La Bible: Joseph

Joseph is an excellent dramatisation of the Biblical story. It's a tale best known in popular culture today as the basis for the Lloyd Webber musical, but I found it refreshing to sit down and watch a thorough and accurate account of the story as it was in the Bible, and without all the glitzy silliness that Webber brought to the table.

The production values and script are as great as ever for this series, with the Moroccan locations perfectly standing in for Canaan and Egypt (the depiction of the famine in particular is terrifyingly realised). What stands out most, though, is the calibre of the cast in this one.

Ben Kingsley far and away steals the show as the complicated Potiphar; he's a man you could easily hate when he first shows up, but there's much more to him than that. Kingsley isn't the only winner here. Martin Landau, as the ancient elder Jacob, is also outstanding, adding real heart to the production. Lesley Ann Warren is sexy and delicious as Potiphar's scheming wife. Paul Mercurio (STRICTLY BALLROOM) makes a charismatic Joseph, even if he didn't entirely lose his Aussie accent, and it makes you wonder what happened to him.

The story of Joseph and his brothers is one of the most impressing and rich of significance stories amongst the many others great legends from the Bible. Even the Nobel Prize winner - German author Thomas Mann - wrote a novel called 'Joseph and his Brothers' giving his personal interpretation of this intense, gripping and compassionate episode of the Bible. However, the cinema never pays much attention to this story. In fact, anyone can easily remember movies like 'The Ten Commandments' which tells the adventure of Moses in his search for the Promised Land or 'Sanson and Dellila'. But the drama of the betrayed Joseph, his suffer among the Egyptians and his conquer of power and fortune, was never at the first line of consideration by the producers of Hollywood. This movie, produced in Italy, bring to us this entranced story with an average success. The movie is a bit overlong (180 min) but never boring; the sets and costumes are accurate and the movie has a great photograph. Martin Landau gives a convinced performance as Jacob, Ben Kingsley is correct as Potifar but Paul Mercurio is very bad as Joseph. Maybe another actor with more intensity could give more strenght and energy to the movie. Anyway, if you find this one in a DVD/VHS rent store and if you like Biblical movies, don't lose this one. It's really worthwhile.

I happened to catch the TV movie Joseph a few weeks ago. Didn't see the beginning but it captured my attention immediately. I am a senior and usually 'fade' around 10 PM, but this movie had me alert and involved until over at 11 or midnight! The realism, the scenery, the accuracy; it was great! Martin Landau was the best I have ever seen him as the Patriarch Father. I absolutely LOVED the Pharaoh portrayed by Stephen Landisi. He was perfect. But Paul Mercurio gets 10 stars in this role. He was superb!!! Throughout he portrays the slave role with quiet dignity; his faith and belief in God absolutely marvelous, convincing, pure. The scene where he reveals himself as Joseph, not as second in command of all Egypt, to his brothers tearfully, poignantly is one of the best acting scenes I have seen in years. How refreshing the movie was, so revealing of human frailties, evil; so full of compassion, forgiveness. Mr. Mercurio has emotional depths there to hopefully portray many powerfully moving roles in the future. Bravo! THE BEST movie I've seen in years. I bought it and have since viewed it three times. My two sons loved it, my sister (a savvy New York theater goer) loved it, and now my future daughter- in-law is to see it with son who wants to see it a second time. It moved me deeply. Mercurio is wonderful. Isn't this the epitome of great film? To bring history alive?To touch hearts and lift the spirit?

This film is far from the epic scale of DeMille's "The Ten Commandments" but its startling accuracy pays homage to the text of Genesis and it is full of drama, bitterness, provocative character, and spiritual development. The film takes time to address Jacob's family background without taking away from the protagonist's ongoing journey.

Since my school classes covered the story of Joseph with Old Testament commentaries, I am impressed with the remarkable precision in the film from a Jewish perspective. They include Joseph's meeting with a "man" (i.e. angel), his title as "Tzapaneth Paneah", and the incident of Judah and his daughter-in-law Tamar. While some of the brothers dispute with their father Jacob, it is Judah who redeems himself from his errors.

The casting is well-credited with Ben Kingsley (superb as ever) as Potiphar. Paul Mercurio as Joseph is a quiet and righteous man who restrains himself in the face of fear and temptation.

The simple backgrounds and sets work well and while this is not an elaborate film, it is a great biblical one. Whether others are watching this film for educational, spiritual, or personal reasons, I hope they enjoy it as much as I did.

Every time this 1995 version of Joseph's profound story is on TV again, I watch it. I'm mesmerized by the beautiful Soul of Joseph as depicted by the really likable Paul Mercurio. He brings Joseph's kind and courageous spirit to life.

Also excellent is Ben Kingsley, Martin Landau, Leslie A. Warren. This film is thoughtful, beautifully photographed and directed. For me it is essential viewing for audiences who want accurate Biblical stories, as well as for those who simply like well-produced movies.

Joseph truly has a character to aspire to as followers of the deeper nature of humanity, and his characterization is both believable and amazing in this rendition. Because it isn't certain who really made this story work, I have to give everyone in the production credit.