The Bible [DVD] [1966]

Made the bible study more clearly.

Being based on the bible (the first chapters of the Old Testament to be more precise), this film is obviously not going to appeal to everybody. I personally am not a huge fan of religious films and came to buy this one because of the people involved in the making of it. I like John Huston very much - both as director and as actor, and here he is both - and also enjoy seeing Peter O'Toole and Richard Harris on the screen. Ava Gardner is undeniably beautiful and lends a bit of glamour to anything. Even to the Old Testament.I certainly can't pretend that I'm an expert on the bible, but you don't need to be one to have heard the stories covered in this film: Adam and Eve and the garden of Eden, the story of Cain and Abel, that of Noah and his ark, the tower of Babel, Abraham, or Lot and his wife. All these stories are told pretty much as the bible tells them, without much interpretation or moralising and thankfully without putting a modern spin on them. It's a long film (the run time on the DVD I purchased is 167 minutes - which means that apparently some 7 minutes were cut from the original release, but I can't say that I felt I was missing anything), and it is rather episodic in style. But that is fine. So is the text its based on.For me, the most memorable part by far is the story of Noah. John Huston plays Noah himself, and he is wonderful in the part. Much time is given to the construction of the ark and the animals and care for them on board and I loved watching it because for once a film manages to show it exactly as I have always imagined. It's lovely. As far as I'm concerned this segment in a film from the 1960s is far more enjoyable than the recent big budget film about Noah with all its cgi and wonders of modern technology. Good film and highly recommended for all kinds of reasons.The DVD I purchased is perfectly serviceable. The picture quality is good, the colours nice and vibrant and the sound is good. All very nice for a film from 1966. English (and various other language) subtitles are available for those who may need them.

As the other reviewer intimates, this is a fairly low-key Bible-based drama - unlike say Cecil B. DeMille's "The Ten Commandments". But this film is probably the best Bible-based film I've seen to date for keeping to the Bible narrative. Sure, at times some artistic license is used, but it's difficult to see on some occasions how else the events recorded in Genesis could have been portrayed on film!After watching the movie, I was very much left with the impression that the prime motive in making this film was to portray as closely as possible the events from Creation to when Abram sacrifices Isaac to how they are recorded in the book of Genesis - rather than making a great movie epic; and in this regard the film does well. This does mean things can get a little erm, well a bit bland at times, but stick with it and you'll be rewarded with probably an accurate as possible record as a film-based narrative can be, of the events recorded in the first 22 chapters of Genesis!Definitely one for the children to watch or for Sunday School use.

So good to see this timeless Epic again!! I've finally added to my Bible Films collection & its a worthy addition!! If you haven't seen this old masterpiece give it a viewing . It covers Genesis petty well & is useful when anyone wants to know about what * The Good Book * says about our beginnings...its not all about the Big Bang perspective you know! Try it & see an alternative explanation... I have two under 21's at home from University & they still have questions that Atheist philosophy just can't explain! Glad they're still open to the mystical mysteries of *The Book* being a possibility!!!

This is an immense production, as befits such a broad scope of story as the whole of Genesis. The stars come thick and fast as you expect from a 60's biblical epic - Richard Harris, John Huston (who filled in when Charlie Chaplin declined the part of Noah), Franco Nero, Ava Gardner, George C Scott, amongst others. However the film covers so much varying ground, from a very long opening sequence of the earth being made with dramatic Stravinsky like music playing over it, to the intimate story of Abram and his wife Sara longing for a child after the time has passed when she can bear, only to be asked to give Isaac up to God, that there is little emotional impact. It's the last story (Abraham) which plays best as a movie, with effective performances and genuine story arc. The rest feels shoehorned in, with a slot given to Noah, a very short slot with Stephen Boyd (from Ben-Hur) building the Tower of Babel, Cain and Abel - the Genesis highlights as it were.As noble as it seems to make the movie of the Bible taking as few liberties as possible (though rest assured, liberties are taken), the fact is a movie has to have a narrative that involves the viewer on some basic level - and that is where this movie fails, or at least only intermittently succeeds.It's a grand undertaking, worth watching as a curiosity, but too overblown and all-encompassing to be a classic.

Very good and quick service.Very good film for easter viewing "The story of the bible" is the best way to understand christianity and its diversity of religion through out the ages of man.Many religions rely on faith and understanding....The Bible reinforces this faith in GodWe all should take heed the word of God and Jesus as our salvation and survial is dependant on this......Many things are going on around the world that do not fall inline with Jesus principles and will me the downfall of mankind.God bless all the people of the earth

The creation story was too dark to see since the people were naked. All of the acting was excellent. Most of the stories were accurate to the Bible and well done, but the story of Abraham stood out as the best. I was wondering how the movie would deal with the "binding of Isaac," story, and it handled it well. To try to cover so much in the Bible, I believe this is a good movie. However, I do prefer to see the individual stories separately.