SHORT TAKES : Acquittal of Scorsese Is Upheld

An appeals court today upheld the acquittal of director Martin Scorsese, who was charged with contempt of religion for his film “The Last Temptation of Christ.”

Scorsese and Biennale Festival director Paolo Portoghesi were cleared of violating Italian laws on obscenity and blasphemy in the showing of the movie at the Venice Film Festival.

Judges initially decided to take no action against Scorsese or the festival organizer. But an appeals court in Rome ruled the case should be considered by a Venice criminal court, which found Scorsese and Portoghesi innocent.

The Rome court’s upholding of the acquittal is final, because the Supreme Court has declined to accept the case.

Protesters who prompted the criminal case in fall 1988 said the movie was sacrilegious, particularly a scene in which Jesus hallucinates on the cross about abandoning his role as redeemer, making love to Mary Magdalene and raising a family with her.