GOLGOTHA

Screenplay by Thør Rosenthal

Hardly the greatest story ever told. Head-scratcher of a script takes a lurid, pulpy approach to the last days of Jesus Christ. Imagine Angel Heart with Judas as a gumshoe recruited by Pontius Pilate to investigate a Jewish carpenter claiming to be the redeemer and preaching “Love thy neighbor, turn thy cheek.” What could have been a memorable mash-up of genres suffers from flowery dialogue and iconic biblical characters trapped in a bad pastiche of Mickey Spillane. Low point of the script is a gratuitous orgy sequence with the fraternal disciples and a totally game Mary Magdalene. Middle has a grim subplot of Barabbas stalking prostitutes and leaving their heads in a baptismal lake to be discovered by devout followers. Judas ends up saving Mary Magdalene, but it’s Jesus, not Barabbas, who is condemned by the bloodthirsty crowd. Intriguing faith-based noir, wobbly script, Last Temptation meets Se7en*, it’s not the savior that deserves crucifixion.