WHOLLY MOSES

US, 1980, 103 minutes, Colour.
Dudley Moore, Laraine Newman, James Coco, Paul Sand, Jack Gilford, Dom de Luise, John Houseman, Madeline Kahn, Richard Pryor, John Ritter, Tom Baker.
Directed by Gary Weis.

Wholly Moses: While Life of Brian scored with its Goon/Python British exaggerated satire, this particularly broad American humour style parody is not a resounding laughing matter. Dudley Moore, who can be so funny (in Bedazzled he could keep pace with the Pythons) is made to look strained and straining for laughs. He portrays the little man confronting authority and even arguing with God. The idea is quite good - discovery of an old scroll about a slave whose life and career resembles that of his brother-in-law Moses and makes him think he receives the Ten Commandments. But the treatment is pretty heavy-handed, verbal humour slight and several guest stars are incidental, strident or both.

1. The influence of The Life of Brian? Spoofs of Bible characters? The humorous attempts at "blasphemy"? The possibilities of scriptural satire? The traditional biblical films and their being sent up? The serious undertones in the point of the satire? The quality of the humour?

2. The American tone of the comedy? Broad American farce (in comparison with sharper English verbal satire and visual wit)? The film's success as parody?

3. Colour photography, the American locations for Israel? Panavision? The flavour of the present, the flavour of the past - and the parallelling of biblical spectaculars?

4. The enjoyment of the satire on the tourists in Israel, Harvey and his story about his relationships and people's embarrassment? Zoey and her friendship, her embarrassment in listening to him? Her losing her scarf? The background of the finding of Dead Sea Scrolls and other documents? The plausibility of finding the scroll ~ and its humorous and satiric contents? The parallelling of the life of Moses and audience knowledge of the story for humour? The irony of a man and a mission? God and his role in guiding his Chosen People? The Ten Commandments and their influence?

5. The prologue of the present - the establishing of Harvey and Zoey as characters, their reappearance in the story on the scroll? The sudden return to the present? The happy ending in the present despite the scroll crumbling?

6. The humour of the parallel to the saving of Moses Hyssop as the slave casting his son adrift, Pharaoh's daughter and her discovery of Moses? Herschel and his going further upstream? His growing up and its parallel to that of Moses? His father as idolmaker? The satire on the supermarket for idols? The plight of the Hebrews? Herschel and his ambitions? His abandoning his trade, his work as astronomer to the Pharaoh, his cowardice and immobility during the battle? His flight through the desert like Moses? The encounter with Jethro and the marriage to Zerelda? The humour of his overhearing God speaking to Moses from the burning bush? His attempt to lead the slaves out of Egypt? The chaos in his trying to perform miracles? His imprisonment in the salt mine? The satiric encounters with the Angel of the Lord (the satire and taste of the drunken angel!), the parody in the visit to Sodom, persuading the archangel to let them escape, the satire on Zerelda being like Lot's wife? The pleading at the Court of Pharaoh? The irony that Moses had already released the Israelites? Imprisonment and escape? The carving of the Ten Commandments - and the sentimental reassurance by God? The parallel with the events of the Book of Exodus?

7. The farcical humour, the exaggerated characterisations and caricatures? The guest stars and their brief appearances - Dom DeLuise? wandering in the desert, Madeline Kahn and her strident advice, Paul Sand as the drunken angel, John Houseman as the archangel, Richard Pryor as the modern black-style Pharaoh?

8. The humour of the spectacle sequences e.g. the battle.. the burning bush, Herschel's wife and the pillar of salt?

9. Did the film build up into any kind of climax and point - especially in terms of the Ten Commandments?

10. The lack of success in broad humour compared with the more telling incisive English parody with The Life of Brian? Modest and moderate humour?