

JUDAS:

You're not even ashamed.

JESUS:

No.

JUDAS:

Romans can't find carpenters to make

crosses. Except for you. You throw

yourself into it like a madman.

Everybody thinks you're crazy. But

not me. I can see through this act

of yours. Fainting, hearing voices,

having visions. Everyone thinks you're

a madman. But I know what your are.

You're an enemy. You're worse than

the Romans. You're a Jew who's killing

Jews. And you're not ashamed. You

don't even have any pride.

JESUS:

No, I don't have any pride. I don't

go to Synagogue. I disobey the

commandments. I work on the Sabbath.

Your Messiahs? You find them, I'll

crucify them.

Judas hits Jesus across the mouth.

JUDAS:

You're lucky you're a Jew.

JESUS:

Why?

JUDAS:

Anyone else would have been dead by

now. You think Zealots are murderers?

We're pathfinders, we're patriots,

and you're in the way.

JESUS:

Then get me out of the way.

Judas and Jesus stare each other down.

JUDAS:

I will. In my time. Not yours. When

I'm told.

JESUS:

When did you ever need permission to

kill anybody?

JUDAS:

To kill a Roman, never. To kill a

Jew, we all have to agree. We have

more respect for Jews than you do.

The next time I see you, you're dead.

CUT TO:

EXT. CARPENTER'S WORKSHOP - DAY

A CENTURION pushes his way through a small crowd.

Jesus stands ready outside the workshop, the crossbar resting

against a wall. The crowd is taunting him with cries of

"Crossmaker!," "Traitor," "Cooperator," "Collaborator," but

he ignores them.

Someone throws something. A MAN in the crowd deliberately

jostles him roughly, trying to start a fight. The Centurion

breaks things up.

CENTURION:

Leave him alone. You ready?

(as Jesus nods)

Come on.

Jesus buckles the nail-studded belt around his waist. The

Centurion helps Jesus heft the cross-beam to his shoulders.

The Centurion leads Jesus through a gauntlet the crowd has

formed from the village to the crucifixion site on the edge

of Nazareth. Ahead, six Roman soldiers lead the protesting

ZEALOT. Two mounted soldiers flank the group. The Zealot's

hands are tied behind him. His clothes are torn and bloody,

his long hair and grey beard matted with blood and sweat.

ZEALOT:

You're the people of Israel! God is

with us! He's judging us now! Fight!

The soldiers push him along.

MAN IN CROWD:

How long do we have to wait for the

Messiah?

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