|
Bible...In The Beginning | 
| Director: John Huston
Actors: John Huston, Adriana Ambesi, Ulla Bergryd, Stephen Boyd, Eleonora Rossi-drago
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Category: DVD
List Price: CDN$ 16.98
Buy New: CDN$ 9.97
You Save: CDN$ 7.01 (41%)
New (12) Used (3) from CDN$ 9.06
Rating:  22 reviews
Sales Rank: 5199
Format: Ntsc, Subtitled, Widescreen
Languages: English (Original Language), French (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled)
Aspect Ratio: 2.55:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.5 x 0.7
MPN: 2002079
UPC: 024543020790
EAN: 0024543020790
ASIN: B00005NKT6
Theatrical Release Date: September 28, 1966
Release Date: October 14, 2003
Availability: Usually ships within 1 - 2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand new Item, factory Sealed. Buy direct from the U.S. and save! We only ship airmail to Canada (7-15 days).Caiman, les prix qu'on aime! Tous nos produits sont neufs. Envoi par avion des Etats-Unis
| |
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
From Amazon.com
John Huston adapted the first 22 chapters of the Book of Genesis in this mostly silly film that takes us from Creation through Noah's Ark through Abraham's near-sacrifice of son Isaac. This is one of Huston's more personally distant projects, à la Annie or Victory; and for the most part you'd barely know there was even a director involved. On the other hand, Huston does provide some of the only liveliness on screen, playing Noah. --Tom Keogh
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 17 more reviews...
A star-studded, somewhat kooky dramatization of Genesis 1-22 June 28, 2006
Daniel Jolley (Shelby, North Carolina USA)
The Bible ... in the Beginning is a most interesting motion picture. Over the course of almost three hours, the people and events of the first twenty-two chapters of the Book of Genesis are brought to life by a star-studded cast of characters under the direction of John Huston (with Dino Delaurentiis as the producer). It is a strange film; at times it is very moving and communicative of the Biblical message, but at other times it becomes strangely surrealistic or downright comical. It is, with a few exceptions, a pretty faithful reenactment of the Biblical text, however, and that certainly does count for something. The film can basically be broken down into several sections: the Creation, original sin, and the first murder; Noah's flood; the tower of Babel; and the life of Abraham.
The creation of the world is given a slow and sonorous treatment that tends to drag just a little bit. Then we have the creation of Adam and Eve (although there's no mention of the whole rib business). I found it somewhat strange to see Eve drawn to the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil almost immediately - the serpent's job was made quite easy, and I must say I rather liked the manner in which the serpent was represented here. The ejection of Adam and Eve from the Garden is pretty powerful stuff, as is the later murder of Abel by his jealous brother Cain (played by a young Richard Harris).
Then comes the story of Noah and the Great Flood, which has to be my favorite part of the movie. John Huston himself plays Noah, and it is a remarkable performance that oscillates between seriousness and downright goofiness. The Ark is impressive and truly communicates the immense size of the thing, and one cannot but get a big kick out of seeing all the animals trot in two by two (including lions, tigers, polar bears, elephants, penguins, etc.). I also thought the Tower of Babel was presented in an impressive fashion, and the sight of Nimrod climbing to the top in order to shoot an arrow up into the heavens was a nice touch that more than earned God's anger and resulted in the dispersal of different languages among the people.
I have mixed feelings over the action surrounding Abraham. George C. Scott is one of the greatest actors to ever live, but I'm just not sure he was a good choice to play the Hebrew patriarch. Ava Gardner also did not thrill me with her performance as Sarah, who came off as a cold and rather unbecoming figure. Her first scene is apparently supposed to show the love she and Abraham share with one another, but the whole episode makes Sarah seem wanton and made me feel pretty darn icky long before it was over. Of course, Sarah's wish to have her servant Hagar bear Abraham the child she could not give him has always hurt my opinion of the couple, a feeling only exacerbated by Abraham's abandonment of Hagar and Ishmael after God delivers on His promise that the elderly, barren Sarah would bear a son to be named Isaac. The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is of course interesting, and Huston certainly made the point about Sodom being a den of pure evil as the angels of the Lord enter to save Lot and his family (including his wife who would pay for disobeying God's order not to look back as the family is fleeing).
The film ends with Abraham's almost-sacrifice of his beloved son Isaac. Abraham totally wigs out a couple of times, especially as he and Isaac make their way through the ruins of Sodom, but the reaction is understandable. This was the hardest test God could have given to Abraham, and the man's faith cannot be questioned by God or man as the film's credits begin to roll.
This film really isn't that well-known these days, and I think it does have some weaknesses. Ironically, the humor that works its way into the story of Noah makes an otherwise long, dry film much more bearable, however. No other film I know of sets out to do what this film does, however, and that makes it more than worth one's time. I don't think it will necessarily help to convert unbelievers, but those of Christian or Jewish faith may well benefit from this recreation of the earliest stories recorded in the Bible and Torah.
Almost perfect June 18, 2004
Jon Daley (Pittsburgh, PA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I liked the movie in all parts except for two. I'll start with the positive things.Another reviewer mentioned it was a little slow in the beginning, and that is true, but if you can be patient, you can get into it. The Ark scenes were great -- a little humor never hurt anyone. Sodom and Gomorrah was icky. Probably they did a good job of recreating what it was like, but really, I don't want to see all of that. If a couple quick shots were removed, this scene would be good. Abraham goes on this weird monologue sort of thing, that I didn't really get. I am engineer, so perhaps I just don't appreciate the drama of it.
 FIRES BELOW ..... May 20, 2004
EXCEPT for the MAGNIFICENT score by TOSHIRO MAYUZUMI ... this one does not quite hold up as it was promised. Granted ... it IS different ... lots of hoopla during the filming - after all we would be seeing Adam & Eve [variously] buffish ...BUT the producers must have spend quite a fortune on EYE MAKEUP .... Ye, Gods, even the kids are sporting green or vaguely lavender eye-shadow - as for NIMROD's golden brows! AVA GARDNER does shine as SARAH - unafraid of unflattering lighting or angles, but she was and still is quite special, and GEORGE C. SCOTT does have a few pithy moments .... the make-up though! BRINGING UP THE REAR - so to speak is Peter O'Toole as Triplet, blue-eyed Angels of Wrath [!], Richard Harris - star rising ["This Sporting Life"] as Cain, Zoe Sallis as the 'other woman' in Abraham's life, Stephen Boys [utterly wasted] as Nimrod, John Huston as a bemused, befuddled and bewildered Noah [nice comic turn though], and somewhere in there a Young Franco Nero! COSTUMING is dreadful - pity for this almost completely Italian Production. And the famous SODOM AND GOMORRAH sequence? Pale Fellini or is it George Romero? The styrofoam blasted 'Wife of Lot' - really! WISH the score was available on CD - MAYUZUMI went on to score Huston's "Reflections in A Golden Eye" - somewhat better fare. DVD sound is VERY ODD - stereo? Color is quite washed out too - pity - this one could be wonderfully restored in full 5.1 or even DTS - it is as close to an epic as we'll ever come!
 if adam & eve were this dull, they 'd never have multiplied April 23, 2004
thank god (pun intended)that the bible characters werent really this over inflated and boring because if they were, they would have never had the energy to recreate, to be fruitful and to multiply.
the where would be?
if disney or some other company were to take their fairy tales this seriousely they be laughed off the planet.
Enjoyable film/2 tape series/'92 older videography but good! January 26, 2004
I prefer this version of the "Genesis" story over the one in the "Bible Series" called simply "Genesis"...that one, is booooooorrring!!! This version is MUCH BETTER and was much more enjoyable to watch and covered more biblical recounts and stories than the other (competitor video from the "Bible Series".) I agree with other reviewers that the sound and visual quality, in some parts was very poor, particularly in the "Creation part" at the very beginning of the video. Otherwise, I found it thoroughly enjoyable, particularly the Noah's Ark story and how it was portrayed from the building of the ark to the exit of all back to the land. It was neat seeing what I have read in the bible "come to life". Watch, enjoy and share with family! I do feel that you should be a "biblical buff" to truly appreciate/enjoy the film -
|
|
|
|
| |
