Sunday, May 08, 2022
Little Buddha
- Who's watched: M & G, many times
- Mentions: *1* *2* *3* *4* *5* *6*
- Commentary: This is a sort of "grahsshoppah" movie, for me, but of a somewhat more serious vein, like listening to Alan Watts tapes.
Mom enjoys the movie, as well, as adult religio-spiritual fairy tale. We actually view this movie, or parts of it, a lot.
I know there are many detractors of this movie. I don't care.
I know people take swipes at the acting, especially that of Keanu Reeves. I don't care, and further, he was playing an icon, being introduced to children in the form of a myth. What the hell were you expecting? I know the story seems implausible, but the point of the movie isn't to relate a true story, it's to relate a story, like the book that is read to one of the children in the movie. Finally, if you want to be a film critic about this movie, fine, but, I can't explain why, I can't critique this movie. I love this movie. I watch it at least a couple times a year and have since I acquired it in 2005 (I'm having to rewrite this post on 5/7/2022 because, somehow, while working on this journal, I deleted it). I always watch it with pleasure and in rapt attention, and I suspect I will until the day I die.
Update 5/08/22: This is a reposting of a previous post dated 2/7/2005 that I managed to recover.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Keanu Reeves Prince Siddhartha Chris Isaak Dean Conrad Bridget Fonda Lisa Conrad Alex Wiesendanger Jesse Conrad Ying Ruocheng Lama Norbu Raju Lal Raju Greishma Makar Singh Gita Sogyal Rinpoche Kenpo Tenzin
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1993
Directed by Bernardo Bertolucci.
Labels: dramaC, dream2, keanu-reeves, pseudo-cgi-animation, religion1, shared-favorite, spiritual2
Thursday, March 18, 2021
Hail Mary
- Commentary: Under construction.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Myriem Roussel Marie Thierry Rode Joseph Philippe Lacoste L'ange Gabriel Manon Andersen La petite fille Juliette Binoche Juliette Anne Gautier Eva Johan Leysen Le professeur Malachi Jara Kohan Jésus
Here is the Wikipedia write-up of this film.
Release Date: 1985
Directed by Jean-Luc Godard.
Labels: §, drama1, jesus-dvds, juliette-binoche, religion1
Sunday, January 17, 2021
Silence
- Commentary: Under construction.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Andrew Garfield Sebastião Rodrigues Adam Driver Francisco Garupe Tadanobu Asano The Interpreter Ciarán Hinds Alessandro Valignano/Voice of Jesus Liam Neeson Cristóvão Ferreira/Sawano Chūan Shinya Tsukamoto Mokichi Issey Ogata noue Masashige Yōsuke Kubozuka Kichijirō Nana Komatsu Mónica (Haru) Ryo Kase João (Chokichi) Katsuo Nakamura The Monk Yoshi Oida Ichizo
Here's the Wikipedia write-up for this movie.
Release Date: 2016
Directed by Martin Scorsese.
Labels: §1, historical4, martin-scorsese, religion1
Saturday, January 16, 2021
Exodus: Gods and Kings
- Commentary: I own this movie because I have a particular fascination for the Moses part of the origin story of the Jewish people and their attempts to, and successes at, forming a nation. This is my fourth version of the Moses story, the others being: The Ten Commandments with Charlton Heston as Moses, Moses with Ben Kingsley playing Moses, superbly, I think, and Cecil B. DeMille's The Ten Commandments, DeMille's first, silent production of the Moses story, which combines the story with a modern day film meditation of the application of the ten commandments in what was, at that time, modern life.
This movie, staring Christian Bale as Moses, is certainly entertaining. I go on "Moses" binges during which I watch all of my Moses movies back-to-back. This version is as involving and entertaining as all the others. Joel Edgerton is particularly fun as Pharaoh Ramses. John Turturro strikes an appropriately wise and world-weary Seti. Much to my delight, Ben Kingsley also appears in this movie as a major/minor figure, Nun. There are so many recognizable stars playing bit parts in this movie that it makes you wonder ...
Truth is, even though I consider it a delightful addition to my Moses archive, it's easy to wonder, as I watch it, why this Moses story was even produced and why all these major stars (including those in minor parts) assented to participate. Mind you, I have no quarrel with versions and versions of the Moses story. I find them endlessly fun and fascinating. Of all the versions I own, though, this is the only one that appears to be an obvious Ridley Scott money grab, and, frankly, only a money grab. We know how spectacular Scott can be producing an epic. You only need to point to Gladiator. In that movie, it's obvious that Ridley Scott, the director for that movie, too, was not only thinking about content, he thought assiduously and well about it. Not so with this production. There are some roles that featured large in my other Exodus epics that were merely spit upon in passing in this movie: Dathan, for instance, and Jethro. There are others that featured large in this movie that were, again, spit upon in passing or altogether ignored in my other Exodus epics: Miriam, for instance, and Viceroy Hegep.
Still, it's fun to watch, in the context of my other Moses movies. I'll not be passing it on to someone else.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Christian Bale Moses Joel Edgerton Rameses II John Turturro Seti I Aaron Paul Joshua Ben Mendelsohn Viceroy Hegep María Valverde Zipporah Sigourney Weaver Tuya Ben Kingsley Nun Isaac Andrews Malak Hiam Abbass Bithiah Indira Varma High Priestess Ewen Bremner Strategy Expert Golshifteh Farahani Nefertari Ghassan Massoud Grand Vizier Paser Tara Fitzgerald Miriam Dar Salim Cmdr. Khyan Andrew Tarbet Aaron Ken Bones Court Scribe Anton Alexander Dathan Kevork Malikyan Jethro
You'll notice, above, that the name "Malak" is hyperlinked to an article that well discusses the use of this word/name biblically. I became very curious about this word/name because of the character who sports it in this movie. Interesting read, no matter how you feel about the movie. Although many people, including some prominent reviewers, have identified this character as the Abrahamic God, the definition to which I've linked clearly undermines this interpretation by identifying this word as meaning a "messenger" and an "angel".
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 2014
Directed by Ridley Scott.
Labels: ben-kingsley, ben-mendelsohn, bible-movies1, christian-bale, drama2, historical1, indira-varma, john-turturro, military, moses, popcorn-and-soda1, religion1, ridley-scott, sigourney-weaver, spectacle1, violence1
Tuesday, November 05, 2019
Monty Python's Life of Brian
- Commentary: O.K. Look. Considering how Christianity has had an extraordinary impact on several branches of my family (one of my great grandfathers and one of my great uncles were Methodist preachers, the first of whom was a fire-and-brimstone circuit rider), I could not not own this movie, eventually. Yes, I have reverence for spirituality, but I have none for the institution of Christianity. I don't even agree with everything Jesus was purported to have said. So, this movie is a vigorous, always laughter-provoking, head nod for me.
Would my mother have enjoyed it (she never saw it), being a woman of faith? Yes, I think so. One of my sisters once pronounced her a "pure spirit". I agree with that assessment. The solemnity of her faith, though, was liberally mixed with realism and a questioning attitude. She was not averse to bringing Jesus to task. Maybe she's who taught me how to lean into irreverence.
Once again, Roger Ebert wrote two reviews of this movie: the first in 1979, linked to this post title, the second on its re-release in 2004.
By the way, all members of Monty Python and a few other actors played multiple roles in this movie. I'm listing only one per member.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Graham Chapman Brian Cohen John Cleese High Priest Terry Gilliam Mount Sermon attendee Eric Idle Mr Cheeky Terry Jones Mandy Cohen Michael Palin Mr. Big Nose Terence Bayler Mr. Gregory Carol Cleveland Mrs. Gregory Charles McKeown False Prophet Kenneth Colley Jesus Sue Jones-Davies Judas Iscariot John Young Matthius
Just in case, here's the Wikipedia link to this movie.
Release Date: 1979 & 2004
Directed by Terry Jones.
Labels: bible-movies1, comedy1, dramedy1, fantasy1, film-art1, jesus-dvds, me-favorite1, religion1, satire1
Thursday, August 08, 2019
Fallen
- Commentary: Okay. So this is the "bad, bad, really bad" Denzel Washington movie to which I refer in the this post. It's got a lot of great actors in it, too, John Goodman, for instance, Embeth Davitz, Donald f-ing Sutherland, for godssakes, so I have to assume that all these amazing actors were probably in need of money and needing to keep their craft polished (and, perhaps, their names, as well). Frankly, I can only imagine that this movie would have been glorious fun to do, especially with the gang of top-notch actors involved. And every single one of the top shelf actors delivers, sometimes a little over the top, it's true, but I think they're allowed and, anyway, the story takes itself so seriously as a horror set-up that the whole production is pushed over into the realm of unintentional hilarity. Or, maybe the hilarity was intentional.
If I had not received this as a bonus tagged onto a movie I wanted, I'm sure I not only wouldn't own it, I would not check it out, once having read the case description, despite the talent line-up. I have to also believe that none of the actors would have participated in this if their involvement did not fulfill some immediate material and/or professional need. Maybe, that's what makes this film fun to watch (although I've only watched it once, giggled and laughed through the whole showing, and I doubt I'll ever watch it again). Everything about it is desperate; desperately bad, that is, except for the performances, and that's what makes this film a wonder to behold. I'm attaching only one tag to this movie, because that's all it deserves. I'm grinning while I attach the label, though. In fact, as I close off this review, I'm seriously considering watching this movie again ... just for fun, and to experience, again, the unbelievability of it all.
Frankly, I'm surprised Roger Ebert reviewed this movie, at all, let alone gave it an above-middling review. I've attached his review to the title of this post. Check it out.
Update 8/4/21: Some time earlier this year, I decided to attach two more tags to this movie, one of them being "popcorn-and-soda", referring to the experience of watching it, of course, not the movie, itself. Although ...
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Denzel Washington Det. John Hobbes John Goodman Det. Jones Donald Sutherland Lt. Stanton Embeth Davidtz Grett Milano James Gandolfini Det. Lou Elias Koteas Edgar Reese Gabriel Casseus Art Hobbes Michael J. Pagan Sam Hobbes
The Wikipedia write-up for the movie is here.
Release Date: 1998
Directed by Gregory Hoblit.
Labels: denzel-washington, donald-sutherland, film-noir3, horror1, popcorn-and-soda2, religion1
Friday, April 13, 2007
The Nativity Story
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: None
- Commentary: Yes, this is yet another jesus dvd that is a Jesus movie. We rented it first. For some unknown reason, I had the idea that maybe we had enough Jesus movies for Mom and she'd consider this one overkill, but I was wrong, which is why I purchased it for her. We've watched it several times.
I appreciate it for the explanation it contains of certain cultural customs to which members of "The Holy Family" would have been obligated, but, more than this, some of the oblique symbology of the birth of Jesus is explained, such as the signficance of the gifts received from "the wise men". There is strong enough emphasis on the importance of the visiting of the shepherds that I finally understood this aspect of the Jesus Nativity Story. And, the parallel story of Elizabeth and Zechariah is well woven into the presentation.
My mother, of course, is enthralled with the movie. The more apparently realistic Bible movies are, the more she likes them. This one rang a bell for her. She even enjoyed the offhand comic relief of the three wise men.
I may have mentioned this before: I'm not Christian, never have been, actually, even though I was raised in what would be considered a typical Christian household of the 50's and 60's, which is to say, only mildly religious but with a strong emphasis on morality and ethics, not necessarily connected to but often echoing Christianity in particular. Because my mother is deeply spiritual, though, and uses Christianity as her spiritual touchstone (and, for a few other reasons, as well), I spent a fair amount of time (still do, in fact) investigating and thinking about Christianity. I've been at the point, for some years, where I firmly doubt the existence of the historical Jesus as presented in Christianity (even the Christian gospels hint that the Jesus they present never existed) but, because much of the symbology and beliefs are ubiquitous in many theistic and nontheistic religious doctrines and practice, the entire area of spirituality bounded by religion fascinates me and Christianity, being the first religion to which I was introduced, thus the one with which I am most familiar, is a good jumping off point for me. This movie, in particular, is a succinct reminder of the power of the Jesus story, Jesus mythology and Christian dedication. As well, while I was absorbing Elizabeth's story alongside Mary's, I was suddenly struck by the importance of the mothers of gods, in stories such as these, always being in some way barren, or, in the case of the births of great leaders of a theistic religion, the birth itself or the baby being threatened, thus the birth of the god or the leader is usually (except, for instance, in the case of Abram/Abraham), somehow miraculous. I don't know why I never before paid attention to this.
Soon after we watched this movie a few times and had some stimulating conversations about Christianity in particular and spirituality in general, I decided to rent The God Who Wasn't There so Mom could get a better idea of why Christianity interests me but doesn't cause me to "fall on [my] knees". No, this isn't a movie we'll be purchasing. I was familiar with most of the stuff in it when I originally saw it and don't need it as a resource. But, Mom found this movie interesting and worthy of discussion, although it didn't sway her belief in her religion. I didn't expect this. Even those of us who aren't swayed by beliefs in gods and the ritual detail of god centered religions often have belief systems that make no rational sense but hold sway over us, anyway. At any rate, something I realized when we discussed spirituality and religion from the point of view of The God Who Wasn't There is that Mom is firmly centered in life-here-and-now rather than death-in-the-sweet-by-and-by. This, I think, is the important difference between her spirituality and that of many people who consider and call themselves Christians.
The Nativity Story is not nearly as spiritually powerful for me as, say, The Little Buddha, for instance, but it's provocative, nonetheless, and I can count on it to trigger interesting discussions about religion and spirituality between my mother and me.
Well, well, well. I found loads of Christian reviewers covering this movie, usually positively (if there was any negativity at all in these reviews, it was a minor haggle over biblical representation of the story vs. this movie's representation), but I was able to find only two secular critics weighing in. Of those, I chose the, well, the longest, to connect to the title of this post. It was also the better of the two I found, and the kinder. I think what most secular critics wanted was more of a The Last Temptation of the Christ presentation. Although I'm a secularist, myself, I notice that most secularists who go to the movies are allergic to any religious presentation even when it is sincere and subtle. Guys, this story is well acted by some extraordinary actors, well directed, well filmed and well told. It's not trying to convert you. It's just telling an old, old story. Relax. It's not going to jump into the theater (or your living room) and strangle you until you become Christian.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Keisha Castle-Hughes Mary Oscar Isaac Joseph Hiam Abbass Anna Shaun Toub Joachim Shohreh Aghdashloo Elizabeth Stanley Townsend Zechariah Ciarán Hinds Herod the Great Alexander Siddig Angel Gabriel
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 2006
Directed by Catherine Hardwicke.
Labels: bible-movies1, Christmas, drama7, female-director2, jesus-dvds, mom-favorite1, oscar-isaac, period3, religion1, spiritual1
Friday, March 09, 2007
The Bible Collection
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: None
- Commentary: This set of Old Testament Stories, covering:
Abraham [Directed by Joseph Sargent; Release Date: 1993; Wikipedia link]
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Richard Harris Abraham Barbara Hershey Sarai/Sarah Vittorio Gassman Terah Maximilian Schell Pharaoh Carolina Rosi Hagar Kevin McNally Nahor Gottfried John Eliezer Andrea Prodan Lot
→ richard-harris
David [Directed by Robert Markowitz; Release Date: 1997; Wikipedia link]
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Nathaniel Parker David Jonathan Pryce Saul Leonard Nimoy Samuel Sheryl Lee Bathsheba Ben Daniels Jonathan Maurice Roëves Joab Franco Nero Nathan Gideon Turner Young David
→ jonathan-pryce
Jacob [Directed by Peter Hall; Release Date: 1994; Wikipedia link]
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Matthew Modine Jacob Lara Flynn Boyle Rachel Sean Bean Esau Joss Ackland Isaac Juliet Aubrey Leah Irene Papas Rebeccah Giancarlo Giannini Laban Christoph Waltz Morash
→ matthew-modine
Joseph [Directed by Roger Young; Release Date: 1995; Wikipedia link]
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Ben Kingsley Potiphar Lesley Ann Warren Potiphar's Wife Paul Mercurio Joseph Stefano Dionisi Pharoah Michael Attwell Judah Pete Lee Wilson Gad Kelly Miller Tamar Warren Clarke Ednan
Moses [Directed by Roger Young; Release Date: 1995; Wikipedia link]
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Ben Kingsley Moses Frank Langella Merneptah Christopher Lee Pharaoh David Suchet Aaron Geraldine McEwan Miriam Enrico Lo Verso Joshua Maurice Roëves Zerack Sônia Braga Zipporah Philip Stone Jethro Anthony Higgins Korah Anton Lesser Eliav Vincent Riotta Midian
Samson & Delilah [Directed by Nicolas Roeg; Release Date: 1996; Wikipedia link]
P.S. The revenge2 movie in this collection is Samson & Delilah, one of the ultimate revenge stories in the Abrahamic bible, in part because it features more than one revenge story. It is as though "God" created Samson to be an instrument of revenge.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Eric Thal Samson Jonathan Rhys Meyers Young Samson Elizabeth Hurley Delilah Dennis Hopper Gen. Tariq Diana Rigg Mara Paul Freeman Manoah Michael Gambon King Hanun Ben Becker Prince Sidqa Alessandro Gassman Amrok Debora Caprioglio Rani Sebastian Knapp Yoram Jale Arıkan Naomi
This is the collection that most captures my interest. Mom considers it a continuation of The Bible Series. My favorites are the stories of Joseph, Abraham and Moses, as it is a delight for me to watch Ben Kingsley and Richard Harris in anything. One of the aspects of both this and The Bible Series that I appreciate is the obvious attempt to authentically capture the time periods. I notice, especially, the tight use of space and the fact that they are somewhat less full of eye candy as, say, the productions of The Ten Commandments and One Night with the King.
Labels: barbara-hershey, ben-kingsley, bible-movies1, jonathan-pryce, leonard-nimoy, matthew-modine, moses, religion1, revenge2, richard-harris
The Bible Series
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: None
- Commentary: This set contains the stories of three Old Testament characters and a review of the first book of the Old Testament:
Esther [Directed by Raffaele Mertes; Release Date: 1999; Wikipedia link]
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Louise Lombard Hadassah/Esther F. Murray Abraham Mordecai Jürgen Prochnow Haman Thomas Kretschmann King Ahasuerus Ornella Muti Vashti Umberto Orsini Memucan Darren Branstord Nehemiah Natasha Williams Mimouna
→ f-murray-abraham
Jeremiah [Directed by Harry Winer; Release Date: 1998; Wikipedia link]
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Patrick Dempsey Jeremiah Oliver Reed General Safan Andrea Occhipinti King Joiakim Vincent Regan King Zedekiah Leonor Varela Judith Klaus Maria Brandauer King Nebuchadnezzar Stuart Bunce Baruch Jolyon Stephenson Ebed Melech
→ oliver-reed
Solomon [Directed by Roger Young; Relase Date: 1997; Wikipedia link]
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Ben Cross Solomon Anouk Aimée Bathsheba Max von Sydow David Ivan Kaye Adonijah Maria Grazia Cucinotta Abishag Umberto Orsini Nathan Roger Hammond Zadok Pete Lee-Wilson Ahlijah
Genesis: The Creation and the Flood [Directed by Ermanno Olmi; Release Date: 1994; Wikipedia link].
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Paul Scofield Narrator Omero Antonutti Noah Sabir Aziz Adam Haddou Zoubida Eve Annabi Abdelialil Cain B. Haddan Mohammed Abel
Mom is, of course, transfixed by all the movies. My personal favorite is the story of Solomon, although I appreciate the production of Esther's story, especially after having seen One Night with the King. It is this series and The Bible Collection that prompted me to institute a new label, "bible-movies", as these don't quite fit in the category of "jesus-dvds".
Update 8/2/21: (My late mother's birthday, by the way: Happy Birthday, Mom!): I hesitate to mention this, but, if something of my mother continues to exist and is aware of me, she'll be pleased that I continue to watch all the movies in this assortment and The Bible Collection religiously (forgive the pun) throughout every year with much enjoyment, even though I am an agnostic atheist. That's how well done they are.
Labels: bible-movies1, f-murray-abraham, max-von-sydow, oliver-reed, religion1
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Mary, Mother of Jesus
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: None
- Commentary: This one is a bit of a surprise. We discovered it one evening while searching through the channels looking for movies. Mom's eyes latched onto the title and we clicked into it, then caught a later run to catch what we'd missed. It's a made-for-TV movie that is more about Mary's imagined influence in Jesus' life than it is about Jesus. It was made by the Kennedy family, to what purpose I'm not sure, but it's intriguing, especially the parts that suggest that the parables of Jesus were actually stories Mary told Jesus, when he was a child, in order to illustrate ethical and moral values. I found the first viewing fascinating but quickly realized it wouldn't be one that I'd watch repeatedly. Mom, though, was quite taken with it and requested that we add it to our collection, so that's what I did. It's been watched once again since it arrived, and, again, Mom said, "I think we should get a copy of that movie." I reminded her that we did, and she just watched it. Interestingly, it reminded me of Anne Rice's book, Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt. I wonder if either influenced the other.
It reminded me that the theaters are currently featuring a new movie about Mary's story, so to speak, The Nativity Story. I imagine, when that's in DVD once we've rented it, Mom will want that one added to our collection, as well.
I don't think this movie was seen by a lot of people, so few are the reviews for it. Mary Movies, though, come and go, as we are reminded in this article about the plethora of Mary Movies, published, unsurprisingly, in the Catholic Digest. Despite what may seem like an obvious pairing, the article is actually quite informative about Mary Movies.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Christian Bale Jesus of Nazareth Toby Bailiff Young Jesus Pernilla August Mary of Nazareth David Threlfall Joseph of Nazareth Simone Bendix Mary Magdalene Robert Addie Pontius Pilate Edward Hardwicke Zechariah Hywel Bennett Herod Geraldine Chaplin Elizabeth Christopher Routh John the Baptist Andrew Grainger Barrabas John Light Archangel Gabriel
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1999
Directed by Kevin Connor.
Labels: bible-movies1, christian-bale, jesus-dvds, period4, religion1
The Last Temptation of Christ
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: *1* *2* *3*
- Commentary: I noticed, in the mentions, one of them states that Mom always thinks she wants to see this movie, then she gets bored with it. This is no longer true. It is now one that she asked after the last time we did a "jesus movie" festival, so, this year, I purchased it.
For me, as well, the more I watch the movie, the more I like it. I tend, now, to ignore the discontinuities, like yet another Nordic Jesus, Harvey Keitel as a red-headed Judas and Barbara Hershey's bee-stung lips. Especially since I've read the book, I tend to appreciate the story more for what it symbolizes rather than what it portrays.
I think what Mom likes about it is the gritty realism and the startling detail, like how the crosses are made. We watched this movie again, recently, right after I ordered it and just after a couple of other Jesus movies. It seems that each movie has its own version of how crucifixion crosses are constructed, which mom noticed this time around, which led to yet another Jesus movie festival.
The only disappointing aspect of this movie was that it promised subtitles and they may exist but they aren't listed in any of the menus so I'm not sure if listing this as a feature was an error or if there is an Easter Egg technique to cuing them. I need to check this out. It does not feature Closed Captioning. I was afraid this would be a problem for Mom but the first time we watched it after receiving it, Mom had no problem with it. This is, at any rate, primarily a visual feast for her, so I guess that's why it doesn't matter. As well, the dialogue is not mumbled or distorted by other sound tracks.
The review linked to the title of this post is an interesting view of the movie from the perspective of how it had been (up to the point of its writing) and may continue to be viewed by the religious community. It seemed to me a relevent discussion to have about it.
Roger Ebert reviewed the movie twice, once as a "regular" movie and once more as a Great Movie.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Willem Dafoe Jesus Harvey Keitel Judas Iscariot Barbara Hershey Mary Magdalene Harry Dean Stanton Saul/Paul of Tarsus David Bowie Pontius Pilate Verna Bloom Mary, Mother of Jesus Andre Gregory John the Baptist Nehemiah Persoff Rabbi Leo Marks Voice of Satan Tomas Arana Lazarus Victor Argo Peter Martin Scorsese Isaiah
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1988
Directed by Martin Scorsese.
Labels: barbara-hershey, bible-movies1, Criterion2, drama8, fantasy3, harry-dean-stanton, harvey-keitel, jesus-dvds, martin-scorsese, nehemiah-persoff, period4, religion1, shared-favorite, spiritual1, willem-dafoe
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
- Who's watched: Only G, I think
- Mentions: None
- Commentary: I assume my mother hasn't seen this, although, when I lived in Seattle and for about a year or so after I came to live with her in Mesa, despite what she's always professed as an inability to understand "English English", she watched a lot of English comedy stuff on PBS and, later, through cable, BBC, so, maybe she has seen it. Anyway, again, on sale, and, again, I wanted to add it to my collection, although it may be awhile before I view it. I would like to own The Life of Brian in the same spirit.
Update: Yes, I own, and have for awhile, Monty Python's Life of Brian. I think I slightly prefer it to this one, but, it depends on what mood I'm in.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Graham Chapman King Arthur of the Britons John Cleese Sir Lancelot the Brave Terry Gilliam Patsy Eric Idle Multiple Roles Michael Palin Sir Galahad the Pure Connie Booth Miss Islington the Witch Carol Cleveland Zoot and Dingo Neil Innes Leader of Robin's Minstrels
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1975
Directed by Terry Gillam and Terry Jones.
Saturday, November 11, 2006
The Ten Commandments
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: *1* *2* *3* *4* *5*
- Commentary: Although I can't remember my journal comments, I'm sure, if you're even a semi-regular reader of my journal(s) about my mother, you know that this is one of my mother's all time favorites, and I've come to enjoy it, as well. I love the opulence, the story, the acting and the sets. I am proud to say that I can quote dialog from this movie. I never get tired of my mother wanting to see this movie. Each time she decides to watch this movie, the chances always become excellent that I will drop what I'm doing and join her.
Update 2/10/18: For fun, I thought I'd link the title of this write-up to the original 1956 review of this movie in the New York Times.
Update 8/19/19: I just discovered, to my dismay, that the old title link to the original NYT review of this movie dead-ended; so, I looked up the review and attached the new link. Just in case, though, I am appending the entire November 9, 1956, review (by Bosley Crowther) below. Take note of the opening sentence, it's quite interesting. So is the later commentary on the special effects in the movie:
"AGAINST the raw news of modern conflict between Egypt and Israel—a conflict that has its preamble in the Book of Exodus—Cecil B. De Mille's "The Ten Commandments" was given its world première last night at the Criterion Theatre, and the coincidence was profound. For Mr. De Mille's latest rendering of Biblical literature in the spectacular framing and colloquial idiom of the screen tells an arresting story of Moses, the ancient Israelite who was a slave with his people in Egypt and who struggled to set them free.
"As Mr. De Mille presents it in this three-hour-and-thirty-nine-minute film, which is by far the largest and most expensive that he has ever made, it is a moving story of the spirit of freedom rising in a man, under the divine inspiration of his Maker. And, as such, it strikes a ringing note today.
"But aside from the timely arrival and contemporary context of this film, it is also a rather handsome romance in Mr. De Mille's best massive style. To the fundamental story of Moses, as told in the Old Testament and reflected in other ancient writings consulted by Mr. De Mille, he and his corps of screen playwrights have added some frank apocrypha which, while they may not be traceable in history (or even in legend), make for a robust tale.
"In this imaginative recount, Moses is raised as a prince in the palace of Egypt's Pharaoh, after being found, as the Bible tells, by the Pharaoh's daughter in the bullrushes, where he was hidden by his mother, a Hebrew slave. And as a presumed Egyptian, he is a candidate for the Pharaoh's throne and a rival for the love of a luscious princess with the Pharaoh's own son Rameses.
"As one might well imagine, the plot-minded Mr. De Mille does not pass lightly or briefly over this phase of his tale. Moses, as played by Charlton Heston, is a handsome and haughty young prince who warrants considerable attention as a heroic man of the ancient world. And Anne Baxter as the sensual princess and Yule Brynner as the rival, Rameses, are unquestionably apt and complementary to a lusty and melodramatic romance.
"But the story is brought back to contact with the Bible and with its inspirational trend when Moses discovers, acknowledges and is exiled from Egypt because of his Hebraic birth. Then Mr. De Mille, who, incidentally, acts as narrator for his film in many of its more exalted stretches, takes him into the wilderness and establishes his contact with his Maker, which leads to the Exodus and the Covenant on Mount Sinai.
"In the latter phases of the drama, wherein the impulse to set his people free from the bondage of Egypt flames in Moses, the spiritual and supernatural surge comes somewhat bluntly in the picture, and the performance of such awesome miracles as the crossing of the Red Sea and the burning of the Ten Commandments into the tablets of stone may strike the less devout viewer as a bit mechanical and abrupt.
"Also, and with all due regard for the technical difficulties besetting Mr. De Mille, we must say his special effects department was not up to sets or costumes. The parting of the Red Sea is an obvious piece of camera trickery in which two churning walls of water frame a course as smooth and dry as a race track. And the striking off of the Ten Commandments by successive thunderbolts, while a deep voice intones their contents is disconcertingly mechanical.
"However, in its other technical aspects—in its remarkable settings and décor, including an overwhelming facade of the Egyptian city from which the Exodus begins, and in the glowing Technicolor in which the picture is filmed—Mr. De Mille has worked photographic wonders. And his large cast of characters is very good, from Sir Cedric Hardwicke as a droll and urbane Pharaoh to Edward G. Robinson as a treacherous overlord. Yvonne DeCarlo as the Midianite shepherdess to whom Moses is wed is notably good in a severe role, as is John Derek as a reckless Joshua.
"This is unquestionably a picture to which one must bring something more than a mere wish for entertainment in order to get a full effect from it. But for those to whom its fundamentalism will be entirely credible, it should be altogether thrilling and perhaps even spiritually profound."
The title link to the NYT article that ran when the movie premiered, is back, again, and appears to be generally available to all digital readers of NYT, not just subscribers. I'm not sure why, and I don't trust it, so, just in case, I'm keeping this link in reserve.
As an aside, from a Special Feature which accompanies the DVD of the movie, Charlton Heston tells viewers that he also voiced God in the movie, and gives an interesting reason: He imagined that the voice of God would come from within oneself and would, therefore, sound like oneself.
Update 6/22/2022 Regarding the voice of God: Although there is considerable confusion online about who voiced God in this movie, what finally seems apparent is that God was voiced by more than one actor. Jesse Delos Jewkes definitely voiced God in the Ten Commandments Tablet scene. [See, also, this article about Jesse Delos Jewkes.] Charlton Heston, in an interview available on my "Special Edition" copy of the movie, said that he was the voice of God; it seems apparent that, for the Burning Bush scene, he probably was (which is confirmed in the Wikipedia article about this movie). Other sources credit Cecil B. DeMille as voicing God in certain segments of the movie, but I cannot find anything authoritative to confirm this. Perhaps we will never know, for sure, how many actors voiced God in this movie and who all of them were.
Yet another link, if you can handle it. Aside from the DVD Savant review I linked in the title, he wrote another review when the blu-ray edition was released with an extra 11 minutes of footage added to the film. I think. I'm not sure. That might be an extra 11 minutes of special features. At any rate, although some of the review is repetitive, it also adds knowledge and perspective, having been written 7 years after his initial review. So, I'm including it in the immediately previous link.
My Final Commentary 8/19/19: I don't consider it true that "one must bring something more than a mere wish for entertainment in order to get a full effect" of the movie. I was not a god-believer when I initially saw the movie and have not been since. The movie's "full effect", however, subsumes me every time I watch it. In fact, after having updated this post, I'm thinking, this afternoon might be a good time for me to watch the movie, again. Just for fun, and to enjoy that subsumation experience, once again.
My Absolute Final Commentary 6/21/2022: I'm about a third of the way through a special on YouTube about the making of The Ten Commandments - 1956. Watching it reminded me of some family history surrounding this movie that I want to record. This movie is the very first DVD that Mom and I obtained. At that time, neither of us had any idea that we would build a large collection around it. One year, I'm not sure which year but it was definitely post 1997 (when she bought the house in Prescott, in which I continue to reside), MFS sent us a coupon for Blockbuster Video in celebration of some holiday or birthday or something-or-other. Mom and I initially figured we'd use it to rent movies, since we'd established a habit of doing this in Mesa and Prescott. Mom sent me to the store while she begged off by saying, "I feel a nap coming on. Get something good for tonight." When I discovered that The Ten Commandments - 1956 was on sale and fit right into the budget established by the gift certificate from MFS, I realized I had a decision to make. I knew that this was a movie that both Mom and I would want to see again and again and decided, instead of renting a few movies that we may or may not watch before they were due back, to buy this movie. I remember Mom being very excited about my choice of "rental" and even more excited when I told her I out-right bought it so we could watch it whenever we wanted. That's where, and how, our movie collection began. From that point on Mom's preference was to own, not to rent, and I had no quarrel with that decision. No, Virginia, I don't remember what our second movie purchase was. It doesn't matter, really. With this movie, alone, our collection was off and running.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Charlton Heston Moses/Voice of God Sir Cedric Hardwicke Seti I Yul Brynner Rameses II Anne Baxter Nefretiri Edward G. Robinson Dathan Yvonne De Carlo Sephora Debra Paget Lilia John Derek Joshua Nina Foch Bithiah Martha Scott Yochabel Judith Anderson Memnet Vincent Price Baka John Carradine Aaron Olive Deering Miriam Eduard Franz Jethro John Miljan The Blind One
Here is the Wikipedia article about the movie, just in case.
Release Date: 1956
Directed and Narrated by Cecil B. DeMille.
Labels: bible-movies1, charlton-heston, drama8, moses, period4, popcorn-and-soda4, religion1, shared-favorite, spectacle2
The Passion of the Christ
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: *1* *2* *3*
- Commentary: For both my mother and me, the controversy over this movie was beside the point. My mother is an aficionado of both Jesus and religious movies, so, of course, she had to see this one. If I hadn't been living with my mother when it came out, I probably would not have seen it, but not in some sort of intellectual or spiritual protest. I wouldn't have bothered because I know the story so well and know what I believe about the issues it raises.
The rough and violent nature of the movie bothered neither of us. We discussed, briefly, whether Jesus was singled out for unusual torture, as, basically, his crucifixion was all in a day's work, and he wasn't the only person crucified on the day he died, nor was he the only person ever convicted of exactly the type of political treason that sent him to Golgotha.
Other than that, my mother's favorite "character" in the movie is the oblique, white head of who she assumes to be "satan", or, more appropriately, as she expressed it, the spirit of evil and selfishness luring Jesus to turn his back on his mission. The head reminds me a bit of the spirit masks floating about in Spirited Away.
I've linked the title of this post to Roger Ebert's extraordinary and cogent review of this movie.
The movie is definitely a winner from the "Bible Movie" perspective, for my mother.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Jim Caviezel Jesus of Nazareth Maia Morgenstern Mary, mother of Jesus Monica Bellucci Mary Magdalene Luca Lionello Judas Iscariot Rosalinda Celentano Satan Luca De Dominicis Herod Ántipas Pietro Sarubbi Barabbus Hristo Naumov Shopov Pontius Pilate Giacinto Ferro Joseph of Arimathia Sergio Rubini Dismas, Penitant Thief Mattia Sbragia Caiaphas Francesco De Vito Peter
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film, which outlines some of the controversy against which Roger Ebert was writing in his review.
Release Date: 2004
Directed by Mel Gibson.
Labels: bible-movies1, drama8, jesus-dvds, mel-gibson, mom-favorite1, period4, religion1, spectacle2, violence3
