THE STORY OF JACOB AND JOSEPH

US, 1974, 120 minutes, Colour.
Keith Michel, Tony Lo Bianco, Colleen Dewhurst, Herschel Bernardi, Harry Andrews, Julian Glover.
Directed by Michael Cacoyannis.

The Story of Jacob and Joseph is an imaginative presentation of two of the key characters of the Book of Genesis. The film is done with attention to detail, a reverence but not an over-reverence for the biblical text. There were biblical advisers for the film.

The film was directed by Michael Caccoyannis (Zorba the Greek, The Trojan Woman, various versions of Sophocles' plays including Antigone and Iphigeneia). It treats the biblical text with the same care as he did for his Greek tragedies - in fact, the dialogue and the presentation make scripture seem like Greek tragedy.

The writing is by Ernest Kinoy, and remains faithful to the biblical text without amplifying it unduly. The cast is also strong, especially opening with Colleen Dewhurst as a very tough Rebecca. Keith Michell is good as Jacob, Tony Lo Bianco less good as Joseph. There is a supporting cast of English and Israeli actors. The Israeli locations are used to great effect. (Visually, the film is reminiscent of Cacoyannis's other films but also of Pier Paolo Pasolini's treatment of Greek tragedies and biblical texts.) The musical score is by Mikis Theodorakis, who scored films for Cacoyannis as well as Costa-Gavras?.

1. The tradition of biblical films? Hollywood? Non-Hollywood? biblical films? History, reverence for the text of scripture? A Jewish perspective? Christian perspective?

2. The work of Michael Cacoyannis, his Greek tragedies? His use of scriptural language? Israeli landscapes? Close-ups and tableaux? Atmosphere? The musical score?

3. The landscapes, the period, the sense of realism as well as myth? Religious feeling? Visualising the Old Testament?

4. The voice-over information and commentary?

5. The nature of the middle-eastern landscapes and terrain, the Bedouin tents, the flocks? Celebrations?

6. The prologue and Rebecca, her pregnancy, power, prayer and interior religious experience? Sense of destiny for her son?

7. The portrait of Isaac, his age, in the tradition, his joy at the birth of the twins? Love for Rebecca? Rebecca and her favouritism? Her sense of destiny in the Genesis sense?

8. Rebecca and her love for Jacob, the story of Esau and Jacob, their growing up, Jacob at home and leisurely, Esau the hunter? The episode when Esau was hungry, Jacob cooking the lentils, bargaining for Esau's birthright? The differences in character? Isaac wanting him to give his blessing, Rebecca helping Jacob, the meat, the hairy arms? Jacob going in, his tentativeness, the voice of Jacob but the skin of Esau? Receiving the blessing and the birthright? Esau hunting, bringing in the meal, his grief, begging a blessing? Jacob having to leave and go to his uncles?

9. Jacob and his leaving, meeting Laban, working for him, for seven years for Rachel, the celebration and the drinking, his discovering that his bride was Leah, his threatening to leave, Laban promising Rachel, work for another seven years, the increase in flocks, his wives and their children, Rachel barren, giving the maidservants? The birth of the twelve sons?

10. The decision to return, the meeting with Esau, Esau threatening, the re reconciliation?

11. Jacob growing older, his sons tending the flocks, his favouritism of Joseph, love for Benjamin as a child? Jacob and Joseph talking, Joseph reporting about the sheep and the sons? His knowing that he was disliked? Unwillingness to take the coat?

12. Joseph and his going to his brothers, their seeing him, their jealousies, violence, the plotting, Reuben putting him down the well, Judas selling him to the merchants? His going to Egypt?

13. Joseph in Potiphar’s house, an administrator, skill in counting, his master admiring him? Potiphar’s' wife, her wiles, attempts at seduction, arguments, Joseph's resisting her and fidelity to his master?

14. Joseph in prison, the attendants, his ability to interpret dreams, interpreting the dream of Pharaoh? Pharaoh appointing him Lord of Egypt? The seven good years and the collecting of grain, the seven lean years and Joseph's efficient administration of the grain? The crowds calling for food?

15. Famine in Israel, Jacob unable to provide food, the brothers deciding to go to Egypt? Their arrival, the attitude of the Egyptians, Joseph meeting them, his ambiguous feelings? Imprisoning them? Giving them food? Accusing them of being spies, sending them back, asking for the youngest son?

16. The brothers' return, explaining the situation to Jacob? His sending the money back? His reluctance to send Benjamin, the brothers' persuasion? Their return, the confrontation with Joseph, sending them away with the money and the goblet? The arrest, the brothers willing to give their lives for Benjamin? Joseph weeping? His revelation of himself to his brothers and the reconciliation?

17. Jacob and his sons going down into Egypt, the finishing of the story of the patriarchs? Seeing the plan of God, the one God, Yahweh, in all of this? Yahweh's destiny for his people? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? The patterns of Hebrew storytelling? The patriarchs? The strong women? The sons and the fulfilment of the destiny? The irony of the patterns especially Jacob usurping the older brother, Esau, and Laban tricking him into having the older wife, Leah, instead of Rachel? The dreams and the fulfilment of the dreams with Joseph as master in Egypt?

18. A satisfying visualising of the Genesis texts?