The high-voltage 1953 fictional novel “The Last Temptation of Christ” caused widespread sparks of outrage, and the occasional violent shock, in reaction to its plot of a fallible Jesus: still free from sin, but greatly tempted into it. With the book’s cover depicting curved fingers of a palm bloodily pierced by a nail, its imagery cried out for a film adaptation, but not many directors had the stature and the vision to faithfully bring author Nikos Kazantzakis’ word to screen. Only someone of Martin Scorsese’s caliber could do it justice.

On this day, August 12, in 1988 Martin Scorsese’s “The Last Temptation of Christ” premiered on the big screen. It starred Willem Dafoe as Jesus Christ, Harvey Keitel as Judas Iscariot, Barbara Hershey as Mary Magdalene, David Bowie as Pontius Pilate and Harry Dean Stanton as Paul.

Scorsese’s film included the disclaimer “not based on the gospels,” but many religious groups protested its blasphemous message all the time. Of particular focus was a scene near the end of the film, depicting Jesus already on the cross and hallucinating through the work of Satan of raising a family with Mary Magdalene, of raising children and living a normal human existence. Diverging points of view hold it either as a heretical portrayal of a divine being or as re-affirmation of Jesus’ willingness to become the messiah.