The Bible: In the Beginning... (1966)

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

Director:

John Huston

Writer:

Christopher Fry (screenplay)

Stars:

Michael Parks, Ulla Bergryd, Richard Harris

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 6 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

An elaborate Hollywood retelling of the Bible stories narrated by the film's director John Huston. We open with the Creation of the World and arrive at the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve and continue on to Cain and the murder of Abel. Next, we visit Noah and his ark with its spectacular flood sequence. Then we come to the story of Nimrod, King of Babel, the emergence of man's vanity and the heights to which it could aspire if unchecked. Finally we cover Abraham, a mystic who spoke personally with God, a leader of men, a builder of nations, a pioneer and a warrior and Sarah. At the time she conceived her first child, the event being forecast by an Angel of the Lord. Three such Heavenly Messengers appeared in the course of events which befell Abraham and Sarah.

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Plot Keywords:

lucifer morningstar character | implied male nudity | abraham | noah | adam and eve | 

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Taglines:

The Greatest Story of All Time...with one of the most celebrated casts of all time!

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

USA Italy

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 September 1966 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Bible

Filming Locations:

Dino De Laurentiis Cinematografica Studios, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Box Office

Budget:

$18,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$34,900,023

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dino de Laurentiis Cinematografica, Seven Arts Productions, Thalia AG

Technical Specs

Runtime:

174 min

Sound Mix:

3 Channel Stereo (RCA Sound Recording) (5.0) (L-R)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Dino De Laurentiis originally announced that this would be the first in a series of feature films based on the books of the Bible. However, as the film lost Twentieth Century Fox $1.5 million, plans for any sequels were abandoned.

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Goofs

After Cain attacks Abel, Abel falls forward, but when Cain walks over to the body, Abel is face-up.

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Quotes

Abraham: [to Sarah] Lo, here I bring my love beside thee in the tent.

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Connections

Referenced in Machine Gun McCain (1969)

User Reviews

Okay for a Biblical epic

Seemingly eposodic, there is little segue between the "stories." Even the title is misleading, since this film only covers from Creation through the story of Abraham - the first 22 chapters. But if the whole book was made into a movie it would be 162 hours at this rate. Too long for most audiences! (Hint - hint - miniseries).

Most of the acting comes across as stilted, except Huston, who's tongue-in-cheek portrayal of Noah wavers between refreshing and cloying. The highly touted "nude" scene of Adam and Eve may have raised a few eyebrows in 1966 but seems pretty tame by today's standards thanks to a few well-placed fern fronds. Scotts's rendering of patriarch Abraham was strong but uninspired.

This pic is adequate if you're not looking for in-depth religious interpretations. More could have been done with characterizations, but in the time given, was satisfactory. Just watch and enjoy for its face value.