Writer describes Christ movie as 'medieval'

The writer of Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ has described The Passion Of The Christ as "medieval" and says that the old school brand of religion it preaches reminds him of Shiites.

Writer-director Paul Schrader said that while he admired Mel Gibson's movie as "terrific film-making", its message left him troubled. On the film as a whole, he says it depicts "a kind of primitive religion" that he doesn't want to return to.

Schrader's adaptation of The Last Temptation of Christ provoked a storm of controversy ahead of its release in 1988. The Vatican publicly condemned the film while many Christians were outraged by a fantasy scene which showed Jesus (played by Willem Dafoe) having sex with Mary Magdalene.