The Bible: The Epic MiniSeries Blu-ray, complete 10 episode season 1
(4 discs).
The Bible comes to life in this epic new TV series. From Genesis to
Revelation, these unforgettable stories unfold through live action and
cutting-edge computer-generated imagery, offering new insight into famous scenes
and iconic characters. Created by producer Mark Burnett and featuring an
international cast that includes Roma Downey, this 10-episode docudrama explores
the sacred text’s most significant episodes, including Noah’s journey in
the ark, the Exodus and the life of Jesus.
Narrated by Emmy winning actor Keith David, The Bible: Miniseries features a
stunning international cast including Portuguese actor, Diogo Morgado as Jesus
Christ and beloved actress, Roma Downey as Mother Mary. And for the first time
since their award winning collaboration on Gladiator, Oscar and Grammy winning
composer Hans Zimmer reunites with acclaimed vocalist Lisa Gerrard to create the
majestic musical backdrop for this epic production.
- Nominated for Emmy Award, Outstanding Miniseries or Movie (2013)
- US Television event of the year that shattered home entertainment records:
#1 TV on DVD in the last 5 years, #1 TV Miniseries of all time in home
entertainment market, #1 new cable TV series that topped 95 million
viewers
- Created by Emmy award winning Mark Burnett (The Voice, Survivor)
- Renewed for a 2nd season
The Bible Miniseries Review
"If “The Bible” is aimed at families, then it’s really too violent
for younger children and even older people who just don’t care for that level
of violence. If it’s trying to move away from the corniness of the old ‘50s
and ‘60s religious spectacles by infusing it with the kind of realism you’d
see in HBO’s “Rome” or “Game of Thrones,” well, that’s a different
story. There’s a level of grittiness here that you haven’t seen before in a
biblical film or television production, and that will be refreshing to many
viewers inclined to watch something as rooted in the Judeo-Christian tradition
as the title would warn.
That’s the first thing that strikes you about this series. The second
is that the production values, the casting, the writing—even the segues that
help span huge chunks of the book that had to be omitted—are all quite good.
The CGI effects are terrific in this big-screen quality production. In fact, the
only thing that reminds you it’s television are annoying “Previously on”
and “Next on” montages that bookend each episode and run excessively long.
But at least you can skip over those.
Speaking of which, “The Bible” covers so much ground that a lot of
things would have to be cut, or else the series would run a lot longer than
10 hours. This series isn’t organized by book, but rather by story. Would it
surprise you that Jonah and the Whale, the Tower of Babel, or Joseph and his
technicolor dream coat didn’t make the cut? Or that the Old Testament section
begins with Noah, with only a cursory summary of the Creation and The Fall
of Man?
But Abraham’s story is included, as is the story of Moses and the
Exodus from Egypt, Joshua and the fall of Jericho, Samson and Delilah, King
Saul, David and Goliath and David’s reign, the Babylonian captivity with
Daniel in the Lion’s Den and the three men in the fiery furnace, and the more
familiar territory of the New Testament: the story of Jesus’ birth,
miracle-working, disciple-gathering, teachings, and eventual betrayal and
crucifixion. Filmmakers Roma Downey and Mark Burnett are to be commended for
continuing the story beyond that, with Jesus’ disciples trying to spread the
gospel and Saul becoming Paul, the great converter of gentiles. It’s a much
more satisfying ending than if everything stopped at the cross.
There are some interesting choices made throughout. Rastafarians always
said that Samson wore dreads, and he does so here. Herod is a corpulent
gourmand, while Jesus (played by Portuguese actor Diogo Morgado) is the
long-haired beatific messiah that everyone envisions—but he’s as believable
a Jesus as I’ve seen in a film or television production. But I wasn’t
impressed by the addition of physical beings dressed in armor and cloaks who
were shown every time God was speaking, or who brought God’s message. For me,
it was the only hokey element in an otherwise solidly conceived
production.
“Younger children and people disturbed by graphic violence won’t be
able to watch, but the rest of the family will find “The Bible” an
interesting combination of the expected and unexpected. And yes, it’ll
probably send you back to the Good Book to see if such-and-such is really there,
because the filmmakers did take quite a few liberties. Compression often occurs,
or things are slightly out-of-sequence..it's surprisingly violent, but more
faithful to the real Bible than most Hollywood productions.”
moviemet.com
