Product Details

• Actors: Dennis Hopper, Elizabeth Hurley, Eric Thal, Michael Gambon, Diana Rigg
• Directors: Nicolas Roeg
• Writers: Allan Scott
• Producers: Eleonora Andreatta, Gerald Rafshoon, Heinrich Krauss, Lorenzo Minoli, Luca Bernabei
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 2
• Studio: Turner Home Ent
• VHS Release Date: February 11, 1997
• Run Time: 200 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6304289685
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #166,213 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

The timeless story of the hero of the Israelites and the beautiful Philistine who tested his faith

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "Every Gift is Also a Burden", April 2, 2004

By 

Alejandra Vernon "artist & illustrator" (Long Beach, California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Samson & Delilah [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This film includes a lot of embelishment as well as fictional characters to fill out the story of Samson, taken from Judges Ch. 13 through 16, but the essence of the story is intact. A man who loved the God of his fathers, but also the women of his enemies, the Philistines, and finds his real strength only after he has lost everything.
Samson is portrayed as man who never cries, not even as a baby at his bris (circumcision), or his father's death, but the feelings of lust and revenge weave continually through his story, and there are many brutal scenes, making this film not recommended for children.

As Samson's mother Mara, Diana Rigg is superb; she is a "type," like Sarah/Isaac, Rachel/Jacob, Hannah/Samuel, and Elisabeth/John the Baptist, all barren women who miraculously give birth to a son that becomes a leader/savior of his people.
Eric Thal is effective as Samson, very big and brawny, and he looks great on horseback. He also carries off the end parts too, which could easily have become cartoonish.
Michael Gambon is terrific as the wily old King Hamun of the Philistines, and in the most bizarre casting, Dennis Hopper as a laid back general. Elizabeth Hurley's Delilah is a cool, calculating vixen, and beautiful enough to make the most of Samson's weakness. Max Von Sydow does the narration throughout the film.

The Philistine interiors are very imaginitive, with their grotesque gods and massive columns, and the devastation of them well filmed. The fight with the lion is cleverly done also, with lots of grunts and roars from man and beast.
Filmed on location in Quarzazate, Morocco, it has a marvelous score by Marco Frisina, the excellent cinematography of Raffaele Mertes, and well paced direction by Nicolas Roeg.
"David," "Solomon," "Jeremiah," and "Abraham", are my favorites of these above average made for TV Bible stories, and this film, though not one of the best, is highly entertaining with some good acting. Total running time: 182 minutes.

49 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not your usual Bible-epic, September 26, 2000

By 

Michael Thomas Roe (Atlanta) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Samson & Delilah [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This Italian production is not your usual Bible-epic. With striking set design, beautiful art direction and oftentimes alarming attention to period detail, this is pretty realistic stuff. And pretty brutal. A lot of this can be attributed to British art-house director Nicolas Roeg, who has made "Samson and Delilah" perhaps his most ambitious film to date. At 180 minutes there is nary a dull moment. Roeg afficianados will appreciate the customary Roeg flourishes: shocking edits, liberal use of the zoom lens, intentional placement of humor and a general atmosphere of mysticism and otherworldliness. The performances are all around solid. Dennis Hopper turns in a clever and decidedly Hopper-esque performance as a reluctant Philistine general. Eric Thall, as Samson, comes across as vulnerable and humane yet entirely believable when coerced to flights of rage. His long hair doesn't look fake, chalking up another high mark for this film's realism. And Elizabeth Hurley as Delilah? Well, what more needs to be said? She really delivers with her greedy seduction of Samson and subsequent guilt. Not to mention, that in her Delilah garb, she is absolutely gorgeous. All in all a surprising and entertaining movie for Nicolas Roeg and all involved. Be sure to keep rolling for the credits as not to miss the Ennio Morricone-scored end titles. A short and haunting piece that is very appropriate.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Solid, But Not Foundation Shattering, January 20, 2008

By 

"Rocky Raccoon" "Hey, Doc, It's Only ... (Wild, Wild, West) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Samson and Delilah (The Bible Collection) (DVD)

More biblical epic than Harlequin romance, 'Samson and Delilah' has a good look and feel. With the exception of two steamy scenes, it sticks to the good book with some decent interpretations added to the dialogue. Overlong at three hours, the camera shots and scene changes, nevertheless, keep it visually appealing. Some of the battle scenes are admirable indeed. Eric Thall and Elizabeth Hurley star in the leading roles, and while they're not Emmy or Oscar contenders, Thall's performance gathers more substance near the end of the story. Dennis Hopper's portrayal of General Tariq isn't a career best, but he ups the quality of the acting, and Michael Gambon gives proper stature to King Hanon. Solid, but not substantial.