Movies about Bible Stories

[matclone]

The (apparent) latest piece of schlock from Hollywood, "Evan Almighty", makes me think about what a serious filmmaker might have done with the same story (of Noah's Ark).

It's been many many years since I've seen the Ten Commandments. Are there any good films out there about Bible (or any religious) stories (not stories directly about Jesus dying on the cross or resurrecting)?

[RYou]

Here's 3 classics to check out if you have not seen them already.
Samson and Delilah (1949)
Quo Vadis (1951)

Ben Hur (1959)

[UGLY]

One night wit the King is good, and the Ten Commandments is one of my all time favorite movies.

[quick_single]

Not the Bible but The Message (1976) is an excellent movie about the story of Islam

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074896/

[furches]

Here's 3 classics to check out if you have not seen them already.
Samson and Delilah (1949)
Quo Vadis (1951)
Ben Hur (1959)

These three are very good, I personally like the Richard Geer version of King David. Also the Ben Hur movie, if you have never seen is tremendous.

Others that are very good, in no particular order

Some about Jesus
The Gospel of John
The Passion of the Christ
The Greatest Story Ever Told


The Robe
The Nativity (New Release)
Joshua (A contemporary retelling of Jesus)
A Vegitales Jonah's Tale (I know, but it is very good technically)

I belong to a Christian Film Critics Group called Arts & Faith, it has numerous well recognized and respected critics and film makers as a part of that group. Here is our list of the top 100 Spiritually Significant Films of All Time. The link to the web site is: http://artsandfaith.com/ The list changes from year to year, and to see some of the past lists you can go to this particular link: http://artsandfaith.com/index.php?showforum=46


Rank Title
1 Ordet
aka The Word.

2 Le Fils
aka The Son.

3 The Miracle Maker
aka The Miracle Maker: The Story of Jesus.

4 The Gospel According to Matthew
aka Il Vangelo Secondo Matteo.

5 The Diary of a Country Priest
aka Le Journal D'un Cur? De Campagne.

6 The Passion of Joan of Arc
aka La Passion De Jeanne D'arc.

7 The Decalogue
aka Dekalog.

8 Babette's Feast
aka Babettes G?stebud.

9 A Man Escaped
aka Un condamn? ? mort s'est ?chapp? ou Le vent souffle o? il veut.

10 Andrei Rublev
aka Andrey Rublyov.

11 Balthazar
aka Au Hasard Balthazar.

12 The Seventh Seal
aka Det Sjunde Inseglet.

13 Ikiru
aka To Live.

14 Winter Light
aka Nattvardsg?sterna.

15 The Mission
16 The Apostle
17 Three Colors Trilogy
18 Jesus of Nazareth
19 Jesus of Montreal
aka J?sus De Montr?al.

20 The Flowers of St. Francis
aka Francesco, giullare di Dio.

21 Dead Man Walking
22 Stalker
23 Magnolia
24 La Promesse
25 Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans
26 Tender Mercies
27 A Man for All Seasons
28 Wings of Desire
aka Der Himmel ?ber Berlin.

29 Day of Wrath
aka Vredens dag.

30 Yi Yi: A One and a Two
aka Yi yi.

31 The Hiding Place
32 Wild Strawberries
aka Smultronst?llet.

33 Rosetta
34 After Life
aka Wandafuru raifu.

35 The Sacrifice
aka Offret - Sacrificatio.

36 To End All Wars
37 Chariots of Fire
38 Shadowlands
39 The Big Kahuna
40 Not of This World
aka Fuori dal mondo.

41 Schindler's List
42 Millions
43 The Straight Story
44 A Taste of Cherry
aka Ta'm e guilass.

45 The Passion Of The Christ
46 Becket
47 Wit
48 Open City
aka Roma, citt? aperta.

49 Nazarin
aka Nazar?n.

50 Secrets & Lies
51 Romero
52 Places in the Heart
53 It's A Wonderful Life
54 Ponette
55 Les Mis?rables
56 Luther
57 Tokyo Story
aka Tokyo Monogatari.

58 Hell House
59 Breaking The Waves
60 Crimes And Misdemeanors
61 To Kill a Mockingbird
62 The Mirror
aka Zerkalo.

63 The Last Temptation Of Christ
64 The Gospel of John
65 Hotel Rwanda
66 Fearless
67 Solaris
aka Solyaris.

68 The Night Of The Hunter
69 Cries and Whispers
aka Viskningar och rop.

70 Stromboli
71 Stevie
72 Dogville
73 My Night at Maud's
aka Ma nuit chez Maud.

74 Black Robe
75 Close-Up
aka Nema-ye Nazdik.

76 The Apu Trilogy
77 Werckmeister Harmonies
aka Werckmeister harm?ni?k.

78 Waking Life
79 Koyaanisqatsi
aka Koyaanisqatsi - Life Out of Balance.

80 Peter and Paul
81 13 Conversations About One Thing
82 The Sweet Hereafter
83 Dersu Uzala
84 Trial of Joan of Arc
aka Proc?s de Jeanne d'Arc.

85 Summer
aka Le Rayon vert.

86 Fiddler on the Roof
87 The Bicycle Thief
aka Ladri di biciclette.

88 The Year Of Living Dangerously
89 Money
aka L'Argent.

90 The Elephant Man
91 Faust
92 Molokai: The Story of Father Damien
93 A Moment of Innocence
aka Nun va Goldoon.

94 Jean de Florette / Manon of the Spring
aka Jean de Florette / Manon des Sources.

95 Sansho the Bailiff
aka Sansh? day?.

96 Lilies of the Field
97 The Wind Will Carry Us
aka Bad ma ra khahad bord.

98 The Addiction
99 The Song of Bernadette
100 Tales of Ugetsu
aka Ugetsu monogatari.

[matclone]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I looked for Samson & Deliah, and Quo Vadis, at the local video store but they weren't there.

On the list of 100 given by Furches, I can vouch for The Seventh Seal, and Wild Strawberries, and Man for All Seasons--great movies all, and Les Miserables (there are several different versions; I like 1935 w/Charles Laughton).

It seems a list of "spiritual" movies would not be complete without Gandhi.

[Jicket]

The Scarlet and the Black is a real good Nazi Germany vs. The Vatican flick. One of my favorites. Stars Gregory Peck and Christopher Plummer.

[furches]

If you haven't seen To End All Wars on that list with Kieffer Sutherland, get it and watch it, it is also among my favorite stories and a great film. You may find it at blockbuster I know you can netflix it.

[FloggingSully]

Might not be exactly what your looking for but... Dogma?