Martin Scorsese is serious about his new Jesus film. In an interview with the He now revealed that the script was ready. Together with film critic Kent Jones, he adapted Shūsaku Endō’s 1973 novel A Life Of Jesus. Japanese author Endō, who died in 1996, already provided the template for Scorsese’s “Silence.” Filming is scheduled for 2024.
But there are still a few surprising details about the project, which is supposed to retell the life of Jesus — and one of them is that the result is likely to be considerably less controversial than Scorsese’s ‘The Last Temptation of Christ,’ which was condemned by the church at the time.
80 minutes and mainly in the present?
Martin Scorsese, who is known for epic running times and has just presented an almost three and a half hour long board with ‘Killers Of The Flower Moon’, wants to keep it short with ‘A Life Of Jesus’. He is currently pregnant that the film will ultimately only be about 80 minutes long. Especially when you consider that it is supposed to be about the ‘Life of Jesus’, this is a surprisingly short running time, as many expected an epic of more than three hours.
In these times Scorsese wants to focus on “the core teachings of Jesus – in a way that explores, but does not proselytize, their principles.”the director said in an interview with .
What’s also surprising is that the film is supposed to take place largely in the present, even though Scorsese doesn’t want to commit to a specific time period. Because his film should feel timeless. In Endō’s novel, the life of Jesus is told through the eyes of the Japanese author himself. It’s safe to assume Scorsese will take a similar approach.
‘Religion’ as a difficult subject
Scorsese certainly sees that religion, and especially the Catholic Church, is being scrutinized from many sides these days. That’s why he seems to want to go back to the origins. He explains this in the article that has only just been published but was probably written a few weeks ago -Interview:
“Right now, the word ‘religion’ immediately evokes strong reactions because it has failed in so many areas. But that doesn’t necessarily mean the initial impulse was wrong. Let’s go back. Let’s think about it. They can reject it. But it can make a difference in your life, even if it involves rejection. Don’t dismiss it too quickly. That’s all I’m talking about. And I say that as someone who will be 81 in a few days
spoiler:
is becoming.”
Scorsese’s approach to his Jesus film is as follows: “I’m trying to find a new way to make the subject more accessible and remove the negative burden associated with organized religion.”
There are no further details yet, especially about the cast.