The Times 30.01.2012
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| Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979): one of the most popular British films |
It could be Hollywood’s eleventh commandment: if you’re searching for a hit, turn to the Bible.
Steven Spielberg is reportedly considering directing the story of Moses. The director behind E.T. and Indiana Jones is said to have in mind a gritty biblical biopic; a mix of Braveheart and Saving Private Ryan.
Meanwhile, the director Darren Aronofsky, whose works include the Oscar-winning ballerina psychodrama Black Swan, has been linked to a bigbudget Noah’s Ark film.
Tentatively titled Gods and Kings, the Spielberg film is being developed by Warner Bros and would depict Moses as a “a Braveheartish, real warrior”. The movie would follow Judaism’s most important prophet as he leads the Hebrew slaves from Egypt, parts the Red Sea, receives the Ten Commandments and wanders in the wilderness.
Comparisons with Cecil B. DeMille’s The Ten Commandments seem inevitable. Released in 1956, it starred Charlton Heston as Moses and Yul Brynner as the pharoah Rameses. For many of the studio bosses who run Hollywood today, watching DeMille’s bombastic epic was a formative experience.
Hollywood’s current aversion to risky projects and its preoccupation with “brand awareness” would seem to make biblical stories obvious targets. The studios’ fascination with sequels, prequels, remakes and films based on comic book characters reflects their desire to release films with which audiences feel familiar. Few sources meet that criteria as well as the Bible.
Spielberg is said to have read a Moses script written by Michael Green, who wrote Green Lantern. Dan Lin, the producer of Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes films, has also been linked to the project. Spielberg is thought to have been holding talks with Warner Bros for several months, but the project is still in the early stages. Already, however, bloggers are speculating on who may play Moses, with Liam Neeson and Tom Hanks being mentioned.
Spielberg is working on Lincoln, a biopic of the American president expected to be released late this year. After that he is due to direct a sci-fi thriller called Robopocalypse. Only then would he be free to work on a Moses movie.
Aronofsky has been linked with what would be an epic retelling of the story of the Flood. A budget of $130 million (£83 million) has been mooted for his Noah’s Ark project. He had been linked with Exodus, another film in development that would portray Moses.
The most controversial movie may come from Mel Gibson, who directed The Passion of the Christ, the gory 2004 portrayal of the Crucifixion.
Last year it was reported that Gibson would produce and possibly direct the story of Judah Maccabee, who led a small band of Jews against the mighty Seleucid armies and liberated Jerusalem. The news caused widespread incredulity: in 2006 Gibson earned the ire of many in Hollywood when he allegedly unleashed an anti-Sematic rant as he was being arrested for drink-driving. He apologised for the outburst.
In the beginning, there was Noah . . .
Noah’s Ark (1928) Three extras drowned during the filming of Michael Crutiz’s film — a part-talkie, one of the first to move away from silent film.
The Robe (1953) The adaption of Lloyd C. Douglas’s book was the first film shot in CinemaScope, and received the Golden Globe for Best Picture. It starred Richard Burton as Marcellus Gallio, a Roman soldier in charge of Jesus’s crucifixion who becomes a Christian.
The Ten Commandments (1956) Cecil B DeMille’s final film, follows Moses from infancy to his saving of the Hebrew slaves in Egypt, and stars Charlton Heston.
Ben-Hur (1959) Tale of Roman heroism won a dazzling 11 Oscars, including Best Direction for William Wyler and Best Actor for Charlton Heston, who plays a prince who encounters Jesus. The most celebrated scene remains the chariot race.
Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979) The Pythons’ portrayal of an unlikely Messiah has been named one of the most popular British films of the 20th century by the British Film Institute. The film had a shaky start, however, falling prey to accusations of blasphemy for its satirical take on the life of Jesus.
Adipapam (1988) The Indian version of Adam and Eve was scripted in Malayalam and stayed true to the Bible by having a nude cast.
The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) Martin Scorsese’s adaptation of a Nikos Kazantzakis novel stars Willem Dafoe. One screening in Paris led to an arson attack, allegedly by Christians angry at the portrayal of Jesus’s sexual desires.
The Prince of Egypt (1998) Animated musical of Moses’ life featured the voices of Ralph Fiennes, Michelle Pfeiffer and Sandra Bullock.
The Passion of the Christ (2004) Directed by Mel Gibson, it gained notoriety for its violent depiction of the final hours of Jesus’s life. Worldwide, took more than $600 million.
