Genesis: The Creation and the Flood

Am ambitious adaptation of the first book of the Bible, taking us up to the time of Noah, GENESIS: THE CREATION AND THE FLOOD is a film that's beautiful to watch. The film was shot in Morocco employing a cast of mostly locals, and it looks absolutely stunning: if you ever wanted to see a film that displays the inherent beauty of nature, then this is the one. It took my breath away in places.

As a Biblical adaptation, it has its work cut out. GENESIS lacks a single leading character so this film adopts a voice over (by Paul Scofield) to intone much of the story involving Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, and Noah. It's all simple and straightforward, with admittedly powerful scenes (inserting modern-day conflict into one section is a genius idea) but it's also very slow and long-winded despite a running time of only an hour and a half.

The lack of a decent budget is also apparent - we never really see the flood despite the lengthy section telling Noah's story - but that doesn't really matter given the calibre of Ermanno Olmi's direction. This is a worthy adaptation, but not really a film you'd want to go back to.

A paraphrase of the earliest parts of the Bible from the Creation to the Flood. Filmed in Morocco in 1994 and narrated in a very subtle fashion by the distinguished Paul Scofield (who does not appear on camera), the movie reminded me of a relaxing water fountain in which the sound of bubbling water captivates. It's simple in tone.

I only wish I knew what the woman was singing in the background throughout many of its scenes. The film ends on a note implying God holds mankind accountable for human life.

Hard to fault a film with that message!

This is a magnificent movie. It clearly achieves the effect that the filmmakers intended.

It's a gorgeous meditation on the biblical story and the religious awe that inspired the book. It's an unusual film—a good thing, because it doesn't really follow any sort of formula. Instead, it builds up interest through the rather straightforward telling of the dawn of man, and it summons that spiritual part of us that can look at the flight of birds, hear the sound of rain, and listen to music, whereby we are transported to a higher realm than the one in which we live.

Many natural phenomena are used in this audio/video symphony. The look of wisdom and dignity on an old man's face and the words he speaks with such controlled mastery blend together and augment the constituent parts of the world as described by him, and causes us not to consider the science behind what's happening, but its grandeur. The scientist Richard Dawkins is a nice man. I like him. But it is at times like this, when I'm immersed in the spiritual rather than the scientific, that I genuinely feel sorry for him. It's wonderful to be able to appreciate the "science and reason" portion of our nature without discarding the spiritual part of it.

We humans are complex animals, and our thoughts and appetites run the gamut from the basest carnality to the most supremely ethereal. The two types of impulses are inherent to most of us—we are born with them: they are what make us fully human. Completely stifling either one seems just as unnatural as letting either run rampant.

That is the remarkable achievement contained within this film: the incredible control and dexterity, the decisions of the director over what to place in the film and what to leave out of it. There is the aspect of a symphony going on here. The images of primitive human conditions that combine in the mind and allows us to make that leap from the ordinary to the extraordinary—the same state of mind that allows us to hear a Beethoven composition and hear the sublimity without considering the natural world particulars of what frequency the notes are played at and the laws of physics behind tonality.

There really isn't a false step in the film. There are no sour notes, and nothing is out of key. Whoever had the ultimate decision-making power of what went into and what didn't make the cut in this film was someone cut from the same cloth as our ancestor who conceived of "In the beginning, the earth was without. . ." If anyone can identify with God it really shouldn't be doctors; instead it's really writers and especially filmmakers, the people who build worlds. Those who let light impose an image on celluloid and out of the darkness of the darkroom come forth a new world, limited only by their imagination and finesse. The Bible does say that we are made in the image of God, and as far as that goes, the director of this movie did a pretty good job of living up to that standard.

The film follows a nomadic family – a very nice one – at the dawn of man. Everyone should have a grandfather who is as good a storyteller as this man. The conditions are primitive but life is good for them, for this is a happy (and believable) family. There isn't much dialog between the characters, a good thing, because the intention of the filmmakers is to make a visual and aural experience; one in which they succeeded at beautifully.

Well, watch the movie yourself. If you understand where the people who made the movie are coming from you can judge the movie's merits based entirely upon that criteria. That's what I've done, and that's why I've given it ten out of ten stars.

For the purposes of enjoying this movie, don't worry about whether or not it's the God's honest truth. It doesn't have to be true. All you need in order to enjoy the film is to do what you do in any movie you watch—suspend your disbelief for the duration of the film. Kick back and enjoy a wonderfully uplifting experience.

An interesting attempt at a visual representation (set to Paul Scoffield's narration) of the book of Genesis. For the most part, the opening creation is a montage of unrelated images. Then the film moves to a somewhat abstract portrayal of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Tubal Cain, then Noah and his family. Throughout are some quotes from the Psalms, Song of Songs, Isaiah, and I what I am certain are extra-biblical references. One sequence I found very interesting was the use of modern images of war and frenetic city life intertwined with portrayals of ungodly lifestyles in Noah's day to communicate that we are on the verge of God's coming judgment, just as his culture was. Very well done, I thought.

Overall, I give this film a 5/10- I wanted to give it a lot more, but it moves along at too slow a pace, with much of the film work seeming like filler material. This film is a lot less than I expected and I'm not sure I'd have been so quick to buy it ($5 at a garage sale) if I knew what it actually was.

A rara-avis production in low-budget dealing with the first part of the book of Genesis and regarding the early stories in the Old Testament . We open with the Creation of the World, recreating the seven days in which Nature comes to life at the first light of dawn Creation . And arriving in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve and continuing on to Cain and the murder of Abel , and finally Noah . It is narrated by a heavy voice-in-off , as in the Italian version by Omero Antonutti and the English language by Paul Scofield . Concerning the unforgettable adventure of Man from the Creation . At the beginning all-enveloping darkness. Suddenly, a child's voice, frightened, questioning, pierces the darkness... The first flickering rays of light begin to sculpt mysterious shapes out of the darkness . As God creating the world in seven days . While a very old man exhorting a kid to see the wonders of the earth. And it is with this child's eyes that we will witness the creation of the world . Adam appears, and is soon joined by Eve. Paradise could be theirs, but as time goes by, they grow restless, inquisitive... They approach the Tree of Knowledge and the evil serpent . It results in the sins carried out by Adam and Eva and, subsequently ,finding distress , pain, and mortality. After their fall and banishment from Eden, they are cursed by God to suffer for their disobedience, although it quickly becomes clear that they have not been abandoned by him. Their sons Cain and Abel play out a story that will continue to darken the Creation until the end of time . As Cain kills his brother Abel and God put on Cain a doomed mark . And angered by the corruption of Cain's progeny, by the lust and greed ruling the cities, God vows to wipe away his creatures and begin anew. With Noah and his family , sons : Shem , Japheth , Ham and wives . The ark is built, the animals led into their pens, and the rain begins beating on the timbers, flooding the land, bringing fear and death. When the rains have devastated the world, the waters recede, the ark touches ground, and the dove sent out by Noah returns with an olive branch - the sign of new life and of a new pact with God. ...In the Beginning . The Greatest Story of All Time...The Greatest Story of All Time...with one of the most celebrated casts of all time! The first adventure story...the first love story...the first murder story...the first suspense story...the first story of faith.

An Italian retelling of the Bible stories narrated by Paul Scofield and Omero Antonutti who also played Noah . The title is a bit of a misnomer as the film only covers the first 22 chapters of the first book of Genesis . It covers various Biblical episodes and and open with the Creation of the World and arrive at the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel and Noah and the Flood . It features overlong , slow takes , non-actors in authentic locations , sensitivity , passionate humanism and even some non-sense Iraq war scenes . Rousing and extraordinary soundtrack by Ennio Morricone , including chorus music . Gorgeous and evocative cinematography shot on usual location in Morocco . There is another better adaptation titled : The Bible in the beginning (1966) by John Huston with Michael Parks , Stephen Boyd , George C Scott , Ava Gardner , Richard Harris and Franco Nero play brothers-turned-enemies .

This strangely mounted production was produced by Rai 1 , Lux Vide , Lube, Biblical Studio Morocco and being well directed by ErmannoOlmi , though it doesn't gives the feel of a Cecil B De Mille spectacle . Olmi was a good and artistic filmmaker who made thought-provoking and sensitive films . Olmi was really influenced by the work of Roberto Rosselini. He usually includes social commentaries , overlong , slow-moving takes and using non-actors in authentic locations who frequently participate in dances . His best films were : The Tree of Wooden Clogs (1978) , The Legend of the Holy Drinker (1988) and Il mestiere delle armi (2001) . He also directed and produced a lot of documentaries. Rating 6/10 . The film will appeal to religious people .