The Bible: In the Beginning... (1966)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

John Huston

Writer:

Christopher Fry (screenplay)

Release Date:

28 September 1966 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

...In the Beginning

Plot:

Extravagant production of the first part of the book of Genesis. Covers Adam and Eve, Noah and the Flood and Abraham and Isaac.

Plot Keywords:

Adam And Eve | Flood | Murder | Angel | King

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 3 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Michael Parks	...	Adam
Ulla Bergryd	...	Eve
Richard Harris	...	Cain
John Huston	...	Noah
Stephen Boyd	...	Nimrod
George C. Scott	...	Abraham
Ava Gardner	...	Sarah
Peter O'Toole	...	The Three Angels
Zoe Sallis	...	Hagar
Gabriele Ferzetti	...	Lot
Eleonora Rossi Drago	...	Lot's Wife
Franco Nero	...	Abel
Pupella Maggio	...	Noah's Wife
Robert Rietty	...	Abraham's Steward
Peter Heinze	...	Shem

Also Known As:

La bibbia (Italy)
The Bible (USA) (short title)

Runtime:

174 min

Country:

USA | Italy

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System) | 70 mm 6-Track

Certification:

UK:U | Norway:11 (DVD rating) | Norway:12 (1967) | Argentina:Atp | Canada:14+ (TV rating) | Finland:S | Sweden:11 | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG | Australia:G | Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

Dino De Laurentiis Cinematografica Studios, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Dino de Laurentiis Cinematografica

Trivia:

French director Robert Bresson was hired in 1964 by producer Dino De Laurentiis as director. When he shot his first scene -- the deluge -- he requested the use of all the animals in Rome city zoo. The producers complied, but upon checking the daily rushes saw that the only thing Bresson filmed was the tracks of the animals upon a sandy beach. They were furious and Bresson was fired, John Huston took over the project, delaying production a further six months.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Before they get into the Ark, one of Noah's daughter-in-laws has on a modern bra under her tunic.

Quotes:

God: What hast thou done?
Eve: The serpent beguiled me and I did eat.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Religulous (2008)

Dino, say Mini-Series

Dino DeLaurentis was a man who thought big and somewhere in the early sixties he got the idea to do the biblical spectacle film of all time. Not just settle for one story mind you, but the whole Bible. Of course what he proposed would have been something along the lines of Erich Von Stroheim's silent film Greed which in the director's cut ran something like nine hours. DeLaurentis was persuaded that maybe just half the book of Genesis might contain enough subject matter for a theatrical film.

But even at that it was too much. But curiously enough according to the Films of John Huston, The Bible was the best grossing John Huston film ever. Mainly because the one section of the film that got good critical response was the section dealing with Noah and the Flood. And playing Noah and directing himself was John Huston.

I'd have to agree with the critics, Huston was a good Noah indeed, in fact in the last of the Planet of the Apes series he kind of reprises his part as the patriarch Noah with simian makeup. I remember back in the day, The Bible got a whole lot of family trade as parents brought the little kids in to see all the animals on the ark.

The rest of the film unfortunately is too long. The people talk just like they did in a DeMille film, but without DeMille's flair for the spectacle.

In fact Dino should have waited for another decade when the mini-series format was accepted on television and tried his original idea on the small screen. For myself, I don't think there's ever been a film about Joshua and his leadership of the Israelites in conquering the land of Canaan. Jericho's walls a-tumbling down, make a great movie scene, especially now with computer graphics.

Maybe one day they'll release the Noah portion as a single film and it might still get good reviews today.