Scorsese was first given a copy of Nikos Kazantzakis’ novel on the set of 1972’s Boxcar Bertha by Barbara Hershey, who played that film’s eponymous character and would go on to portray Mary Magdalene in Last Temptation.

Jesus Christ Scorsese StarĬatholocisim was never far away from Scorsese’s work, but The Last Temptation of Christ put a laser focus on his faith. Scorsese would finally return to the spiritual leader he was first drawn to at only 10 years old: Jesus Christ. Indeed, his future protagonist would borrow characteristics from nearly all his past onscreen heroes. Some critics have noted that LaMotta is a martyr who can be redeemed through the bleeding of his body and spirit, and it’s a theme Scorsese would return to in just a few years. He struggles with infidelity and sexual desires, telling his second wife that he cannot have sex before a fight-sex is a sin that distracts him from being a champion boxer, a contender. In Raging Bull (1980), De Niro’s fighter Jake LaMotta has a crucifix above his bed. In the book Scorsese on Scorsese, the director describes Bickle’s aspirations as saintly, even if his bloodthirsty methods are, at times, twisted. Rober De Niro’s Travis Bickle, a Vietnam veteran who has PTSD, and wants to purge the streets and himself of sin. For Taxi Driver (1976), Scorsese was less explicit. Its lead character, Charlie Cappa, once again played by Keitel, grapples with his Mafia work conflicting with his Catholic faith. Six years after his debut, Scorsese released Mean Streets (1973).

The last temptation kazantzakis