Joseph 

The Biblical story of Joseph, who was sold to slavery by his brothers who were jealous of his prophetic abilities to analyze dreams and of his being their fathers' favorite.

Stars:

Ben Kingsley, Paul Mercurio, Martin Landau

Won 1 Primetime Emmy. Another 1 win & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ben Kingsley	...	Potiphar
Paul Mercurio	...	Joseph
Martin Landau	...	Jacob
Lesley Ann Warren	...	Potiphar's Wife
Alice Krige	...	Rachel
Dominique Sanda	...	Leah
Warren Clarke	...	Ednan
Monica Bellucci	...	Pharaoh's Wife
Stefano Dionisi	...	Pharaoh
Valéria Cavalli	...	Asenath
Kelly Miracco	...	Tamar (as Kelly Miller)
Gloria Carlin	...	Bilah
Michael Angelis	...	Reuben - oldest son
Vincenzo Nicoli	...	Simeon
Colin Bruce	...	Levi

Storyline

The story begins in Egypt, in the marketplace of Avaris where Joseph is sold as a slave to Potiphar, the Pharaoh's Chief Steward. Joseph, the favored son of the patriarch Jacob, was given into captivity by his own envious brothers. A tireless and highly productive worker, Joseph wins his master's trust and is named steward of Potiphar's household. However, Joseph also unwittingly arouses the lust of Potiphar's wife. Luring him into her room one day, she orders Joseph to give her pleasure. But Joseph prefers punishment, even death, to betraying his master. As he flees from the room, the desperate woman tears off Joseph's garment and brandishes it as proof of her violation. As Potiphar questions him, Joseph begins to narrate the story of his past, a tale of suffering and hardship. We flash back to the time when Jacob and his family settled near the town of Schechem. It is a brief and unhappy stay, for when Jacob's daughter Dinah is ravished by the young prince of Schechem, Jacob's sons ...

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Plot Keywords:

tv mini series | brother | pharaoh | egypt | dream | 

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Genres:

Adventure | Biography | Drama | History

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Details

Country:

Italy Germany USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 April 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

Joseph

Filming Locations:

Ouarzazate, Morocco

Company Credits

Production Co:

Beta Film, Lube, Lux Vide

Technical Specs

Runtime:

178 min (miniseries) 185 min (miniseries)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Paul Mercurio is the son of Australian movie legend Gus Mercurio.

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Quotes

Joseph: What is your name?
Benjamin: I am called Benjamin, master. How is it that the master comes to speak our tongue? Has you traveled to our lands?
Joseph: [recoils] God be gracious to you, my son.
[Joseph leaves and cries to himself]
Benjamin: Was I wrong to ask the master how he came to speak our tongue?
Ednan: The master has traveled far and wide. He knows a great deal.

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Connections

Version of Greatest Heroes of the Bible: Jacob's Challenge (1979)

User Reviews

Biblical adaptation is all heart

Joseph is an excellent dramatisation of the Biblical story. It's a tale best known in popular culture today as the basis for the Lloyd Webber musical, but I found it refreshing to sit down and watch a thorough and accurate account of the story as it was in the Bible, and without all the glitzy silliness that Webber brought to the table.

The production values and script are as great as ever for this series, with the Moroccan locations perfectly standing in for Canaan and Egypt (the depiction of the famine in particular is terrifyingly realised). What stands out most, though, is the calibre of the cast in this one.

Ben Kingsley far and away steals the show as the complicated Potiphar; he's a man you could easily hate when he first shows up, but there's much more to him than that. Kingsley isn't the only winner here. Martin Landau, as the ancient elder Jacob, is also outstanding, adding real heart to the production. Lesley Ann Warren is sexy and delicious as Potiphar's scheming wife. Paul Mercurio (STRICTLY BALLROOM) makes a charismatic Joseph, even if he didn't entirely lose his Aussie accent, and it makes you wonder what happened to him.