The Bible - Jacob

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Movie
German title The Bible - Jacob
Original title Jacob
Country of production USA , Italy , Germany
original language English
Publishing year 1994
length 91 minutes
Age rating FSK 6
Rod
Director Peter Hall
script Lionel Chetwynd
Francesco Maria Nappi (novel)
production Lorenzo Minoli
Gerald Rafshoon
music Marco Frisina
Ennio Morricone
camera Ennio Guarnieri , AIC
cut Bill Blunden
occupation
synchronization

The Bible - Jacob is the third part of the TV series The Bible and tells the early years in the life of the Old Testament patriarch Jacob .

action

Jacob lives with his mother Rebekah , his father Isaac and his twin brother Esau in the land of Canaan . Like his family, he lives the belief that his grandfather Abraham taught him that a people that the tribe is supposed to found will one day possess Canaan.

One day Esau comes home exhausted. He hunted for a long time to get food for the tribe. When he watches Jacob preparing a lentil stew , he asks if he can eat it too. But since the food is intended for Elon, the sick boy of the tribe member Gaham, Jacob forbids him to eat. He only promises him after Esau cedes his birthright to Jacob.

A few years pass. Esau has married - a Canaanite woman against Rebekah's wishes - and is about to build a stone house. Isaac himself is old and almost blind. Then he calls Esau over and asks him to go hunting for him and to prepare a meal. Afterwards, so Isaac, Esau would receive the blessing of the firstborn. But Rebekah, who heard Isaac's request, summons Jacob and sends him with a meal of the same quality and - since Esau is very hairy - with sheepskins draped to her husband in the tent. He thinks Jacob is Esau and blesses him. When the correct Esau arrives, the deception is noticed. Esau, furious with anger, plans to kill Jacob. Isaac and Rebekah then send Jacob away to Haran , where his uncle Laban lives. Jacob should be safe there.

On the way to Haran, Jacob is followed by Esau's brother-in-law Jobonaham, who wants to get the gifts back to Laban on behalf of Esau. And indeed; In order to move forward more easily, Jakob leaves the three donkeys behind and now has to continue the journey penniless.

That same night Jacob camped out in the open. A stone serves as a pillow for him when he has a vision. He sees a staircase that leads to heaven. Angels rise and fall on it. He also hears the voice of God , which also promises to make a great people out of himself and his descendants. The next morning Jacob names the place Bethel .

A few days later, Jacob reached Haran, exhausted and hungry. At the village well he meets two shepherds whom he asks about Laban. These point to a young girl approaching the fountain. It is Rachel , Laban's youngest daughter. Jacob immediately falls in love with his cousin. He dares to kiss her. Startled, she runs to her father, followed by Jakob.

Jacob starts a good life with Laban. He begins to work hard for his uncle, but he can never forget his love and affection for Rahel. One day he asks Laban to be allowed to marry Rahel. Laban agrees, provided that Jacob should serve Laban for seven years. Jacob agrees.

Seven years go by; Jacob works hard. The day of the wedding is approaching, which is also celebrated in a big way. On the wedding night, Jacob is led to his bride. But the shock in the morning is great: It is not Rachel who is lying next to him, but her older sister Leah . Laban, confronted with the deception, states that it would not be lawful to marry the younger sister before the older sister, but Jacob could also marry Rahel if he worked for Laban again for seven years.

For the next seven years Leah gives birth to sons; Rachel, although she sleeps with Jacob , remains childless. That is why she gives Jacob her maid, Bilhah , in the hope of becoming a mother through her. And Bilhah also gives birth to sons.

Jacob's holdings have since grown and he plans to return to Canaan soon. Then the joyful announcement comes that Rahel is also pregnant. Jakob plans to leave after the child is born. But Laban tries to bind Jacob to himself in order to increase his wealth, while Jacob does not let himself be deterred.

Rahel gives birth to Joseph soon afterwards . A few days later, while Laban and his sons, Morasch and Beor, are busy shearing , they set out in secret. But Laban pursues the troop and provides Jacob. Although he set out with the intention of killing Jacob, God warned him that night not to harm Jacob. The alliance between Laban and Jacob is to be strengthened by an altar.

But Esau learned that Jacob was moving to Canaan. He also plans to destroy his brother and all his belongings with a troop of men. The gifts that Jacob Esau sends are indifferent to him.

The night before the inevitable confrontation, Jakob retreats to the Jabbok River , where an unknown man attacks him. Jacob wins and demands of the stranger to admit his defeat. Only now does the stranger reveal himself as God and give Jacob another name - Israel .

In the morning Jacob meets his brother Esau, who, however, has also heard God's voice. After almost 15 years of hatred and jealousy, the brothers reconciled, but Jacob and Esau decide to separate. While Esau is moving to Seir , Jacob is traveling to Shechem . Together they decide to direct the fate of two different tribes and two new ethnic groups.

background

While “ The Bible - Genesis ” and “ The Bible - Abraham ” were adaptations of John Huston's monumental filmThe Bible ”, “Jacob” is the first film in the series that could not compete with any Hollywood film from the 1960s .

Like its predecessors, the film was shot in Ouarzazate ( Morocco ). Striving for historical authenticity, there are nevertheless some deviations from the Holy Scriptures . There is no mention of Jobonaham and his attempt to steal Jacob's bridal offerings. Although many names and family trees are listed in the Bible, there is no mention of Jobonoham . However, part of the script was based on the novel Giacobbe by the Italian writer Francesco Maria Nappi . Another imprecise aspect is the portrayal of Haran. Haran is said to have been a city with thousands of inhabitants as early as the time of Abraham. To present it as a medium-sized small town in this time period - almost 50 years later - is historically incorrect.

criticism

“In a Bible-based implementation, the story of a cunning, happy man is told who combines his firm belief in God with an affinity for the world. A clearly structured film with simple image design, staged solidly and played appropriately. The sometimes too lavishly applied music (apparitions of God) is a bit disturbing. "

Crossover

In "The Bible - Joseph", the subsequent film, other actors will embody the biblical characters, who, however, have little resemblance to the faces from "Jacob".

Anecdotes

The director's daughter, Peter Hall, Emma Hall, played a boy with Josef. But since she was a toddler at the time, this is not noticed. According to unconfirmed information, no boy could be found to take over the part.

synchronization

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. The Bible - Jacob. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed May 26, 2017 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used