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Samson and Delilah

  • TV Mini Series
  • 19961996
  • 2h 52m
IMDb RATING
5.8/10
1.1K
YOUR RATING
Samson and Delilah (1996)
AdventureDramaHistory
Mara and her husband Manoa are both upstanding and religious Israelites living under the harsh and unjust rule of the Philistines. Much to their regret, they have not been able to have child... Read allMara and her husband Manoa are both upstanding and religious Israelites living under the harsh and unjust rule of the Philistines. Much to their regret, they have not been able to have children. One day, a mysterious stranger appears to Mara and promises her that she will bear a ... Read allMara and her husband Manoa are both upstanding and religious Israelites living under the harsh and unjust rule of the Philistines. Much to their regret, they have not been able to have children. One day, a mysterious stranger appears to Mara and promises her that she will bear a son whom she is to call Samson. The stranger tells her that as one chosen by God Samson wi... Read all
IMDb RATING
5.8/10
1.1K
YOUR RATING
  • Stars
    • Dennis Hopper
    • Elizabeth Hurley
    • Eric Thal
  • Stars
    • Dennis Hopper
    • Elizabeth Hurley
    • Eric Thal
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 6User reviews
    • 2Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Episodes2

    Browse episodes
    1 Season
    1996

    Photos6

    Samson and Delilah (1996)
    Samson and Delilah (1996)
    Samson and Delilah (1996)
    Abraham (1993)
    Samson and Delilah (1996)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Dennis Hopper
    Dennis Hopper
    • Generale Tariq
    Elizabeth Hurley
    Elizabeth Hurley
    • Delilah
    Eric Thal
    Eric Thal
    • Samson
    Michael Gambon
    Michael Gambon
    • Re Hamun
    Diana Rigg
    Diana Rigg
    • Mara
    Daniel Massey
    Daniel Massey
    • Ira
    Paul Freeman
    Paul Freeman
    • Manoach
    Ben Becker
    Ben Becker
    • Principe Sidqa
    Jale Arikan
    Jale Arikan
    • Noemi
    Debora Caprioglio
    Debora Caprioglio
    • Rani
    Alessandro Gassmann
    Alessandro Gassmann
    • Amrok
    Pinkas Braun
    Pinkas Braun
    • Harach
    Sebastian Knapp
    Sebastian Knapp
    • Yoram
    Karl Tessler
    • Jehiel
    Luke Mullaney
    • Amram
    Tim Gallagher
    • Habor
    Matt Green
    • Yoram Giovane
    Mark McGann
    Mark McGann
    • Mahal
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Sebastian Knapp portrayed an Apostle in two television movies about Jesus of Nazareth, but had different roles. Matthew in Jesus (1999) and John in The Bible (2013).
    • Quotes

      Re hamun: This is something Kings must learn and Princes must practice: it's called "listening".

    • Connections
      Followed by David (1997)

    User reviews6

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    When the Son of the Sun met Desire
    Although their story in the Old Testament only spans three chapters in the Book of Judges, the popular tale of Samson and Delilah is stretched out into a three hour entry mini series here. All the characters (many not mentioned by name in the scriptures) are elaborated upon, as is the situation between the Israelites and the Philistines. The Gaza court is well (if a bit predictably) portrayed: Michael Gambon as wise King Hanun is constantly bickering with his hotheaded (and red bearded) son Sidqa (Ben Becker). Well cast Liz Hurley plays the part of Delilah both slutty and posh as the king's niece, while top billed Dennis Hopper portrays the smart and sarcastic General Tariq. Hopper gets some of the best lines, but fails to give them that George Sanders delivery and is the only one looking out of place in these settings and costumes.

    Delilah only really figures in the last part of Samson's story, but there are enough scenes featuring her and the Philistines to justify her name in the title. Actually, the two main characters almost meet in part one, where she turns out to be the main reason why Samson fought that animatronic lion from Jim Henson's Creature Shop. In the title role, Eric Thal is a virtual babe magnet himself, rescuing the outspoken Naomi (Jale Arikan) before choosing a Philistine bride (Deborah Caprioglio) to the dismay of his parents (reliable Diana Rigg and Paul Freeman). Screenwriter Alan Scott put great emphasis on Samson's search for a purpose in life, making him comes across a very modern (i. e. constantly worried) hero.

    One point repeatedly made in the Book of Judges is the lawless nature of this time period (between 1200 - 1000 b.c.). This is addressed in a new sub plot concerning the brothers Jehiel and Amram. They betray Samson in order to become rulers themselves, leading to the familiar scene involving the jawbone of an ass. Most of these action sequences are filmed with skewed angles, making Samson look even more like a comic book superhero. To this effect they could not show him mishandling 300 foxes to burn down enemy crops (as it was written). Unfortunately the chapter about tearing the town gates from their hinges is more implied than shown, but this does lead to an interesting bit of foreshadowing for Dennis Hopper's character in the temple.

    Director Nic Roeg makes effective use of flashbacks during two crucial scenes, adding greater meaning to both of them. First the love scene between Samson and Delilah is interwoven with scenes from the lion fight and secondly Samson relives his ultimate betrayal when forced to 'witness' the defeat of the Israelite army. The latter scene also resolves the plot strand concerning Jehiel and Amram in a satisfactory way and indeed every character arc is neatly resolved before the end. Shame about all those bouncing foam pillars during the climax though.

    8 out of 10
    helpful•16
    1
    • Chip_douglas
    • Jun 18, 2004

    Details

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    • Release date
      • December 8, 1996 (United States)
      • Germany
      • Italy
      • United States
      • Five Mile River Films
      • English
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • Morocco
    • Production companies
      • Beta Film
      • Lube
      • Lux Vide
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • 2 hours 52 minutes
      • Color
      • Stereo

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