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The Bible - In the Beginning

The Bible - In the Beginning

List Price: $14.98
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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Slow Pace and.............
Review: I viewed this movie and I could say, like several Biblical Movies, it may be entertaining, but not accurate. John Huston gives a fine showing as Noah. The part with Abraham and his son is totally off key when you examine the Bible,s Account. God would never accept such worship in the way it was displayed were Abraham was rebelling and fighting all the way and then finally started to offer up his son Isaac. Abraham was willing to offer up his son because, for one thing, it was an act of God that he and his wife had him. His wife was well beyond child-bearing age, so he had faith that God could bring him back to life and that's why God blessed him. When Biblical Movies are made, they should be accurate.
Outside the scene with Noah, your not missing much.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Good Movie!
Review: I watched this movie on TV and I thought it was good. All of the actors were very good but I especially liked John Huston as Noah, George C. Scott as Abraham, Ava Gardner as Sarah and Richard Harris as Cain. I think John Huston did a good job directing the movie but he also acted in this movie and I think he was very good as Noah. For a Biblical movie I think John Huston's The Bible is pretty low-key and simple rather than a super glossy Hollywood movie and I think some people were maybe expecting that and though those big budget glossy Hollywood Biblical movies are good I enjoyed this more subdued movie and I'm planning on buying the DVD.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: This movie brings the first 22 chapters of Genesis to life.
Review: In this movie the director/writer not only tells you what happen in the beginning of the bible, but also helps you to visilize Noah and his family in the Ark. It actually shows what life in the Ark could have been like. I had never really sat down and thought about what they had to do while the water covered the earth before. I think it was great.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: the bible - the beginning
Review: It's a entertaining & well summarize for bible learning. I do not have a VHS player and began searching this title in DVD format. But have no luck.

I hope to have a copy of this 60's classic where I can watch anytime.

Hopefully this will not take long before I able to purchase in DVD format.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A good retelling of the stories
Review: John Huston's "The Bible" retells the first 22 chapters of the book of Genesis. It is the story of Adam and Eve, Cain and Able, Noah and his arc, of the Tower of Bable, and of Abraham. The movie has been panned by critics far and wide, and I really do not know why. "The Bible" is a good movie, with great stories (with as many stories as there are, no one is more than about 45 minutes, even though it's a three hour movie), good production values (loved the Tower and the Arc was immpressive for the mid 1960s. Yes, the acting was a little over the top, but no more so than in any other of it's time in that era. It stared Ava Gardner, Ursula Andress, Peter O' Toole, Michael Parks, and many more. Goerge C. Scott was the stand out for me as Abraham. Yes, John Huston did do a good job as Noah, and that segment was the best of the bunch. I saw a over reaching theme in "The Bible"; obedience to God. Adam and Eve disobayed God, and they (and all of mankind afterward) suffered for it. In successive generations, man obayed God, and was spared (Noah built the boat, and Abraham almost sacrificed his son), or the disobayed and paid the price (Cain's murder and Lot's wife looking back at Sodom's destruction). If there was any problem I had, it was that in showing what was going on in Sodom and Gomorha, it got a little strange about what was going on. Younger children probably will not understand what is going on, and may ask some awkward questions. But other than that I think "The Bible" is highly under rated.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Reverential look at the early Bible stories
Review: John Huston's 1966 offering "The Bible....In the Beginning" is a film which definately grows on you with each viewing. Often criticised for being slow moving, lacking in any real action or purpose, I feel it is a very beautiful production that honours greatly the first 22 chapters of the book of Genesis from the world's creation through to the story of Abraham and Issac. It is greatly anticipated Easter viewing each year for me and I find there are always new points of interest to appreciate in this ambitious effort.

Obviously tackling the "most famous book in the world" would be a daunting task for anyone however within a three hour running time John Huston has managed to create a piece of work on a human level that while very reverant to the material being handled, also never shies away from the harshness and brutality in some of the chapters. Each of these chapters from Genesis has a distinct character of its own and this lavish production does each in turn proud. My personal favourite is the Adam and Eve sequence with a recreation of the famed garden of Eden which is just as I had always envisioned it. Michael Parks and Ulla Bergryd make the perfect Adam and Eve with their youthful goodlooks and innocense. The use of a male figure as the serpent in the mysterious Tree of Knowledge, often criticised, is a vivid and original image to use here and is a great choice. Each of the chapters unfolds with new wonders for the viewer as we pass through the story of Adam and Eve's sons Cain and Able which contains a marvellous performance by Richard Harris as Cain to the story of Noah and the great flood which includes some of the most spectacular special effects of the film in its depiction of the building of the ark and then the forty days and forty nights of rainfall resulting in the extinction of all living things on earth except those saved in the arch. In this sequence John Huston who also narrates as the voice of God makes an appearance as Noah and his refreshing and semi comical depiction of the ark builder is a joy to behold and somehow for me is how I always imagined Noah to actually be, a little eccentric and highly likeable. Later sequences take us through the building of the Tower of Babel with Stephen Boyd as the selfish ruler Nimrod who is reponsible for God mixing up the languages of all mankind so that such a project can never be attempted again, to the saga of Sodom and Gomorrah and God's retribution on those cities who have lost sight of God's teachings. The transformation of Lot's wife into a pillar of Salt is one memorable image in this section of the story. The acting throughout by the leads is memorable and the final lengthy chapter dealing with Abraham and Sarah although drawn out, offers superb performances by legends George C. Scott and Ava Gardner in a beautifully understated performance as Sarah who gives birth to Issac as an old woman.

Perhaps the most breathtaking aspect of "The Bible....In the Beginning", is the sensational use of location photography using the landscapes of Africa and the Middle East to their best advantage. Filmed also in Rome the film boasts lush cinematography by Giuseppe Rotunno in all the chapters and of course as mentioned previously the special effects for scenes such as the expelling of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden , the scenes of the great flood and the decadence and eventual destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah are sensational.

"The Bible....In the Beginning" should never be passed off as just another religious film to be viewed at Easter etc. It is vivid storytelling at its best. The use of a narrator instead of a great deal of dialogue between the actors is an original way of presenting the stories and indeed would not be to everyones taste however John Huston's clear narration adds a special element to the unfolding action. Each of the stories of Genesis hold their own pieces of interest and despite the films long running time it is an engrossing visualisation of the stories from the Bible that I grew up with. I always get particular worth out of this movie during the Easter period when my thoughts often go back to those far off times at the start of my religion's history. "The Bible..In the Beginning" is worth looking at as a good piece of cinema but also as one of the best visualisations of these famous stories that you are likely to see. Enjoy!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Enjoyable film/2 tape series/'92 older videography but good!
Review: John Huston's filmization of the first few chapters of the Book of Genesis is good, though not as fine as it certainly could have been, given the material to work with. Much of the second half of the film is rather boring, with a great deal of monotonous conversation between the characters. The first half of the movie is much better, with Huston's humorous characterization of Noah a highlight.

Most upsetting of all is the DVD presentation. The box indicates the film is presented in a 2.55:1 ratio, which is a super widescreen image. Instead, the film is shown in what looks like 2.20:1. Interestingly, the widescreen VHS tape presents the film in 2.35:1. Therefore, for some reason, we are being robbed of part of the film image. Why? The film gets 3 stars, but I take one away because of the botched presentation.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Presentation Could Be Better
Review: John Huston's filmization of the first few chapters of the Book of Genesis is good, though not as fine as it certainly could have been, given the material to work with. Much of the second half of the film is rather boring, with a great deal of monotonous conversation between the characters. The first half of the movie is much better, with Huston's humorous characterization of Noah a highlight.

Most upsetting of all is the DVD presentation. The box indicates the film is presented in a 2.55:1 ratio, which is a super widescreen image. Instead, the film is shown in what looks like 2.20:1. Interestingly, the widescreen VHS tape presents the film in 2.35:1. Therefore, for some reason, we are being robbed of part of the film image. Why? The film gets 3 stars, but I take one away because of the botched presentation.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: What would it have been like to have been there???
Review: John Huston's The Bible...In The Beginning is wonderful movie that captures on film the emotion and drama of the first books of the Bible. From the beautiful images of Adam and Eve in Eden - including the strange shape/figure of the temptor in the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil - up to Abraham's life everything here rings true. Yes, he doesn't follow the Bible to the letter, but that is a minor criticism since it was the director's intention to tell the story in a realistic and believable manner. One person here said it was "silly" that the temptor of Adam and Eve wasn't in the form of a serpent/snake. Well, I say that it would have been even "sillier" to see a snake moving its jaws and having human speech coming out of its mouth than the presentation in the movie. John Huston's role as Noah is fantastic, being one of the highlights of the film but pay attention to the people playing his sons and daughter in laws and appreciate how well they were.

Though some here say that George C. Scott over acted in his portait of Abraham, I say that you don't have an appreciation of true drama. In fact, those who call the movie slow fail to capture the same thing. This is a dramatic movie, with little in the way of being "exciting." The Ten Commandments is a good movie, but come on! You can't hardly compare the two. Huston went to great lengths to actually present this as if we were viewing the past and to my mind, he succeeded greatly. Yes, John Huston was an atheist but he shows an understanding and deep-seated appreciation for the people and the material that is hard to find in many people who claim to be all about the Bible. It makes me wonder what kind of movie these people would have made had they had the same resources. John Huston was one of the greats and I simply love this movie. If corny, largely ficticious movies are your cup of tea, then stick with the Ten Commandments but if you want intellegent, fine drama you would do very well to give this movie a watch.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: THE BIBLE...IN THE BEGINNING
Review: Legendary director John Huston's "The Bible...In the Beginning" is something of a mixed bag. Though undeniably reverent and generally (though not totally) faithful to the original Scriptures, Huston's film is ultimately epic in scope but too often cold and unmoving. There are certainly some fine scenes, particularly in the Creation , the story of the Garden of Eden (Adam and Eve's storm-shrouded exile from Paradise is perhaps the most powerful moment in the whole film), Cain and Abel, and an especially moving interlude between Abraham and only son Isaac in the ruins of sinful Sodom. But Huston fails to make the movie emotionally appealing on a consistent basis, so that what should have been an enthralling picture is merely adequate--which, after all, is not so bad. The cast is very powerful, featuring Richard Harris, Ava Gardner, George C. Scott, Peter O'Toole, and Huston himself as an endearing Noah. If only Huston had let his performers live a little on camera, this might have rivaled The Ten Commandments. As it is, the whole is respectable but flawed, too passionless and slow-paced to match The Ten Commandment's grandeur. Even so, "The Bible" does bring the opening chapters of Scripture to life, and if this movie is not thrilling, it is nonetheless enlightening.


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