The Bible: In the Beginning-1966
Director John Huston
Starring George C. Scott, Ava Gardner, Richard Harris
Scott’s Review #1,139
Reviewed May 5, 2021
Grade: A-
An epic of grand proportions that nearly rivals the magic cinematography of Lawrence of Arabia (1963), The Bible: In The Beginning (1966) embraces its definition of majestic, magnificent, and sweeping.
The story follows the Bible chronologically, beginning with Adam & Eve.
Remember, you need not be Catholic, Christian, or of any religious persuasion to enjoy the film’s rapturous beauty.
The pious and non-believers alike can enjoy the experience. There is a hint of the unbelievable and a suspension of disbelief in some of the stories gracing director John Huston’s “The Good Book.”
He also narrates some of the stories and appears as Noah.
Nobody is mocked for their beliefs, and the film is a straight-ahead interpretation of the first twenty-two chapters of the Book of Genesis, covering the stories from Creation and Adam and Eve to Isaac’s binding.
Abraham (George C. Scott) and Sarah (Ava Gardner) are heavily featured.
The film focuses on five main sections: Creation, Garden of Eden, Cain and Abel, Noah’s Ark, and Abraham’s story. Other stories get less screen time and attention but are still featured.
Speaking of Adam and Eve (Michael Parks and Ulla Bergyrd), they kick off the action with the fateful decision to pick and taste the luscious fruits dangling before their eyes as the Serpent fiendishly looks on.
God punishes Adam and Eve for their temptation, setting off a common theme throughout the film and, indeed, the excellent book: resisting pleasures of the flesh and being penalized for caving into desires.
Aod is happy when people are unfulfilled and joyless. Sadly, some have taken this too seriously.
We could debate religion until the cows come home, and many have, but I became aware of a hint of ridicule or at least intense questioning on the part of Huston.
He creates scenes that most would deem ridiculous if not written in the words of the Bible.
Again, Huston is careful not to mock anyone, shrouding any antics in good, stylized 1960s film, but a woman being turned into a pillar of salt for looking at the sky is amusing.
Admittedly, some chapters are better than others.
The trials and tribulations of Abraham and Sarah get off to a slow start when Abraham and company traverse miles and miles of the lonely desert so much that I was left wondering if they were on the road to nowhere.
Finally, the action takes off when Sarah realizes she is barren, which leads her maid to conceive a child with Abraham. I never knew this saga had so much in common with the Hulu hit The Handmaid’s Tale, but the similarities are eerie and uncanny.
Noah and his Ark is also an excellent sequence and brings more humor than necessary, but I guess it balances the more severe stories.
Noah adores animals, especially cats and lions, and treats them beautifully, choosing to save and live harmoniously with the creatures. They love him. The flooding scenes related to this chapter are exquisite and adventurous.
The film depicts God as a bit of a son of a bitch as he calls Abraham to lead his only son to a high mountain and sacrifice him. This tests Abraham’s will and is thought-provoking.
If many of the actors look Italian, it’s because they do. Pupella Maggio, famous for her role in Fellini’s Amarcord (1973), plays Noah’s wife.
Much of the film was shot in and around Rome.
Huston not only narrates some sections but also appears as Noah himself!
The Bible: In the Beginning (1966) is exquisite and pleasing cinematically. Many fans of religious cinema will prefer the more conventional The Ten Commandments (1956).
While slow at times, the film has aged like a fine wine by the end, leaving me enthralled and appreciative of its achievements.
Oscar Nominations: Best Original Music Score
Golden Globe Nominations: Best Original Score