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The Bible: In the Beginning...
1966 175 min Italy, United States of America 12+
★6.5
Adventure, History, Drama
Director: John Huston
🎭 Based on
«Bible»
bygroup of authors
Trailers
Description
Covering only the first 22 chapters of the Book of Genesis, vignettes include: Adam and Eve frolicking in the Garden of Eden until their indulgence in the forbidden fruit sees them driven out; Cain murdering his brother Abel; Noah building an ark to preserve the animals of the world from the coming flood; and Abraham making a covenant with God.
Budget:
$16.5M
Worldwide:
$34.9M
Starring
Michael Parks
Actor
Ulla Bergryd
Actor
Richard Harris
Actor
Awards
Academy Awards 1967
— Best Original Score
Golden Globe 1967
— Best Original Score
Key opinion
John Huston’s 1966 adaptation is widely respected for its visual ambition, striking production design, and faithful, earnest approach to early Genesis stories. However, viewers are divided on its structural coherence and emotional depth, with some finding it a majestic masterpiece and others critiquing its uneven, sometimes superficial narrative flow.
| Production | Striking, iconic production design creates a visually memorable representation of biblical settings like the Ark and the Tower of Babel. | |
| Direction | John Huston delivers a sophisticated and elegant directorial vision that succeeds in maintaining a tone of reverence and simplicity. | |
| Runtime | The three-hour runtime acts as a barrier for modern viewers, who find the older technical execution and slow pacing difficult to engage with compared to its emotional peaks. | |
| Adaptation | The adaptation of narrative arcs is divisive; some laud its respectful and accurate treatment of the source material, while others criticize the lack of narrative cohesion and the exclusion of later biblical figures. | |
| Emotion | The film’s emotional impact varies, with moments of profound awe—such as the Flood—contrasted by scenes that feel psychologically thin or rushed. |