

The filming of a movie about Jesus’ death deeply affects three people — an egotistical director who cast himself as Christ, the actress playing Mary Magdalene who cannot bring herself to leave Bethlehem and a TV journalist whose spiritual doubts start to consume him.
Acting
Binoche's possessed stillness—she's barely in this world.
Direction
Ferrara's Catholic guilt finally ate a whole script.
Cinematography
Jerusalem and NYC bleed into sacred fever dream.

Director
Abel Ferrara
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Ferrara made this during his own sobriety and spiritual seeking, shooting in actual Jerusalem holy sites that rarely permit filming.
The film's Cannes controversy came from religious groups who hadn't seen it—Ferrara's point exactly.