Moïse

I saw only the original broadcast mini-series and I was very moved and impressed. Burt Lancaster's portrayal of Moses is very natural, very human unlike the wooden Hollywood versions and I specifically recall Charlton Heston's acting as if he were on-stage in The Ten Commandments. Not Heston'fault though but Cecil B. De Mille's because practically all of the actors and even the extras in that movie acted that way. In some scenes they looked as if they were posing for Rembrandt's Night Watch painting.

Not in this Lancaster version though which portrays Moses with all his faults - his short temper and even disobedience to God. But in one scene where the people of the Exodus were celebrating their deliverance and Aaron worried that they were about to fall into orgiastic idolatry again, Moses showed practical wisdom and said: "Not this time" and allowed the festivities to go on. This TV movie mini-series is really more of a religious and philosophical education rather than mere entertainment.

This 2 hour version cuts out a lot of the interplay and character development of the mini-series that helps move the story along, and gives credence to the whole thing. If you can see the mini-series, do so.

The best thing about both the short and mini-series versions is the score by Ennio Morricone. He has composed one cue that I, personally, believe is the finest single cue he has ever written, and that is saying a lot, what with OVER 400 scores to his name. And Morricone, himself, called this one of his most difficult works at the time, having to compose, thru modern means, a score that depicts an ancient time and place. The score is magnificent, heart-wrenching, and haunting.

I had high hopes when I bought this. Who knows, Burt Lancaster is not just any actor. But oh, was I wrong. Even though you have to consider the time (1974) when there were no blue screen and visual effects departments like in these days, the editor did a bad job. Beside that there more flaws. Simple things like 2 different baby's Moses... and the biggest question: where did the director get the story from? You don't have to believe in the Bible to watch this movie, but even then, the whole movie is based on things that are pure imagination of the director but have nothing to do with any of the biblical stories, or even Jewish tradition. It was a huge disappointment, and I advise everyone if they want to see a good movie, and closer to reality, to watch the movie classic the Ten Commandments.

Spectacular story produced by Italian RAI television with all-star-cast such as Burt Lancaster as Moses , Anthony Quayle as Aaron , Ingrid Thulin as Miriam , Irene Papas as Zipporah and narrated by Richard Johnson . Biblical and evocative tale that deals with Moses , the Hebrew lawgiver . Evocative adaptation about known story , it recounts the greatest Bible story ever told , a journey through the Holy Land that focuses Moses (Burt Lancaster, great appearance as the liberator of the Israelites, forever typecast him as the sort for epics , along with Charlton Heston) , the Hebrew leader , leading the Jews out of Egypt and realized in Italian style . This is the wonderful story about an extraordinary man receiving a holy calling , and follows his life from birth , abandonment , slavery and trials in leading the Jews ; this is the greatest event in epic motion picture history . Biblical story developed in on a great scale though no such as the classic Cecil B. De Mille's version . An Egyptian prince named Moses (Bill Lancaster , Burt's son) who is adopted and brought up in the court by an Egyptian princess (Mariangela Melato) and learns of his identity as a Hebrew and later his destiny to become the chosen deliverer of his people . This vivid storytelling although fairly standard follows appropriately the Moses'life , the son of a Jew slave , from birth and abandonment on a basket over river Nile , as when the Pharaoh ordered the killing of all newborn babies , being pick up by Egyptian princesses and he's raised in the royal court , becoming into Prince of Egypt . One time grown-up Moses (Bill Lancaster as Young Moses) embarks a supernatural mission , as the Egyptian Prince , learns of his true heritage as a Hebrew and his divine mission as the deliverer of his people , getting the freedom for Hebrews . When his Hebrew origin is revealed , Moses is cast out of Egypt , and makes his way across the desert . Then , Moses retires out of Egypt where meets Jethro , marring him with his daughter Sefora . The stoic Moses along with his brothers Aaron (Anthony Quayle) and Miriam (Ingrid Thulin) confront Pharaoh Mernefta (Laurent Terzieff). Moses asks Pharaoh to liberate them but he refuses, causing the Egyptian plagues : invasion of locusts , fogs , epidemic , water become in blood and death of the first-born . As Moses instructs the slaves to put lamb's blood above their doors for protection and in the night , the angel of death comes , and passes over the protected doors . In the homes of the Egyptians where there is no protective sign , the angel kills off the first born children of Egypt, including Pharaoh' son . Moses goes to his brother after this , and is given permission to take the Jews . Moses takes charge of God's people and wrests them from Pharaoh's punishing grip . Moses like liberator of the Jewish leads his people throughout desert battling enemies and with holy intervention . Finally , Moses climbs the Mount of Sinai bringing the holy tablets , meanwhile Jewish people worshipping the golden calf .

This is a monumental TV version of the Biblic book of ¨Exodus ¨ with production design carried out in utter conviction and passable special effects professionally made by the great Mario Bava , including the parting of the Red Sea ; in spite of the time effects still look acceptable . The production team formed by Sir Lew Grade and Vincenzo Labella conferred with roughly experts to make the film as accurate as possible and ample participation by various screenwriters as Vittorio Bonicelli , Anthony Burgess , Bernardino Zapponi and the same director Gianfranco De Bosio . Obviously changes were made to the story to make it work as a Biblical feature , in fact , there is a short list of differences between the movie and the Biblic account of the Exodus . Serious acting by veteran Burt Lancaster who plays a sober Moses. Just as Charlton Heston's son Fraser played the infant Moses in Ten commandments (1956), Burt Lancaster's son Bill (as William) plays Moses as a young man . Secondary cast is frankly good , such as Ingrid Thulin , Marina Berti , Jacques Herlin , Umberto Raho , Simonetta Stefanelli , Michele Placido , Paul L. Smith , Mariangela Melato , among others . Glamorous and luxurious costume design by Enrico Sabbatini . Colorful cinematography by Marcello Gatti , being necessary a right remastering ; filmed on location in Morocco and Negev desert , Israel . Special mention to sensitive musical score by maestro Ennio Morricone , including an enjoyable leitmotif . This movie was the most expensive Italian TV series ever made at the time . However , watching in TV it makes lost most really spectacular scenarios on the small screen . The picture professionally directed by Gianfranco De Bossio is suitable for family viewing and religious people.

Other adaptations told in compactly form about this biblical story are the followings : classic mute (1923) by Cecil B. DeMille with Theodore Roberts , Charles Rochefort ; the second handling and the greatest , made in a gargantuan scale by Cecil B. DeMille (1956) played by Charlton Heston , Yul Brynner, Anne Baxter , Debra Paget , John Derek , Edward G. Robinson and Vincent Price . Furthermore , a new take on titled ¨In the beginning¨ (2000) by Kevin Connor with Billy Campbell as Moses , Christopher Lee as Seti and Art Malik as Rameses ; animated rendition (1998) titled ¨Prince of Egypt¨ produced by Dreamworks and directed by Simon Welles . And television rendition (2006) by Robert Dornhelm with Dougray Scott , Susan Lynch , Naveen Andrews , Paul Rhys , Omar Sharif , Linus Roache , among others

To be fair to this biopic of the man who led the Jews from Pharaonic rule in Egypt to the land of Milk and Honey, there has been some serious effort put into the writing. It is less archaic than much of the original biblical text, but it does still manage to convey something of the gravitas of that tome - especially when delivered by Burt Lancaster in the title role. Now true, at times he does over-egg it on the earnestness front, especially towards the end, but for the most part he holds this together remarkably well. He is helped along by the equally rousing oratory of Sir Anthony Quayle who takes on the role of high priest Aaron and by a solid effort from Ingrid Thulin as Miriam. Sadly, though, these three cannot really compensate for the sluggish pace of the whole thing, nor the really pretty lacklustre supporting cast. That's probably best exemplified by Laurent Terzieff's weak performance as the Pharoah, but Mariangela Melato doesn't fare so very much better as Moses's adopted mother Bithia. It doesn't compare at all well with DeMille's "Ten Commandments" (1956) on the lavishness front, but I think it might outdo it on the authenticity front when they travel through the desert eking out an existence from the scraps they can find amongst the brush. It also goes some way to illustrating that all was not always sweetness and light amongst the tribes; that temptation was never far from many a mind and that, as many people may have found from reading the book of Exodus, their lord God wasn't always the easiest deity to keep sweet! This simply hadn't the budget nor Gianfranco De Bosio the imagination or vision to create something compelling to watch. It does have it's moments - thought the parting of the Red Sea maybe isn't one of them - but it needed a more robust and characterful cast to support the leads and much more succinct and focussed direction.