• Bible Films Blog

    Looking at film interpretations of the stories in the Bible - past, present and future, as well as preparation for a future work on Straub/Huillet's Moses und Aron and a few bits and pieces on biblical studies.


    Name:
    Matt Page

    Location:
    U.K.












    Friday, July 03, 2009

    Gershon Verbona's 2nd Impressions
    Run From The Egyptians

    I'm in the middle of reviewing 3 silent films about Moses and, in trying to see the Passover scene from The Ten Commandments (1956), I came across this: Gershon Veroba's music video Run From The Egyptians.

    It's based on The Bangles' "Walk Like an Egyptian". The words have been re-written and the video is a mix of still images and footage from ABC's 2006 film The Ten Commandments. There are so many Bible film bits and pieces on YouTube that I very rarely comment on them, but, for some reason, this was one I particularly appreciated. Check it out.

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    Wednesday, October 08, 2008

    Giving of the Ten Commandments

    My church is looking at the Ten Commandments at the moment, so I got asked to dig out some clips of Moses receiving the commandments. I looked at the following five which are probably the best crafted of those available:
    The Ten Commandments (1923)
    The Ten Commandments (1956)
    Moses the Lawgiver (1975)
    Moses (1996)
    Ten Commmandments (2006)
    As well as being the best clips they are probably the most widely known. The other popular Moses film that is not on the list is obviously The Prince of Egypt, but this only really shows a brief shot of Moses holding the commandments right before the credits roll. Likewise there is no equivalent scene in 1974's Moses und Aron For the record I could also have included clips from the following:
    Green Pastures (1936)
    The Living Bible - Moses, Leader of God's People (1958)
    Greatest Heroes of the Bible - The Ten Commandments (1979)
    History of the World Part 1 (1981)
    The Ten Commandments: The Musical (2006)
    Ten Commandments (2007)
    ...not to mention a whole host of cartoons.

    Anyway, for anyone interested in repeating the exercise elsewhere, here are the start and end places/times of the clips I used - the clip length, and the version that I used. In most cases these are region 2, but I imagine the difference will be very slight, particularly as the DVD releases for the first two are identical regardless of the regional code. Links are to previous posts on each film. I've also added the leading actor's name and a few comments.
    The Ten Commandments (1923)
    Ten Commandments (1956) 50th Anniversary Collection – region 2
    Disc 3 - Chapter 6; 35:05 – 42:48 [7:43 minutes]
    Moses played by Theodore Roberts

    This is the oldest of those available, and, for those unused to silent films, the style takes a bit of getting used to. Note the age of Moses here, and also that DeMille's citations are from Exodus 31 and 32 rather than the first account of the giving of the commandments in Exodus 19 and 20.

    The Ten Commandments (1956)
    Ten Commandments (1956) 50th Anniversary Collection – region 2
    Disc 2 – Chapter 15; 73:12 – 78:45 [4:30 minutes]
    Moses played by Charlton Heston

    This is, obviously the most famous version, but it's utterly reliant on DeMille's earlier version. The streak of fire writing the commandments is fresh, but otherwise it's just a remake. Note how in both examples Moses receives the commandments at the top of the mountain, and whilst commandments 1 and 2 are being broken (not that the people would have known given this film's chronology!)

    Moses the Lawgiver (1975)
    Network/Granada Ventures – Region 2
    Disc 2 – Chapter 3; 10:48 – 15:00 [4:12 minutes]
    Moses played by Burt Lancaster

    This is perhaps the most controversial version of these events, but it's relatively accurate to the accounts in Exodus. The clip ends with Moses on his way up the mountain with the tablets already under his arm, with the people having already agreed. An earlier scene shows Moses hearing God's call (in Lancaster's own voice) from the top of the mountain, but it's entirely ambiguous as to whether these commandments are from God or from Moses. It's also good how they are given more as prose than as "commandments".

    Ten Commmandments (2006)
    Disc 2 – Chapter 7; 68:10 – 72:04 [3:52 minutes]
    Moses played by Dougray Scott

    This is the most recent of the five, and it's main concern seems to be showing off it's technology. There's a heavy dependence on DeMille too - the idea of Moses going up the mountain to get the tablets, and of them being literally written by God (although not literally the "finger of God" as the text states), not to mention the desire to make this a showy scene.

    Moses (1996)
    Time Life Box Set – region 2
    Part 2; 29:30 – 36:20 [6:50 minutes]
    Moses played by Sir Ben Kingsley

    This is perhaps my favourite of these five clips, largely because I had to see it to make me realise how the story actually appears in Exodus. It's sticks very closely to the text (Exodus 19:10-20:21), but given how stagey other version have been, this is a good thing, which is also why I recommend showing it last. I also like the idea of the commandments being something that welled up from the people as they encountered God, and the idea of the people corporately being the mouthpiece of God.

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    Friday, October 27, 2006

    Ten Commandments (2006) DVD release


    I had totally missed this piece of new but the ABC TV mini series Ten Commandments, which was first broadcast at Easter this year was released on DVD in September.

    I reviewed the film back then, as well as doing some scene analysis for both part 1 and part 2.

    (Thanks to Tyler Williams for spotting this one)

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    Friday, April 07, 2006

    The Ten Commandments (2006) - A review

    Ask anyone you like to name an Old Testament Bible film and they will always give you the same reply. Cecil B. DeMille's The Ten Commandments starring Charlton Heston. DeMille's film (until recently) towered above all other Bible films at the box office, and in the public consciousness, and still dictates the way the story of Moses is read and imagined two generations later.

    It is in fact 50 years since the release of that film, and as a result someone has decided that it was high time someone re-visited the subject matter. Of course Moses hasn't been absent from our screens these last five decades. Straub and Hulliet's unusual adaptation of Schoenberg's Moses und Aron broke the deadlock in 1973, and was swiftly followed by Moses (1975) starring Burt Lancaster. Wholly Moses (1980) attempted to do for Moses movies what Life of Brian did for Jesus films, and the end of the nineties brought two more interpretations. Roger Young's lesser known Moses (1996) featured an incredible performance from Ben Kingsley and was one of The Bible Collection's finest films. Finally, in 1998, Moses was again a popular cinema icon again as Dreamworks produced its animated Prince of Egypt.

    So whilst this is far from the first Moses film since Chuck Heston donned his huge white beard, it is the first film since then to dare to call itself The Ten Commandments and take on the multitude of connotations, evocations and comparisons that this title brings with it. And about time too.

    Early on this film nails it's colours to the mast. This is going to be a very different version of the life of Moses. Whereas DeMille's film spent two hours getting to the point where the one time prince is banished from the land in which he grew up, this film gets to that point (just one and a half chapters into the book of Exodus) in 20 minutes. However, even in this short time it has already managed to build in a convincing relationship between Moses and his (fictitious) step brother Menerith.

    The story slows down a bit once Moses reaches Midian, rescues Jethro's daughters and marries his eldest. The change of pace highlights a key theme that will emerge in this film. Here we see him adjust from city life to being a nomad in the desert. Later he will lead his people through a similar transition. Soon enough though Moses encounters God at the burning bush, and reluctantly agrees to do God's bidding for him in the court of the new pharaoh.

    Aaron and the Israelite leaders take some convincing; Pharaoh, obviously, needs even more and Egypt is engulfed by the ten plagues (although only seven are present). The plagues have always interested historians and scientists alike, and numerous theories have developed giving natural explanations for them. Here, as with DeMille's film, such theories are toyed with. DeMille put them on the lips of the sceptical Ramsees. Here we hear some from the narrator (which brings with it a sense that his is unquestionable and objective), but others are shown and discredited before our eyes. It is an interesting mix, and leaves the viewer some scope to consider their own response.

    The final plague, the death of the first born, has traditionally been given short shrift by Moses films. In DeMille's first version of The Ten Commandments (1923), Pharaoh's child is such a brat that the viewer can't wait for him to be killed off. Recent version have been more sympathetic, the Prince of Egypt stands out in particular, but this film moves things one a stage further. Not only are we shown an Egyptian (Menerith) who we can sympathise with who loses his beloved son, but there is a strong visual similarity between Ramsees' son and the early scenes of Moses as a boy. Menerith calls Moses' god a cruel god, and Moses is unable to argue with him.

    As this film comes in two parts, it breaks just as the Israelites are crossing the sea, leaving most of the film for more unexplored territory. As a result we see episodes that are rare for films about Moses; the bitter waters of Marah, the provision of manna and quail to eat, water from the rock, the victory of over the Amalekites and the visit of Jethro. This scene is perhaps the most curious. The way the bible tells this scene, Jethro brings Zipporah and Moses's sons back to him, and then advises him to delegate out his work load. Here, agonisingly almost, Jethro's arrival contains no such marital advice, even though it means the breakdown of Moses's marriage. Instead he advises him to take the opposite course of action and "trust no-one". It's a strange variation on the story, and whilst Jethro is later proved right to a degree, such pre-figuring is unnecessary. Omar Sharif's wisdom would have been better dispensed along traditional lines.

    It is this second half of the film that one gets the impression that the film makers really care about. Whilst the first half of the film is tightly wound so that it fits in as much as possible, the second half of the film is allowed to roam around new territory much like its subjects. New sub-plots are imported to give more of a sense of the challenges Moses faced in working this group of former slaves into a new nation. Some of these are more successful than others. When two of the Israelites commit adultery, and then try to cover it up with murder and perjury, the need for some sort of moral framework is nicely highlighted. On the other hand, the scenes of the Israelites developing an army to take on the Amalekites feel a little too reminiscient of Spartacus and Gladiator.

    However, it is this emphasis on the need for Israel to transition from a group of slaves to a nation, which distinguishes this film from the other Moses movies. Most tend to focus on Moses initial successes, even though he actually led the Israelites for more than a generation, his accomplishments were far more than being the man who held a stick over the sea whilst God peeled back its waters.

    On of the other things that this film considers is the development of monotheism. The realisation gradually begins to dawn on Moses that there is only one god, and that he is God of the whole world. There are many facets of this development; Moses first hearing about the Israelite God, encountering him at the burning bush, and his subsequent meditation on his name. Later on Moses notes that God is travelling with them outside of Egypt and his recollection of the story of monotheistic pharaoh Akhnaten brings things to a head. What is strange is the way that the film emphasises this aspect whilst also purging the story of its Jewish roots.

    Perhaps the biggest strength of this film, however, is the way it handles the difficult parts of the bible, and stares unflinchingly form the parts that today seem unpalatable. The most striking aspect of this is the character of Moses himself, who is deliberately played unsympathetically at times. When he is told as a child that he needs to master his temper, we expect this only to apply as far as his murder of the Egyptian, and are surprised when it continues unchecked. After his violent rescue of Zipporah and her sisters, he recognises that he has acted out of anger and how foolish that was. His confrontations with his fellow Israelites are frequently angry, and he holds some resentment towards the God he serves yet struggles to understand, throughout the film. Dougray Scott's portrayal is a far cry from Charlton Heston's noble prince turned sinless prophet. Yet there is, perhaps more biblical warrant for this occasionally petulant version of Moses than Heston's. When Heston tries to shrug off God's call, it seems more like modesty than anything else - the biblical Moses takes far more convincing, and is still arguing the toss three chapters later (Ex 6:12). Every time the people moan to him, he moans to God, even asking to die at one point (Num 11:10-15). The biblical Moses's anger continues throughout the story, causing him to smash the tablets of stone, and ultimately exclude himself from the promised land.

    But the film is also unwilling to downplay the uncomfortable nature of other biblical episodes. After Moses returns from the top of Sinai it is he and his followers that kill everyone who continues worshipping the Golden Calf, rather than an act of God. Such parts of the bible should make us feel uncomfortable, and challenge our understanding of the bible. It is when bible films do this that they really prove their worth.

    The film does have it's weaknesses. Dougray Scott's wig is far more distracting than any piece of costume deserves to be. Some of the actors chosen for the lesser parts (such as David Schneider and Richard O'Brien for British viewers) are so fixed by their previous roles as to make it hard to take them seriously. And a scene where Moses tries to cajole Joshua out of his apparently naive pacifism should have been left on the cutting room floor.

    But, overall for a TV film it does so much right as well. There is plenty of interesting camerawork. When a defeated Ramsees finally agrees to release the Israelites, the low angled camera makes Moses appear to tower over him (right). There are a number of God shots, allowing the viewer to see things from his point of view from time to time.

    Best of all it handles the biblical text in a way that manages to be both faithful enough to appease those seeking a very literal adaptation, whilst also presenting it in a way that is fresh and challenging.

    The Ten Commandmentsis showing on ABC on the 10th and 11th of April. Cast: Dougray Scott (Moses), Omar Sharif (Jethro), Linus Roache (Aaron), Mía Maestro (Zipporah), Susan Lynch (Miriam), Karim Salah (Joshua), Naveen Andrews (Menerith), Padma Lakshmi (Princess Bithia), Paul Rhys (Ramses).
    Directed by Robert Dornhelm, Written by Ron Hutchinson, Produced by Robert Halmi Sr., Laura Julian and Paul Lowin

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    Thursday, April 06, 2006

    The Ten Commmandments (2006) - Part 2 Scene Guide

    The scene guide for part 1 on this new version of The Ten Commandments
    was posted yesterday, and a proper review of the film will follow tomorrow.
    Part 2
    Egyptian army destroyed in the sea (Ex 14:23-28)
    Israel celebrates destruction of the army (Ex 14:29- 15:21)
    > non-scriptural episodes
    Waters of Marah (Ex 15:22-26)
    Manna and Quail (Ex 16:1-31)
    Water from Rock (Ex 17:1-7)
    > non-scriptural episodes
    Victory over the Amalekites (Ex 17:8-14)
    > non-scriptural episode
    Jethro's visit (Ex 18:1-27)
    > non-scriptural episodes
    The Ten Commandments given to Moses (Ex 19 & 20)
    The people worship a golden calf (Ex 32:1-6)
    Punishment for following the golden calf (Ex 32:25-28)
    The stone tablets are given to Moses again (Ex 33:1-5, 12-17)
    Death of Moses (Deut 34:1-9)
    A Few Notes
    It is the second half of this film where it begins to distinguish itself from other films on the life of Moses. By compressing the opening 14 chapters of Exodus into the first 90 minute segment, it creates room in the second half of the film to explore more unfamiliar territory, notably the time Israel spent in the desert prior to the handing down of the Ten Commandments.

    Only De Bosio's 1975 Moses film includes the victory over the Amalekites. A few films include the manna and quails, but this is the only film that I can recall showing the sweetening of the waters of Mara (although I think that is present in the six hour cut of the De Bosio film).

    This is the only film that I can recall Moses sending Zipporah away between his return to Egypt in chapter 4 of Exodus, and the visit of Jethro in chapter 18. It was surprising, however, particularly given the presence of Omar Sharif, how this later section was handled.

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    Wednesday, April 05, 2006

    The Ten Commandments (2006) - Part 1 Scene Guide

    Last week I mentioned the new Ten Commandments film that is coming to ABC on the 10th and 11th of April. Having watched my review copy yesterday, I'll be posting my review for the film in a few days, but for now I thought I'd whet some appetites by posting the scene guide. I'm assuming the story is well enough known for there to be no spoilers as to content ("they escape from Egypt how?"), but, for now, I'll simply describe the scenes not taken from the bible as "non-scriptural episode" so I don't ruin all the fun. I'll just do part 1 today. Part 2 will follow tomorrow
    Part 1
    > non-scriptural episodes
    Slaughter of the infants (Ex 1:22)
    Moses put into the river (Ex 2:1-3)
    Princess finds Moses (Ex 2:3-6)
    Jochebed nurses Moses (Ex 2:7-10)
    > non-scriptural episode
    Moses kills an Egyptian (Ex 2:11-15a)
    Moses in the desert (Ex 2:15b)
    Jethro's dauthers at the well (Ex 2:16-20)
    Moses marries Zipporah (Ex 2:21)
    Gershom is born (Ex 2:22)
    The Burning Bush (Ex 3:1 -4:17)
    Return to Egypt (Ex 4:18-23)
    > non-scriptural episodes
    Moses asks Ramsees (Ex 5:1-3; Ex 7:8-11)
    Bricks without straw (Ex 5:4-21)
    > non-scriptural episode
    Plague of blood (Ex 7:14-24)
    Plague of frogs (Ex 8:1-8:15)
    Plague on livestock (Ex 9:1-7)
    Plague of locusts (Ex 10:1-20)
    Plague of boils (Ex 9:8-12)
    Plague of hail (Ex 9:13-25)
    Passover (Ex 12-1:28)
    Death of the Firstborn (Ex 12:29-30)
    Pharaoh releases the slaves (Ex 12:31-36)
    The Exodus (Ex 12:37-42)
    Moses takes Joseph's bones (Ex 13:19)
    Pillar of cloud and fire (Ex 13:21)
    Pharaoh changes his mind (Ex 14:5-8)
    Parting of the sea (Ex 14:10-22)

    A Few Notes:
    The opening scenes are over fairly swiftly in comparison to DeMille's 1956 version. In fact, here as in the Bible Collection's Moses (starring Ben Kingsley) the parting of the Red Sea occurs exactly at the halfway point in the film.

    Like most Moses films, this one abbreviates the plagues to just 7, the gnats, flies and darkness are all omitted.

    The additional material in this part of the film is fairly tight, rounding out the characters, and bringing a more narrative shape to the material, whilst still keeping the biblical material at the film's core.

    It's interesting that in contrast to most Moses films, in particular the 1956 version and The Prince of Egypt (1998), Moses is not shown with either Pharaoh prior to issuing God's demands. Exodus is not concerned with this question but historically speaking this version of events is, I believe, the more plausible.

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    Wednesday, March 29, 2006

    More info on the new Ten Commandments TV Film

    Peter T Chattaway has posted the full text of his interview with Katherine Orrison, the abridged version of which I commented on last week.

    In this extended version, she mentions that ABC are running a new version of the Ten Commandments this April. There is some information up on the ABC website now. There is also an official website

    There are a few points I'd like to make, based on the photos.

    Firstly, this film, which has been billed as the most realistic, clearly seems to have in mind a far smaller exodus than those of DeMille. I think many scholars would agree that the numbers of Israelites stated in the bible are somehow symbolic and therefore larger than was actually the case. (See right)

    Secondly, It's unclear which episode is being depicted in that photo. It may be some sort of pre/post Red Sea shot. On the other hand the three figures standing on a hill whilst Moses raises his arms, are reminiscent of the battle with the Amalekites in Exodus 17. Given that there is also at least one picture from a battle this would seem to be the case. Of all the various Moses films, only De Bosio's Moses (1975) shows this episode.

    That said, it is somewhat remarkable that there are no pictures of the Red Sea (although it is on the poster mentioned in the story section), so perhaps this film is going to portray the Hebrews having a more active role in gaining their freedom. That said the picture of the parting of the sea in the poster looks like it is straight out of DeMille, which rather dashes my hopes that this film might show us a "Reed Sea" as we find in scripture.

    Thirdly, there is a shot of the water turning into blood (below, right), which evokes an earlier Moses film, although I can't remember which, off the top of my head. The exodus picture in front of the city is also very reminiscent of both of DeMille's Ten Commandments films, although the numbers here, again, are much smaller than DeMille's.

    There's not much shown of Omar Sharif, who is playing Jethro, despite the fact that his name has been the big draw used in the publicity. There is also one shot of the Ark of the Covenant, so that combined with the possibility of episodes from Exodus 17 mentioned above suggests that this film will go far further into the life of Moses than most, which usually draw to a halt once the Ten Commandments have been given.

    There is a fair bit of blurb about the film on both sites. From the photos and reading between the lines a little, it seems that this film will bring a stronger emphasis on the role of Zipporah, who seems to disappear out of Moses life after she saves him with an improvised circumcision in Exodus 4. It is not until Exodus 18, that Jethro re-unites them. Even so, she is never mentioned again (by name at least).

    It also appears that this will be yet another film which shows Moses not discover his true identity until adulthood. Whilst this is certainly viable, it would be nice to see another film where Moses grows up aware of his identity.

    One subplot which sounds very interesting is Moses relationship, not with Ramsees himself but with, Menerith, his step brother and one of Ramsees's officials. Hopefully this means that Moses will be shown as more insignificant in the royal courts than is usually the case.

    Overall then, there is much to look forward to. Whilst some episodes look to be telling the story in a very similar fashion to DeMille's two films of the same name, it is also clear that much of the story will be told in a different way.

    The Ten Commandments airs on Monday April 10th (Part 1) and Tuesday, April 11th (Part 2) at 9/8c

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