Customer Reviews

The Bible Collection

5 star:		(57)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I bought all of these 6 DVDs separately because I did not know that they came as a set, at a better price! I paid about $15 each, about $90 total, and I do not regret owning them all, but I would have jumped on this set if I had known about it!

Most of these DVDs are very interesting and faithful to Scripture. SAMSON & DELILAH is the weakest of these 6 DVDs, as it spends too much time on non-scriptural characters. ABRAHAM covers many scenes of the 40 year wandering rarely seen on DVD. JACOB is pretty close to Scripture. JOSEPH is great, but it spends a bit too much time rewriting the narration to allow for Ben Kingsley's Potiphar role to expand. I have not yet watched DAVID, but I look forward to Leonard Nimoy's appearance in the film.

Most of these films are 3 hours long, presumably they were mostly all short mini-series when they originally ran on TV. I think only JACOB is about 90 minutes, of the 6 DVDs in this set. You can read about each DVD as they are all sold separately on amazon.com.

All of these 6 DVDs have major TV network, made-for-TV quality, and I am quite surprised and pleased that these movies are so good. I do not know of any better series of Bible stories on DVD.

There is another Box Set available, THE BIBLE SERIES BOX SET, which has 3 other DVDs of this series of movies. JEREMIAH is my favorite of all 9 movies. ESTHER is great, and perhaps the most faithful to Scriptural accuracy and chronology of all 9 movies. SOLOMON is the only 3 hour DVD in this smaller Box Set. There is a GENESIS in this Box Set, but it is not a dramatized movie, just a narration of the book of Genesis, while modern day nomads are shown going about their daily routine. GENESIS is a disappointment and very UNLIKE the other 9 movies, so much so that it doesn't even seem to be part of the same production series.

Bottom Line: I highly recommend that anybody buy both of these box sets, and they will save about 50% over buying each DVD separately! Praise the LORD!

This is a marvelous production, filmed in Morocco, with wonderful costumes, textiles, and rustic sets, making this telling of King David's life visually believable. It has some standout performances, and Nathaniel Parker, always a favorite of mine, fares well as Israel's second king. As Saul, the casting of Jonathan Pryce is an odd choice (Saul was "a head taller than his people" and there was "not a man more handsome than he") but it works, and he is exceptional as the tormented and demented king.

Gideon Turner is very good as the young David, Dominic Rowan is a great bit of casting as Absalom, and as Joab, Maurice Roeves is terrific. Other notables play the two prophets, Leonard Nimoy, in an appealing and powerful portrayal of Samuel, and Franco Nero as a handsome Nathan.
Due to this being made for TV, some of the editing does not move smoothly (one assumes these are cuts for ads) but that aside, the photography is lovely (by Raffaele Mertes) and the melodic score by Carlo Siliotto enhances the mood (the final title music is by Ennio Morricone).

The story line picks up at 1 Samuel, Chapter 9, with Saul looking for his father's mules, and proceeds through much of both books of Samuel, often being quite faithful to them. It is interspersed with the occasional Psalm, and writer Larry Gross has blended scripture and dialogue quite effectively. It is interesting to watch this with Bible in hand, to see just how cleverly this has been done.

There are some moving scenes, like David's annointing, and his proposal to Abigail (played by the beautiful Lina Sastri). The only part that does not work for me is the story of Amnon; it is pieced together in an awkward and sluggish way, but fortunately does not last long, and the rest of the intricate story moves along at a quick pace, making this is a way above-average film for television.
There are a few gory battle scenes that would be too violent for the very young, but otherwise this is an excellent family film for older children, with the complexity of King David making it a fascinating story for discussion and repeated viewings.

Although not quite a masterpiece like "Abraham" or "Jesus of Nazareth", this video is well worth getting as a good version of the story of King David - the ambiguous Israelite ruler who survived Goliath and King Saul but couldn't control his own sons, who is exalted for his famed friendship with Saul's son Jonathan but murders his innocent, loyal follower Uriah because he can't keep his hands off the poor man's wife Bathsheba.

It is, in a way, almost two stories - the first part dealing with David's glory days as God's golden child and the heartbreakingly tragic tale of Saul and Jonathan (an extremely well done subplot). The second part deals with David's fall and the beginning of his rise from the ashes through his successor Solomon. It's part two that makes this a bit different than most biblical stories because it is, quite frankly, a sordid, seedy mess. Which is, of course, why it's so popular. Admit it - it's the same kind of guilty fun you get when you read the front page of the tabloids while you're on the supermarket line.

It's more than that though. Because the message here is that if David can be redeemed - and he was worse than alot of us in many ways - we can be too.

Some people complained about accuracy, but I didn't catch any major discrepancies myself. With a note that this is not for children (remember any of part 2 from Sunday School except maybe an edited version of Absalom's revolt?) this is recommended.

This made-for-TV movie recounts the stories contained in 1 and 2 Samuel of the Bible about Israel's warrior-king David, and is one of a series of movies about important figures of the Old Testament. I've reviewed some of the other movies previously, and overall this is a terrific series, but this film is certainly one of the weakest. My biggest complaint about this film is it's length. At 3+ hours, this film is way too long, and there are large parts where the action is very slow. Not that I'm against long films, but the time was not put to good use. There is certainly a great deal of ground that must be covered in order to recount more or less all of 1 and 2 Samuel, but this film should either have been condensed or separated into two. The image portrayed of David in this film is also not very sympathetic. He certainly doesn't come across as a great warrior king. He steals the wife of one of his loyal soldiers, and can't control his own family. I understand that these are biblical events, but the story is presented in such a way to give the appearance that David rules simply because it is God's will no matter how sinfully or stupidly he behaves. Nathaniel Parker (who plays the role of David) appeared stiff and not very kingly in my view. Leonard Nimoy plays the prophet Samuel though, he certainly has an air of gravitas about him as the prophet. There are some things I liked about this film. First, the writers/producers stuck largely to the biblical story. Second, as with all films in this series, they are largely devoid of denominational overtone, so that I think they will appeal to a wide range of Christians and Jews. I thought that the David/Goliath scene was particularly well done. Goliath was a large, powerful, but otherwise ordinary man, not some mythic giant who would be more at home in Nordic mythology fighting Thor. A good, if flawed, film. Part of a great series though (Jeremiah and Joseph are the two strongest in my view).

If you are considering buying this film, may I recommend that you save tons of money by buying it in THE BIBLE COLLECTION BOX SET, which contains 6 of these Bible movies, ABRAHAM, JACOB, JOSEPH, MOSES, SAMSON & DELILAH, and DAVID! The production values are very high for all six films, and you will pay half off the cost of buying each one separately!

DAVID is one of the best DVDs of this series of Bible movies, made in the mid 1990s. It covers most of the big scenes in his life, and it is very well cast and acted by all.

The first hour shows the young David being anointed, and then persecuted for years under the jealous King Saul.

The second hour covers David at his peak, as King of Israel.

The third hour shows David's sin and punishment over his adultery with Bathsheba, and God's punishment using his rebellious son Absalom.

This is all very gripping and enjoyable drama, especially for any Bible students who can enjoy seeing so many Bible scenes not often portrayed in other films.

They cover a lot of Scripture, without an unlimited budget, so sometimes they have to alter some details of the stories. For instance, the famous David versus Goliath battle does not take place in front of the Philistine and Israeli armies, as in Scripture, but rather in isolation. It's a budgetary rewrite, but the dramatic impact and tension is still present.

The filmmakers' intentions are honorable, though their budget may not have been ambitious enough to portray some of the larger, more expensive scenes out of Scripture.

If they had to cut some corners due to budget, they more than make up for it in the quantity and quality of the Scriptural scenes that they do show. One of the best sections of the DVD is David's adulterous relationship with Bathsheba, then his scheming against Uriah, her husband.

The scenes of Absalom trying to overthrow his father are very well made, and very scriptural, as well.

The actor playing the adult David does a brilliant performance, portraying many decades in the life of David. Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock of STAR TREK fame) is good as Samuel, (though the Richard Gere film KING DAVID has the definitive, ultimate onscreen chemistry of Samuel and King Saul).

The actors for King Saul and Bathsheba are both very good in this DVD's version of DAVID.

You can also find three other great movies from this series of movies. Look for the BIBLE SERIES BOX SET featuring ESTHER, JEREMIAH and SOLOMON, too. These are also your best buy in the box set, rather than separately!

Of these 9 Bible movies, three are about 90 minutes long, JACOB. ESTHER, and JEREMIAH. The other 6 are around 3 hours long. I think the longer ones were originally aired as TV mini series, over multiple nights.

Of all these films, my one criticism might be that they are a bit weak on showing some of the supernatural events of Scripture. This seems to be due to the expense of special effectts, perhaps, is my guess. But for the most part, all 9 DVDs are great at having very good actors portraying the tension and drama of these classic Bible stories, and they are consistently good at being faithful to the gist and Spirit of the Bible stories they tell.

I think these 9 DVDs are the best series of Bible DVDs available anywhere! There are better, single movies on DVD, but as a group, as a whole, there is not a bigger, better DVD set available anywhere, that I know of.

These box sets are the perfect basis for any personal or church library of Bible movies. They are virtually all so close to Scripture that you will be forced to compare the films with the actual Bible in hand, to verify whether or not the scene was accurate to Scripture or not. That is a very good Bible learning exercise, and it shows the high value and quality of owning these DVDs.

All 9 of these Bible DVDs are worth buying and owning for any Christian's personal DVD library, and most frugally purchased via the two different box sets! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Hallelujah!

By far THE best Bible series EVER!

I've been waiting, waiting, waiting for TNT/Time Warner to package these DVD's together!
I literally wore out my VHS old tapes!

I love the amazing detail of these films. I read a press release from TNT stating that these films are actually a collaboration of a pannel of Christian, Muslem and Jewish clergy! Clearly demonstrating how there are some fundamental things the world can agree upon.

There is hope for us all!

A true "NO EGO" effort!
(No Edging GOD out!)

This brown cover Bible Collection includes the 6 following dvds: ABRAHAM, DAVID,JACOB,JOSEPH, MOSES, SAMSON and DELILAH.
I usually don't write reviews as a critical writer but, I thought it was important to convey the greatness of this collection for Bible study-along side of your Bible. I am an avid Bible study student and I will say that these dvds are the greatest visual study tool to learn from in regards to cuture of the time, expressiveness, and extent of bringing the Bible to life. I will assure you that reading the Bible is first and foremost, but you should know not every detail may come from the Bible as for "word for word" but much of the culture of the time is evident. I know many will argue over "exactness" of words and details out of Bible text. The overall stories were not meant to take the place of the Bible, just enhance the overall meaning through a more "visual" format of Bible culture and Biblical truth.
I would say that it has enlightened my studies of the Bible and gave me alot of insight. I would highly recommend these dvds to anyone who loves to read the Bible and is not stuck on "paraphrasing" every word but, a person who loves to have the knowledge of scriptural messages and stories in an entertaining visual way. It is well worth the cost for the knowledge and entertainment that captures your heart of God's truth!

This movie is a faithful adaptation from the biblical account of David and it gives a positive portrait of him.

A. The acting

Nathaniel Parker does a commendable job of portraying David as a reverent yet flawed servant of God. There is an interesting contrast in the earlier David versus the latter David. The earlier David was very focussed on God and was very assertive and focussed. The latter David, while dependent upon God, was hesitant about his actions, prone to failures and needed constant encouragement.

Sheryl Lee was very believable (and beautiful) as Bathsheba -- as this movie portrays her, she is David's favorite wife and constant source of encouragement in his latter years. She is constantly at David's side (during the 2nd half of the movie).

Jonathan Pryce played the role of Saul as a tragic man who was rejected by God and who could not escape his doom. Saul's tragic end at the hand of the Philistines (along with his sons) was very heartbreaking to watch.

Leonard Nimoy does a great job of portraying the godly prophet Samuel. Franco Nero is very believable as the loyal prophet Nathan.

The actor who played Joab (Maurice Roeves, who played Colonel Munroe in "the Last of the Mohicans" 1992 version) looks way too old to be David's nephew. Joab is the 2nd son of Zeruiah, the sister of David, hence David's nephew. Joab is portrayed as David's uncle. Maurice Roeves did a great job in portraying Joab. Some of the best scenes in this film involves Joab, especially when Joab rebukes David for mourning over his dead son Jonathan rather than congratulating his loyal friends for their victory. The biblical portrait of Joab is that of a powerthirsty and cruel man. This film portrays him in a much more positive and sympathetic light.

B. The account of David

This film is the most complete account of David captured on film. This film is the only one on David that shows David's rescue of his wife Abigail from the Amalekites, Absalom's hatred toward David and his conspiracy toward David / the rise and fall of Absalom, Amnon's rape of Tamar, and God's covenant promise to David regarding his kingdom and his future descendants who will build the temple.

One word of caution for family viewers: there are some scenes in this movie that might be too intense for younger viewers: a lot of people get stabbed in the battle scenes, several people commit suicide (Saul, Ahithophel), and the witch at Endor is pretty scary looking as she conjures up the spirit "Samuel".

C. What could have been improved

a) The close relationship between Jonathan and David could have been better depicted. In this film, David's friendship with Jonathan seems more detached. In the Bible, David describes his friendship with Jonathan as surpassing that of the love of women.

b) The fight between David and Goliath could have been better portrayed. Goliath was a towering giant -- the Goliath in this movie was just a tad taller than David (and bears somewhat of a resemblance to Sylvester Stallone). Also, Goliath met David with his armor bearer -- this movie had Goliath meet David alone. This movie shows Goliath throwing a rough stone at David, which David then uses to strike Goliath with his sling. In the biblical account, David carefully chooses 5 smooth stones to bring with him to the battle.

The fight between David and Goliath was a bit cheesy in the acting. However, to its credit, this movie shows David telling Goliath that he came to Goliath not with spear and sword but in the name of the Lord of Hosts. David tells Goliath he will strike him down so the whole world will know there is a God in Israel. I enjoyed that part.

c) The scenes involving Absalom were excellent in the earlier scenes (esp. his anger over the rape of Tamar), but the latter scenes were not as effective. Absalom did not seem like a real threat to David.

One interesting scene to note:

David's progress in hearing the voice of the Lord: During his early days and during most of his reign, David relied upon prophets such as Samuel and Nathan to hear the message of the Lord for him. By the end of the movie, David is able to hear the message of the Lord directly, without the need of a prophet.

Conclusion:

In spite of this, I thought this movie was a very good adaptation of the biblical description of David. It made me want to read the biblical account all over again. It is a very worthy edition to the Bible series collection, and it is one of the better movies on King David on film. It is much more accurate than the dreadful "King David" with Richard Gere.

Another outstanding job! With very little artistic liberties (on the part of the writers), this depiction stays true to the historic account of the great king of Israel. With a few poorly casted parts (namely Absilom), many of the actors casted made the movie pleasant to watch without leaving you to constantly scrutinize the areas of the film that are lacking. This version does justice to the Written Word with few exclusions or perversions of the real history.

This "David" from the Bible Collection, is a really good view, and it boasts a great deal of authentic settings and story telling. Here we see the beginnings of this story, and watch King Saul get anointed by the Prophet Samuel (Leonard Nimoy), until such time as Saul disobeys the Lord. Then we see the Prophet next anoint young David, in a moving portrayal, and ultimately he becomes the ward of the King and Jonathan, Saul's son, befriends David, and they establish a life long covenant with each other.

The video has two parts to it, and the second part deals with David's indiscretion with Bathsheba, and its consequences for the Kingdom of Israel. The scene is handled with great taste and it is not exploitative in the way it might be filmed today. It was essentially non-offensive, but the idea was communicated that David committed adultery.

We then follow the consequences of David's actions and witness the rebellion of Absalom, and the household of David become divided from within. Then there is the other earlier situation where Tamara, his daughter, is raped, but again it is handled with a great deal of wisdom in its filming.

A highly recommended movie, and if you have other movies in this collection, this would be a wonderful addition.