This is an excellent film, but it has a severe problem.
I have seen many movies where screenwriters insist, or imply, that it is based on the biblical story. This 2005 film, “Joseph and His Brethren,” wins the prize, if you can call it that. It is the first movie of its kind that I saw where there is absolutely no incident, none, that is like what is in the Bible. It is as if the screenwriters are mocking God if you believe the Bible is from God or belittling the sages who wrote it if you think the Bible was inspired. They rewrote the tale, changed everything, added drama and a love story, and presented us with the gift of their improved inspiration, implying, “We can do it better.”
Despite this, as they desired, the movie is a good story, not biblical but exciting, emotional, dramatic, and with excellent acting.
However, it is not better than the Bible, and lacks the multiple nuances that biblical commentators see in the biblical version. These nuances teach readers lessons that inspire them to improve, be all they can be, and treat all that has been created as they want to be treated.
One interesting screenwriter twist is that Joseph is furious at his family because he was sold into slavery in Egypt. He imprisons one of his brothers and allows his guards to whip his brother repeatedly. Even after Joseph’s wife begs him to stop the torture, he does not order it to cease.
As a love interest, the screenwriters invented a tale of Joseph advising a woman when her dad was killed. She falls in love with him, and they marry. In the Bible, Pharaoh gives Joseph a priest’s daughter as his wife.
Regarding adding drama, Joseph advises Pharaoh how to defeat an invading army, an event absent from the Bible.
Hi Rabbi: Please share with me your thoughts on these movies. Thank you
1. Jeremiah – 1998 – Patrick Dempsey
2. Abraham – 1993- Richard Harris
3. Joseph – 1995 – Ben Kingsley
I did not see these three movies.
Do not know about a film from 2005, dear Rabbi Israel Drazin; maybe, the old film from 1961 with that topic was remastered? The old film was often criticized for questionable content. Best: stephen
The movie I saw is marked 2005. I noticed that there is one with the same name and different actors from 1962 but I did not see that film.
Thanks for the movie review. I didn’t watch the film. Do you have a movie review for “The Ten Commandments” with Charlton Heston? I think it’s the best biblical movie ever made.
I saw the movie “The Ten Commandments” over fifty years ago, long before I wrote many reviews. (I am now up to just under 11,000, according to Amazon.) At the time I did not write a review of what I saw. I remember that I liked the drama and acting but noted many differences with the Bible. If I recall correctly, that movie also had a very good screenwriter, Ben Hecht, whose writings I enjoyed.
Thank you for letting us know. One less movie to watch!
What are your thoughts on these movies?
1. Jeremiah – 1998 – Patrick Dempsey
2. Joseph – 1995 – Ben Kingsley
3. Abraham – 1993 – Richard Harris
4. 10 Commandments – 1956 – Charlton Heston
As I wrote previously, I did not see the first three films. I wrote earlier today about the 1956 Ten Commandments movie. I will add that around 1970, I met a secular Jew with little Jewish education. He told me he was so inspired by the Ten Commandments movie that he decided to become Orthodox. I felt sorry for him brcause I thought he was basing his Judaism on a film that had many scenes that although good drama are not biblical. Then I realised that I was wrong. We all have our failings but should do all that we can do. Rather than feeling sorry about this man’s situation, I should encourage him to do more. As Hillel said to the man who came to him to become Jewish, “What is harmful to you do not do to others. This is the basis of the Torah. Now go and learn more.” I also began to teach the man some things about Judaism.