FIRST OFF . . .

Selected members of the public are getting looks this week at Martin Scorsese’s controversial “The Last Temptation of Christ”--and the word of mouth is mixed. Universal Pictures began screening the 160-minute fictional revision of Jesus’ story for members of the clergy, the media and other industry professionals over the weekend. At the two private screenings of the movie--still set for release Friday--audience members professed surprise at “the film’s contemporary feel” and said the allegedly blasphemous story elements--including a brief glimpse in a dream sequence of Jesus and Mary Magdelene making love--”may revolt some” but intrigue others. The film industry’s two trade papers, Daily Variety and the Hollywood Reporter, were profoundly split. Daily Variety’s Todd McCarthy found the film “powerful,” “intensely acted” and “deeply felt” by director Scorsese, but acknowledged the film will have difficulty being received due to the “hysteria” surrounding its release. The Reporter’s Duane Byrge panned the picture, calling it “aesthetically graceless and philosophically turgid.” Byrge found Harvey Keitel’s performance as Judas, “permed with a flaming Bozo orange do,” especially jarring.