Joseph (1995) (2pc)

Bible in hand, we marveled to see that this story followed the actual biblical account with astounding accuracy almost never seen in biblical productions. Entirely enjoyable and a marvelously acted piece, my entire family loved this movie. We had been expecting another biblical mish mash eliciting merely yawns, but were startled to see such a wonderful movie.

Martin Landau (Jacob) gave a fantastic performance, as did Ben Kingsley(Potiphar), Paul Mercurio(Joseph) (which bumps STRICTLY BALLROOM out of #1 on my Paul Mercurio list of favorite performances), Leslie-Anne Down was good as Potiphar's wife, and the 11 brothers of Joseph were fabulous. The supporting cast was excellent.

The sensitive and well rounded way in which this story was handled was fresh, creative, yet took no liberties in veering from the original story. Although it is not as spectacular in production as THE TEN COMMANDMENTS and other such movies, this movie was more like it "really" would have happened complete with humanity in all of its misery and magnificence.

I can not speak highly enough of this movie. What a pleasant surprise. We even got a chuckle out of it now and then!


A very entertaining Bible epic   September 27, 1998
strega2 (USA)
12 out of 12 found this review helpful

TNT has put together a surprisingly good account of the Biblical story of Joseph, betrayed into slavery in Egypt by his jealous brothers. Martin Landau as Jacob and Ben Kingsley as Potiphar give their usual first-rate performances, with the role of Joseph also well-acted. Leslie-Anne Down is the lustful wife of Potiphar, who unsuccessfully tries to seduce Joseph, and lands him in the Pharoah's prison. This film offers a very credible depiction of life in the ancient Near East, from the desert tents of the Hebrews, to the claustrophobic walled towns like Sichem, to the lushness of civilized Egypt and the Pharoah's court. The film is faithful to the Biblical account, and succeeds in making it come alive on the screen. A well-acted, well-scripted, and entertaining film. END


Excellent Viewing   March 24, 2006
Elijah Chingosho (Nairobi, Kenya)
12 out of 13 found this review helpful

"Joseph" is an epic motion picture; another excellent and inspiring Bible story which was creatively and sensitively produced. It traces the story of Joseph in Genesis and brings it to life in a powerful and compelling way.

This film did a good job of interpretation the Biblical story on the life of Joseph. The production is superb and settings are excellent. Everyone of the cast was perfect for their parts. Paul Mercurio plays Joseph exceptionally well. Equally impressive is Lesley Ann Warren who plays as Potiphar's lewd wife who unsuccessfully attempts to ensnare Joseph. Also marvellous to watch is Martin Landau (Jacob) and Joseph's eleven brothers. The supporting cast was fantastic.

Although I have read the story of Joseph, this film brings it to life and reinforces my understanding of it. I thoroughly enjoyed the film which was very well done.

The only area that one may criticize is the very white actors when in fact the people at the time were much darker in complexion. However, this shortcoming is compensated by the accuracy of the actual biblical account of the story which is rare in many biblical productions.

Overall impression: a pleasant and well acted movie that was a joy to watch that I highly recommend for those who need to reinforce their knowledge of the Bible and appreciate a well-done movie based on it.



If you are looking for a Christian family movie, this isn't   May 15, 2000
9 out of 32 found this review helpful

I am very disapointed with how accepting we as Christians have become, after seeing nudity in a story that we should be able to trust, (in front of my wife and children as well), I turned it off. Even though I am sure this was part of the culture in this time,I know in my heart that the Lord would not want this publically viewed. The producer could have easily led the viewer to realize woman were being protrayed this way without showing anything. My family and I, were offended.


The Best way to see Joseph   November 17, 2003
*STAR* (Providence, RI United States)
9 out of 9 found this review helpful

I bought this film after seeing most of it on A&E. This film is by far the best way to see Joseph. The settings are beautiful and the entire look of the production are perfect in presenting the story. The casting choices could not have been better! Paul Mercurio is a perfect Joseph. Everyone of the cast was perfect for their parts. This film is the best Joseph movie to date.