Samson and Delilah (1996) (TV)

Director:

Nicolas Roeg

Writer:

Allan Scott (writer)

Release Date:

8 December 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama

Plot:

Mara and her husband Manoa are both upstanding and religious Israelites living under the harsh and unjust rule of the Philistines...

Plot Keywords:

Hair | Temple | Betrayal | Biblical | Building Collapse

Cast

Eric Thal	...	Samson
Elizabeth Hurley	...	Dalila
Michael Gambon	...	Re Hamun
Dennis Hopper	...	Generale Tariq
Diana Rigg	...	Mara
Daniel Massey	...	Ira
Paul Freeman	...	Manoach
Ben Becker	...	Principe Sidqa
Jale Arikan	...	Noemi
Deborah Caprioglio	...	Rani (as Debora Caprioglio)
Alessandro Gassman	...	Amrok
Pinkas Braun	...	Harach
Sebastian Knapp	...	Yoram
Karl Tessler	...	Jehiel
Luke Mullaney	...	Amram
Tim Gallagher	...	Habor
Matt Green	...	Yoram Giovane
Mark McGann	...	Mahal
Nick Simons	...	Capraio
Jonathan Rhys Meyers	...	Sansone a 14 anni
Luke de Lacey	...	Cephod
Anthony Ofoegbu	...	Prigioniero
Mary Hanefey	...	Ancella
Keith Allen	...	Carceriere
Zakaria Atifi	...	Carceriere (as Atif Zakaria)
Salah Benmoussa	...	Cortigiano (as Ben Moussa Salah)
Abdellah Lamrani	...	Cortigiano
Larbi Sassi	...	Cortigiano (as Sassi Larbi)
Fatima Watili	...	Levatrice
George Hall	...	Anziano
Mustapha Salamat	...	Uomo villaggio
Amina Ouardi	...	Donna nomade
Abderrahim Daris	...	Soldato
John Forbes-Robertson	...	Medico
Mark Seaton	...	Prigioniero
Mahjoub Raji	...	Bracciante
Leo Gregory	...	Jehiel a 14 anni
Tobias Saunders	...	Amram a 14 anni
Christian Toulali	...	Ospite nozze (as Christian Anderson)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Neil Robinson	...	Yoram as Narrator (voice)
Max von Sydow	...	Narratore (voice) (uncredited)

Directed by
Nicolas Roeg

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Allan Scott		writer

Produced by
Eleonora Andreatta	....	producer: RAI
Luca Bernabei	....	producer: Lux
Susu Erca	....	associate producer
Heinrich Krauss	....	producer: Beta
Lorenzo Minoli	....	producer
Paolo Piria	....	associate producer
Gerald Rafshoon	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Marco Frisina
Ennio Morricone

Cinematography by
Raffaele Mertes

Film Editing by
Michael Ellis

Casting by
Ahmed Boulane
Chiara Meloni
Cornelia von Braun
Jeremy Zimmerman

Production Design by
Paolo Biagetti

Set Decoration by
Titus Vossberg

Costume Design by
Enrico Sabbatini

Makeup Department
Leila Ben Barka	....	makeup artist
Franco Casagni	....	makeup artist
Claudia Catini	....	hair stylist
Hayat Ouled Dahhou	....	hair stylist
Anna De Santis	....	hair stylist: second unit
Francesca De Simone	....	hair stylist
Federico Laurenti	....	makeup artist
Tracy Lee	....	makeup artist: Ms. Hurley
Elda Magnanti	....	key hair stylist
Vincenzo Mastrantonio	....	makeup artist: second unit
Mario Michisanti	....	key makeup artist
Tiziana Sisi	....	makeup artist
Latifa Souihi Maadani	....	makeup artist (as Latifa Souhili)
Gianna Viola	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Ahmed Darif	....	production manager: Morocco
Fabiomassimo Dell'Orco	....	production manager
Roberto Malerba	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Adil Abdelwahab	....	assistant director
Franco Angeli	....	second assistant director
Mohamed Bensouda	....	second assistant director
Ahmed Boulane	....	first assistant director (as Ahmmed Bouland)
Serena Canevari	....	assistant director
Silvia Ranfagni	....	second assistant director
Maria Grazia Saccá	....	third assistant director
Franco Maria Salamon	....	second unit director

Art Department
Tatiana Hahn	....	assistant to set decorator
Luciano Magagnini	....	property master
Roberto Magagnini	....	swing gang
Giancarlo Sensidoni	....	painter

Sound Department
Oliver Barth	....	dialogue editor
Bernard Bats	....	sound recordist
Pierre-Yves Bruneel	....	boom operator
Tim Chilton	....	foley artist
Bob Costanza	....	sound editor
Patrick Cyccone Jr.	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Patrick Cyccone)
Tommy Goodwin	....	foley mixer
G. Michael Graham	....	supervising sound editor
Kristi Johns	....	adr editor
Christian P. Minkler	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Chris Minkler)
Lou Thomas	....	sound effects editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Daniel Acon	....	special effects coordinator
Renato Agostini	....	special effects coordinator
Claudio Quaglietti	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Tim Baxter	....	optical effects

Stunts
Cornelia Allendorf	....	stunts
Omero Capanna	....	stunts
Bruno Di Luia	....	stunts (as Bruno Riccardo di Luia)
Gérard Lesage	....	stunts
Philippe Losson	....	stunts
Riccardo Mioni	....	stunts
Stefano Maria Mioni	....	stunts
Alessandro Novelli	....	stunt performer
Emiliano Novelli	....	stunt performer
Benito Pacifico	....	stunts
Giorgio Francesco Palombi	....	stunts (as Giorgio Palombi)
Cedric Proust	....	stunts
Joel Proust	....	stunt coordinator
Fabio Ragusa	....	stunts
Rocco Russo	....	stunts
Franco Maria Salamon	....	stunt coordinator (as Franco Salamon)
Alessandro Scepi	....	stunts
Claudio Zucchet	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Armando Barberi	....	second assistant camera
Fabio Capozzi	....	electrician
Giovanni Cuomo	....	grip
Valter De Filippis	....	generator operator
Sebastiano De Pascalis	....	Steadicam operator
Pietro Fabbri	....	grip
Giovanni Galasso	....	gaffer
Luca Luparini	....	camera operator: second unit
David Massaro	....	assistant camera: second unit
Marcello Montarsi	....	camera operator
Roberto Moreschini	....	key grip
Camillo Sabatini	....	first assistant camera
Sergio Strizzi	....	still photographer
Riccardo Tonni	....	clapper loader

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Romano Amidei	....	set costumer
Alfredo Bocci	....	set costumer
Ahmid Brahim	....	tailor
Antonia Chimera	....	set costumer
Nezha Dakil	....	seamstress
Antonella Gori	....	set costumer
Simonetta Leoncini	....	assistant to costume designer
Prospero Molfese	....	set costumer: second unit
Adalgisa Mosca	....	set costumer
Giulia Orsacchiotto	....	seamstress
Uliva Pizzetti	....	assistant to costume designer
Giovanni Viti	....	assistant to costume designer
Jo Thorpe	....	wardrobe assistant (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Mags Arnold	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Paola Gigli	....	assistant music editor
Carla Simoncelli	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Driss Benchhiba	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Cecilia Alvarenga	....	production coordinator (as Cecelia Alvarenga)
Damian Anderson	....	assistant to producers
Khadija Nait Bach	....	production coordinator: Morocco
Milena Bono	....	production coordinator: Rome
Jean-Paul Cauvin	....	publicist
Jaouad Cherkaoui	....	location manager: Morocco
Vito Colazzo	....	location manager
Satya De La Manitou	....	assistant: D. Hopper
Brahim Derhem	....	location manager: Morocco
Carla Ferroni	....	production secretary
Augusto Grassi	....	jeweler
Augusto Grassi	....	leather work master
Giampaolo Grassi	....	leather master
Polly Hayward	....	assistant: N. Roeg
Glen Howarth	....	script supervisor
Latifa Irassi	....	location manager: Morocco
Francesco Marras	....	location manager
Emanuela Minoli	....	production coordinator: second unit
Naomi Newman	....	assistant: E. Hurley
Darin Page	....	assistant: E. Thal
Franco Penna	....	production accountant
Roberto Penna	....	production auditor
Carla Maria Perrina	....	payroll clerk
Neil Robinson	....	dialogue coach
Simona Sciannimanico	....	production coordinator

Production Companies

• Beta Film
• Lube Productions
• Lux Vide
• Turner Pictures (I)

Distributors

• Flashstar Home Vídeo (2003) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Flashstar Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Jim Henson's Creature Shop

Also Known As:

Die Bibel: Samson und Delila (Germany)
Sansone e Dalila (Italy)
Bibeln: Simson och Delila (Sweden) [sv]
Raamattu: Simson ja Delila (Finland) [fi]
Sampson kai Dalida (Greece) [el]
Samson et Dalila (France) [fr]
Sansón y Dalila (Venezuela) [es]
Simson ja Delila (Finland) [fi]

Runtime:

Germany:172 min (2 parts)

Country:

Germany | Italy | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Morocco

Company:

Beta Film

Quotes:

Dalila: "Samson", that means "the son of the sun", doesn't it? I prefer the dark.

Movie Connections:

Follows Genesi: La creazione e il diluvio (1994) (TV)

Powerful giant conquered by lustful woman...; generally a very good film!

Biblical epics, since there have been many of them made so far, can be divided into three main subcategories: the high camp spectacles, the loose and distorted interpretations, and the truthful biblical productions. While the best example of the first group are the films made by the showman named Cecil B DeMille, the best example of the third group is SAMSON AND DELILAH (1996), one of the new international biblical productions. Among other new productions, including ABRAHAM (1994) with Richard Harris, MOSES (1995) with Ben Kingsley and JEREMIAH (1998) with Patrick Dempsey, this movie stands out as particularly entertaining, not because it is directed by Nicholas Roeg (who is a good director), but because of its very specific content, exceptionally interesting and up-to-date.

The story of Samson is the story of strength, calling, love, suffering, revenge, lust, treason, and, finally, forgiveness. When I was a child and listened to biblical stories, I was particularly touched by this very one. Then, as a boy, I was interested primarily in Samson's strength. It appealed to me as a story of a man who could win alone over the army. Yet, when I grew up, I noticed that there is something more than the story of a giant. I noticed some remarkable psychological aspects of his life story. Samson loved his people, the Israellites, but, since he loved the stranger flesh, lust drove him to his enemies, the Phillistines. When lust turned into love, treason appeared... and we all know how miserable his fate with short hair and blinded eyes was...

This very specific content is a pearl for making a movie. While Cecil B DeMille focused primarily on spectacle in his 1948 movie, Nicholas Roeg focuses on the psychological aspect. In this film, a viewer may lose the time distance because of some very profound, universal thoughts presented. "I think that I know myself so well but sometimes, I think that I do not know myself whatsoever" ... The best and richest reflections are the ones by Generale Tariq (Dennis Hopper), a Phillistine, who, though being an eminent person on the royal court at Gaza, claims to be the wrong person in the wrong place and at the wrong time. Although he is reasonable, he doubts his deeds and "the great victory" over such a weak enemy. He is also the only Phillistine who predicts the end - "Go, boy! Leave the gates of Gaza immediately!" which he says just before the temple falls, and it falls so realistically in the film! This role is wonderfully played by Dennis Hopper. Delilah (Liz Hurley) first sees the benefits galore from betraying Samson, but as their love proceeds, she hesitates to dare treason. In the end, she totally regrets but it is too late... Prince Sidqa (Ben Becker) is a proud young man who, unlike his teacher of fighting Generale Tariq (Dennis Hopper), sees the victory in slaying rather than tactics. The Israellites are rather primitive people, not only because they don't use iron, the new weapon of their masters, but because they cannot manage alone, without Samson. "God desires war now", which they shout after the claimed sign in the sky. Yet, there are proper characters. Nevertheless, it is clear that the Phillistines are showed as people searching for something rather than knowing everything. Therefore, the reality of that period is very accurate in the film in spite of the fact that some characters are fictitious.

The performances are particularly remarkable. Dennis Hopper, already mentioned, is very appealing in the role of Tariq; Liz Hurley is a beautiful Delilah with a huge potential in acting talent; Eric Thal is accurate as Samson since he looks very good and portrays a real man of strength betrayed and conquered; Ben Becker gives an authentic performance as Prince Sidqa expressing his pride and extremely sick ambition; yet, Michael Gambon portrays the king, Re Hamun, as someone who is not an absolute monarch but someone open to advice, particularly the advice of Tariq. Therefore, SAMSON AND DELILAH may be considered to be a masterwork of performances.

The reality of the biblical period (more than 1,000 years before Christ) in the times of judges is presented accurately. The costumes as well as some details from people's every day life make a wonderful journey to that, such a distant period (consider the iron used by Phillistines). There is also a historical emphasis on different lifestyles and believes of primitive at that time but monotheistic Israellites and modern but polytheistic Phillistines.

See SAMSON AND DELILAH. You don't have to be a fan of the Bible! The story is so great that it cannot be treated as the biblical story only. And that is what the film does. Strength, power, lust, murder, revenge, treason, forgiveness... Isn't that universal? 7/10