Abraham (1993) (TV)

Director:

Joseph Sargent

Writer:

Robert McKee

Release Date:

3 April 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Biography | Drama | History

Plot:

The Old Testament story of Abraham and the trials he endures. Commanded by God to lead his family to...

Plot Keywords:

Old Testament | Tribe | Canaan | Concubine | Bible Story

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Primetime Emmys. Another 2 nominations

Cast

Richard Harris	...	Abraham
Barbara Hershey	...	Sarah
Maximilian Schell	...	Pharaoh
Vittorio Gassman	...	Terah
Carolina Rosi	...	Hagar
Andrea Prodan	...	Lot
Gottfried John	...	Eliezer
Kevin McNally	...	Nahor
Simona Ferraro	...	Lot's Wife (as Simona Ferraro Chartoff)
Tom Radcliffe	...	Serug
Jude Alderson	...	Mikah
Evelina Meghnagi	...	Reumah
John McEnery	...	1st Councilor
Danny Mertsoy	...	Ishmael (age 9)
Giuseppe Peluso	...	Ishmael (age 16)
Timur Yusef	...	Isaac (age 5)
Taylor Scipio	...	Isaac (age 11)
Paolo Bonacelli	...	Mekhizedek
Mattia Sbragia	...	Mambre
Christian Kohlund	...	Eshcol
Vincent Riotta	...	King Ar'loch (as Vincenzo Ricotta)
Renato Scarpa	...	King of Sodom
Mario Erpichini	...	King of Haran
Emidio La Vella	...	King Tidal
Orso Maria Guerrini	...	Gocemar
Francesco Carnelutti	...	Egyptian Priest
Mauro Marino	...	Egyptian Officer
Maurizio Benazzo	...	Egyptian Officer
Paco Reconti	...	Sodom Mob Leader
Aziz Khaldoun	...	Serug (boy)
Rodolfo Corsato	...	Camel Rider
Francesco Siciliano	...	Angel
Nadia Sawalha	...	Reko (as Nadim Sawalha)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mohcine Besri	...	2 Angel (as Mouhcine Besri)
Jawad Cherkaoui	...	Egyptian Doctor
Caren Galea	...	Lot's first daughter
Abdelahk Lazali	...	King Amrafel (as Laazali Abdelchak)
Joel Proust	...	King Ched-or-Lao'Mer
Ahmed Sakri	...	2nd Councilor

Directed by
Joseph Sargent

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Robert McKee

Produced by
Laura Fattori	....	line producer
Lorenzo Minoli	....	producer
Gerald Rafshoon	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Marco Frisina
Ennio Morricone

Cinematography by
Raffaele Mertes

Film Editing by
Michael Brown

Casting by
Cornelia von Braun
Jeremy Zimmermann		(as Jeremy Zimmerman)

Production Design by
Paolo Biagetti
Enrico Sabbatini

Costume Design by
Enrico Sabbatini

Makeup Department
Federico Laurenti	....	makeup artist
Mario Michisanti	....	key makeup artist
Luigi Rocchetti	....	makeup Mr. R. Harris
Gianna Viola	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Roberto Malerba	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Tony Brandt	....	assistant director
Zinedine Ibnou Jabal	....	second assistant director: morocco

Art Department
Roberto Magagnini	....	property master

Sound Department
Bernard Bats	....	sound mixer
Pierre-Yves Bruneel	....	boom operator
Bruce Nazarian	....	supervising sound editor

Special Effects by
Renato Agostini	....	special effects
Claudio Quaglietti	....	special effects

Stunts
Younes Afroukh	....	stunt performer
Joel Proust	....	stunt coordinator
Mustapha Touki	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Fabio Capozzi	....	electrician
Stanislao Galasso	....	electrician

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Simonetta Leoncini	....	assistant costume designer
Giovanni Viti	....	assistant costume designer

Other crew
Cecilia Alvarenga	....	production coordinator (as Cecelia Alvarenga)
Damian Anderson	....	production assistant
Khalid Banoujaafar	....	assistant location manager
Jean-Paul Cauvin	....	publicist
Fabiomassimo Dell'Orco	....	location manager
Peter Engelmann	....	additional script editor
Augusto Grassi	....	jeweler
Augusto Grassi	....	leather master
Rachel Griffiths	....	script supervisor
Mourad Ismaël	....	location manager
Roberto Penna	....	production accountant
Carla Maria Perrina	....	payroll clerk

Production Companies

• Beta Film
• Lube
• Lux Vide
• Quinta Communications

Distributors

• Con Dios Entertainment (2011) (Australia) (DVD)
• Emerald (Argentina) (DVD)
• Emerald (Argentina) (VHS)
• Flashstar Home Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)
• Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) (2006) (USA) (TV)
• Turner Network Television (TNT)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

USA:175 min (miniseries version)

Country:

Germany | Italy | USA | Czech Republic | France

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:M | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Ouarzazate, Morocco

Company:

Beta Film

Movie Connections:

Followed by Samson and Delilah (1996) (TV)

Solid Biblical adaptation

ABRAHAM, a TV film made in 1993, seeks to condense much of the story of the Book of Genesis, most of it involving the character of Abraham and his efforts to secure passage to the promised land where he will become the founder of a new people.

Unlike many television films, this one has strong production values, not least in the outstanding Moroccan locations (representative of the Middle East). Truly, this is a film in which the landscape is a character in itself, and the sun-scorched locales are really something.

Richard Harris delivers a grand old turn as the put-upon Abraham, tasked with undergoing much hardship and challenge by the Creator. Although the film is episodic in nature, going through much familiar ground (the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the sacrifice of the child, the journey to Egypt) the reason it works so well is because it creates identifiable and realistic characters, not just figures lifted from the page.

Therefore Barbara Hershey's Sarah becomes a petulant and rather selfish character; Maximilian Schell's Pharaoh is a vain and pompous monster; and Carolina Rosi and Gottfried John give the best performances, really stealing their scenes with their emotional turns. Be warned, this is a long - 3 hour - production, and slow-moving in parts, but it does the job well.