Abraham

Acting was superb and the accuracy of the story went along well with the Bible. Best of all the story was quite interesting even the filler that the director used with artistic license. Special effects could have been better but the story made up for it. It's 3.5 hours but well worth the time to watch it. Has the true spirit of Jehovah in the movie. A very inspirational movie. Acting was superb and the accuracy of the story went along well with the Bible. Best of all the story was quite interesting even the filler that the director used with artistic license. Special effects could have been better but the story made up for it. It's 3.5 hours but well worth the time to watch it. Has the true spirit of Jehovah in the movie. A very inspirational movie.

This little TV movie was a masterpiece. It's one of Richard Harris' most brilliant roles as he seems to become Abraham. The movie takes us on a journey from Abraham's initial trek to an unknown land, to the birth of Ishmael and Isaac. Barbara Hershey couldn't have been better as Sarah. The portrayal of the Egyptian pharaoh, the voice of God that speaks to Abraham -- all the way to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorra and the close call with Isaac -- all were done with taste and sensitivity. As some have pointed out, the special effects often looked like overlays, but it didn't adversely affect the power of the film.

The movie covers a lot of ground and while it is long the time goes by quickly because the acting was so beautifully realized. Harris' portrayal of Abraham truly is emotional and realistic. The cast and crew handled the topic with sensitivity and like so many other religious films, this one stays focused on the story and shuns proselytizing, goopy music or silly dialog. This film does not suffer from any of those common problems. I'd highly recommend this film. Well worth the experience.

Richard Harris does a fine job of portraying the old testament prophet, Abraham, a man who hears God tell him to take his people and leave the unholy land of Ur of the Chaldees. This takes the group on a journey of many hardships before finally coming to the place God had in mind. The film did not follow the words of the Holy Bible right down the line, but the production was well done just the same; and the locales filmed, if not in the mid-east, certainly looked authentic.

ABRAHAM, a TV film made in 1993, seeks to condense much of the story of the Book of Genesis, most of it involving the character of Abraham and his efforts to secure passage to the promised land where he will become the founder of a new people.

Unlike many television films, this one has strong production values, not least in the outstanding Moroccan locations (representative of the Middle East). Truly, this is a film in which the landscape is a character in itself, and the sun-scorched locales are really something.

Richard Harris delivers a grand old turn as the put-upon Abraham, tasked with undergoing much hardship and challenge by the Creator. Although the film is episodic in nature, going through much familiar ground (the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the sacrifice of the child, the journey to Egypt) the reason it works so well is because it creates identifiable and realistic characters, not just figures lifted from the page.

Therefore Barbara Hershey's Sarah becomes a petulant and rather selfish character; Maximilian Schell's Pharaoh is a vain and pompous monster; and Carolina Rosi and Gottfried John give the best performances, really stealing their scenes with their emotional turns. Be warned, this is a long - 3 hour - production, and slow-moving in parts, but it does the job well.

At last, someone who knows and loves the Bible stories and tells them with accuracy and feeling. I have seen most of the movies from this series and have found that all of them were moving and at least 80% accurate. It has caused me to look the stories up again to refresh my memory. Richard Harris was a master of his art and brings Abraham to life as no other could have done. I recommend this movie both to those who have read these stories and know them by heart as well as to those who are just finding them for the first time. This movie and in fact all of those in this series bring about a thirst to know more and to find out more about God.