The Last Temptation of Christ Page #2

ANOTHER MAN:

Until you die! Because he's not

coming.

WOMAN IN CROWD:

He forgot about us! He doesn't want

us!

YOUNG MAN:

Listen to the Zealot! God is strength.

MAN:

Give us strength now!

A Roman soldier slams the Man against the wall, then shoves

the crowd back as the Zealot passes. The crowd cools down a

little.

Now the villagers heap abuse on Jesus. MARY, 56, mother of

Jesus, pushes her way through the crowd. A MAN is about to

throw a stone at Jesus. She grabs his arm, tries to pry the

stone from his fingers.

MARY (MOTHER OF JESUS)

Don't touch him. Get away from him.

She starts pushing people away in angry desperation.

WOMAN IN CROWD:

You defend him.

MARY (MOTHER OF JESUS)

Yes. He's my son. He doesn't know

what he's doing.

The crowd now starts pushing Mary. She resists. A Centurion

breaks up the melee. Jesus continues on his way.

The Zealot has reached the crucifixion site: a rocky, flint

covered mound. The soldiers wait for the cross.

Children throw pebbles at Jesus as he approaches the Zealot.

The Roman guards brace themselves for violence.

Jesus sets the cross down beside the Zealot who is held by

guards.

Mary comes through the crowd, takes her son by the arm.

MARY (MOTHER OF JESUS)

Alright. Come away now.

Jesus pulls away from her. She goes after him but a guard

yanks her back into the crowd. The Centurion gathers some

pieces of parchment together as the Zealot's voice rings

out:

ZEALOT:

Listen! Don't be afraid! God is

strong. Rome is smoke. God will blow

it away. Remember the Maccabees,

remember how they threw out the

Greeks! We'll throw out the Romans

the same way. There's only one God

of Hosts and he's our God!

CENTURION:

(he's heard it all

before)

Finished?

Without waiting for an answer, the Centurion begins to read

the charges against the Zealot.

CENTURION:

'This man naked before you now is

condemned for sedition, for lifting

his hand against Rome. Even as a boy

he pulled the Imperial Eagle from

walls. He ran to the mountains and

rallied the people to Revolution. He

promised a Messiah would come from

among the people to rise up and

destroy Rome...'

He starts paging through the parchment, his interest

wandering.

CENTURION:

'...murder... betrayal' ...so on...

'looting...' and so on... 'and

therefore he is condemned to die.

Rome condemns him. All the Gods of

Rome condemn him.' And I condemn

him. Start.

The Zealot has been stripped naked and laid down on the cross-

bar. The guards prepare to drive the nails into his wrists.

A hush comes over the crowd.

The spike is placed in the Zealot's wrist. The hammer drives

it home. The Zealot's scream (almost ecstatic) is echoed by

the crowd.

Blood spurts from his wounds: a drop splatters on Jesus'

lips.

CUT TO:

INT. HOUSE - NIGHT

Close angle on Jesus, who is speaking vehemently.

JESUS:

Speak softer! I can't understand!

Softer!

Silence.

JESUS:

I still can't... stop... Are you

trying to make me understand, or do

you just want to hurt me?

(pause; then, as if

answering)

Well, if I don't belong here, with

men, where do I belong? Tell me! Or

do you just want to punish me?

Still silence.

Now we see the whole room, which is a small area just off

the kitchen. Jesus is alone. His Mother enters. Jesus looks

over.

MARY (MOTHER OF JESUS)

What are you hearing?

She sits near him and puts her hand over his.

JESUS:

They want to know if I'm afraid.

Afraid! Of course I'm afraid!

(looking up)

Hear that? I am afraid. Is that what

you want? Alright.

MARY (MOTHER OF JESUS)

What do they want?

JESUS:

They want me to speak. To go out and

speak!

MARY (MOTHER OF JESUS)

Speak about what?

JESUS:

About the Kingdom of Heaven. But I

don't care about the Kingdom of

Heaven. I like earth. I like to eat,

sleep, see a woman without my head

being torn in half.

MARY (MOTHER OF JESUS)

But you can have that right now.

JESUS:

No! Because anytime I try to get

what everybody else has, the pain

starts. And the voices.

MARY (MOTHER OF JESUS)

And so you make crosses!

JESUS:

Yes, I make crosses! To keep him

quiet. To make God hate me! To make

him find somebody else.

MARY (MOTHER OF JESUS)

You're sure it's God? You're sure

it's not the Devil?

JESUS:

I'm not sure. I'm not sure of

anything.

MARY (MOTHER OF JESUS)

If it's the devil, the devil can be

cast out.

JESUS:

What if it's God? You can't cast out

God.

MARY (MOTHER OF JESUS)

But if it's God, why should he hurt

you?

JESUS:

Because he loves me. And I don't

want him to love me. I want him to

hate me! I want to crucify every one

of his Messiahs.

MARY (MOTHER OF JESUS)

The more you dare God, the more you

make him angry. Maybe that's why

he's made you so unhappy here.

JESUS:

Where?

MARY (MOTHER OF JESUS)

Here. With people. Maybe you shouldn't

be here.

JESUS:

If I don't belong with people, who

do I belong with, God?

MARY (MOTHER OF JESUS)

I don't know. Go and ask him. Go

where God is.

CUT TO:

EXT. EDGE OF NAZARETH - DAWN

Jesus begins his journey to go where God is. He walks with a

certainty we have not seen before.

Nazareth, seen behind him, is stirring to life. Jesus' path

takes him past the crucifixion site of the day before. At

the foot of the cross are several GUARDS who are dividing up

the Zealot's clothes. One of the Guards sees Jesus and calls

to him.

GUARD:

Crossmaker! Here's your share.

The Guard throws the Zealot's bloody headcloth. Jesus holds

it for a moment.

GUARD:

What's the matter? Don't you want

it?

JESUS:

Yes. I want it.

He puts the headcloth on.

CUT TO:

EXT. ROAD OUTSIDE NAZARETH - EARLY MORNING

Jesus strides across a grassy plain. Much of the "lake

district" of Galilee was a fertile and pleasant valley. Jesus

leans his body into the wind as he reaches a ridge.

JESUS (V.O.)

All this time I've been cursing him,

trying to make him hate me. All that

pain for something so simple, I should

have realized. He just wants me to

devote my life to him. If that's

what it takes to stop the pain, I'm

happy. Only one road leads to God.

And it comes out in the desert. God's

waiting for me in a well in the

monastery. He does love me. I'll

hide under his wings.

Jesus watches a small caravan in the distance and follows

its path.

CUT TO:

EXT. GALILEE - DAY

Jesus passes two PEASANT GIRLS reaping in an open field.

Their partially open dresses reveal their bodies. Their open

sexuality intimidates Jesus.

PEASANT GIRL:

Are you going to Magela?

JESUS:

No. To the monastery.

They laugh.

SECOND GIRL:

Then you take the other road.

PEASANT GIRL:

If you really want to.

SECOND GIRL:

Why not stop and have some bread

with us?

They're teasing him a little now and he's slightly

embarrassed.

JESUS:

No, thank you. I can't.

They smile as they watch him go.

CUT TO:

LATER - JESUS

Walks alone along the windy seashore.

JESUS (V.O.)

Lord, thank you for everything, for

the loneliness, the hunger, the cold.

I don't need anything else.

Hearing FOOTSTEPS, he stops abruptly. Turns and looks.

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