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9 out of 11 people found the following comment useful :-
"Gripping, powerful, and faithful to Scripture!", 31 January 1999
10/10
Author: jerry Parks (jeryrom828@aol.com) from Lexington, KY

As a teacher of ancient history with an earned doctorate in Biblical theology, I must compliment the producers of 'Joseph' for doing the impossible: staying faithfully true to Biblical text, and holding the attention of young and old alike for three hours.

'Joseph' captures the power, pathos, and splendor of the greatest of Bible characterizations--Joseph, the hated brother, becomes not only lord over his entire family, but the second most powerful man in the ancient world. Ben Kingsley, as he did in 'Moses', and Martin Landau (as Jacob) steal the show, but Paul Mercurio does an admirable job as the main character. Vincenzo Nicoli is outstanding as the vengeful brother Simeon, and, as the last to confront the powerful Joseph--now his savior, Nicoli does nothing less than reduce us to tears.

The film is also true to the many nuances of Egyptian and Hebrew history, which most audiences would neither notice, nor care to notice; yet, such nuances prove highly effective! To note the Egyptians' penchant for cleanliness, and to depict Joseph's famous coat as not necessarily 'many colored' shows the expert research which went into this film.

Although some explicit (though historically accurate) sexual scenes must be screened from the very young, this film captures not only the drama and climactic ascension to a powerful emotional conclusion, but also the characterization of moral goodness so extant in Joseph. I watched 'Joseph' with my middle school students, and as they busily synthesized their thirty or so 'characteristics of a role model' into an essay, one of them asked why there were no such heroes today. The question at once revealed not only the impression this film made, but also the perceptive dearth of role-models in our modern society.

Though including a few anachronistic liberties (such as Joseph's "My God, my God..." paraphrase of Christ's cry from the cross, 'Joseph' is a winner! It is THE best of the TNT series, of which only 'Jacob' was a flop. Kudos for the direction, musical score, and casting directors; they are well-deserving of the awards which this film has earned. To quote Potifer: "...what matters most is the truth", and 'Joseph' delivers it with Biblical reverance and Hollywood expertise. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

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8 out of 10 people found the following comment useful :-
A great story from the Bible!, 17 November 2004
6/10
Author: gazineo-1 from Brasilia, Brazil

The story of Joseph and his brothers is one of the most impressing and rich of significance stories amongst the many others great legends from the Bible. Even the Nobel Prize winner - German author Thomas Mann - wrote a novel called 'Joseph and his Brothers' giving his personal interpretation of this intense, gripping and compassionate episode of the Bible. However, the cinema never pays much attention to this story. In fact, anyone can easily remember movies like 'The Ten Commandments' which tells the adventure of Moses in his search for the Promised Land or 'Sanson and Dellila'. But the drama of the betrayed Joseph, his suffer among the Egyptians and his conquer of power and fortune, was never at the first line of consideration by the producers of Hollywood. This movie, produced in Italy, bring to us this entranced story with an average success. The movie is a bit overlong (180 min) but never boring; the sets and costumes are accurate and the movie has a great photograph. Martin Landau gives a convinced performance as Jacob, Ben Kingsley is correct as Potifar but Paul Mercurio is very bad as Joseph. Maybe another actor with more intensity could give more strenght and energy to the movie. Anyway, if you find this one in a DVD/VHS rent store and if you like Biblical movies, don't lose this one. It's really worthwhile.

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5 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
I was deeply touched by this film, 12 June 2003
10/10
Author: joyce benedict (candleinheart) from Hyde Park, New york

I happened to catch the TV movie Joseph a few weeks ago. Didn't see the beginning but it captured my attention immediately. I am a senior and usually 'fade' around 10 PM, but this movie had me alert and involved until over at 11 or midnight! The realism, the scenery, the accuracy; it was great! Martin Landau was the best I have ever seen him as the Patriarch Father. I absolutely LOVED the Pharaoh portrayed by Stephen Landisi. He was perfect. But Paul Mercurio gets 10 stars in this role. He was superb!!! Throughout he portrays the slave role with quiet dignity; his faith and belief in God absolutely marvelous, convincing, pure. The scene where he reveals himself as Joseph, not as second in command of all Egypt, to his brothers tearfully, poignantly is one of the best acting scenes I have seen in years. How refreshing the movie was, so revealing of human frailties, evil; so full of compassion, forgiveness. Mr. Mercurio has emotional depths there to hopefully portray many powerfully moving roles in the future. Bravo! THE BEST movie I've seen in years. I bought it and have since viewed it three times. My two sons loved it, my sister (a savvy New York theater goer) loved it, and now my future daughter- in-law is to see it with son who wants to see it a second time. It moved me deeply. Mercurio is wonderful. Isn't this the epitome of great film? To bring history alive?To touch hearts and lift the spirit?

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3 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
Biblically accurate, 10 January 2001
10/10
Author: ken-342 from San Diego, California

One of an excellent series of movies that depect events as described in the Bible. This one (as are the others) is very accurate and a pleasure to watch for any student of the Bible. Further, it has a top notch cast, Kingsley, Landau, Warren. This is one film that members of my family return to again and again.

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1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
Star--studded biblical story, 27 July 2008
7/10
Author: Cristi_Ciopron from CGSM, Soseaua Nationala 49

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Movies like this one almost constitute an Italian TV genre.They are modest budgeted biblical stories,made interesting by ,of course,the quality of the source,and by the cast as well.Joseph (1995) (TV)is not Italian;it's directed by Roger Young,written by Lionel Chetwynd (the author of Peter Hall's Jacob ,as well) and finely,maybe sumptuously, incredibly subtly performed by artists like Ben Kingsley,Martin Landau ,Lesley Ann Warren,Dominique Sanda, Alice Krige and Valeria Cavalli.The Italian element is nonetheless present--the cast includes Monica Bellucci and other Italian actors in small roles;the score is Italian,and many members of the crew.

Joseph (1995) (TV) revealed to me Kingsley's non--negligible talent and instantly turned me into a fan of his;I remember I have found something about him in an old almanac, and I was gathering every information available about this unbelievably subtle and endearing actor.His role showed a finesse that it is not so uncommon in some TV productions (I think mostly about Volonte in the TV Charterhouse;or about some roles in the LA PIOVRA series--performed by giants of the screen).In Europe,such finesse is appreciated in the TV movies.

As an artist, Kingsley is, much like Landau, uneven; GANDHI is an execrable movie. Even if generally crushed by too bad scripts (and/or by crap roles), Kingsley is nonetheless uneven himself. Often uninspired, maybe bored, even inept. Yet he could have had his share with the best; as I remarked him in this Biblical story, it seemed to me he was one of the supplest and imaginative and delicate—that gleam of tenderness and kindness of his ….As a weird ,peculiar looking Egyptian, he gives a gentlemanly performance. He puts and gives some real understanding of a life context. I have never found again this beauty of performance; was he an one—shot actor?

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3 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
An Accurate and Enriching Bible Film, 17 April 2007
9/10
Author: erosegem from United States

It's no secret of Hollywood that if you hire a group of talented actors and actresses, stress high quality storytelling over special effects, and choose diverse but realistic settings, then you're likely to create a great film.

This is not Webber's "Technicolor" musical or the Dreamworks animated version of Joseph. Nor is it an epic-scaled romance such as DeMille's "The Ten Commandments". Its accuracy pays homage to the text of Genesis and it is full of drama, bitterness, provocative character, and spiritual development. This is the "Joseph" movie that an older audience can enjoy and appreciate while youngsters may learn something new. (Parents may still want to omit the seduction scene for their children.) The film is long enough to flesh out the complexities of Joseph's background without taking away from the protagonist's ongoing journey. There is underlying tension and rivalry felt in Jacob's family of four wives and 12 sons. As told by Joseph through flashbacks, cataclysmic events began when his sister was raped in Shechem. Vengeance becomes a powerful motif in the film when Simeon and Levi wipe out Shechem as punishment. Other examples follow. The brothers despise Joseph's superior piety and sell him. Potiphar's wife seeks to destroy Joseph after he refuses to lie with her. Joseph contemplates punishing his brothers when they come to Egypt. It is vengeance that tests humanity in "Joseph" until the final scene.

Since my high school class covered the story of Joseph in depth with the assistance of Torah commentaries, I appreciate the remarkable precision in the film from a Jewish perspective. Some lesser-known actions and events include Joseph's meeting with a "man", his title as "Tzapaneth Paneah", the brothers return to Egypt with gifts, Benjamin's name change upon his mother's deathbed, and Judah's scandal with his daughter-in-law.

The parallelism between Joseph and Judah's stories in the second half of the film is interesting. Both men have been separated from their family and fallen from grace: Joseph is wrongly imprisoned in Egypt while Judah has left his father's encampment. Judah's difficult story with Tamar is a notable act of honesty. Watching him confess his erred judgment to her before crying to himself is an echo of Joseph's anguished cry to G-d in jail. Whereas Reuben, Simeon, and Levi have lost their father's approval, Judah takes responsibility for his actions and redeems himself as the leader of 10 brothers.

The casting is well-credited with Ben Kingsley (superb as ever) as Potiphar. Paul Mercurio has removed the shoes of an eccentric lively dancer in "Strictly Ballroom" and transformed himself into a striking impression of Joseph. One can see the strained torment on his face when he is sold to Potiphar and must endure the tauntings of the foreman and resist the temptations of Potiphar's nefarious wife. Mercurio carries his role throughout the film with grace and determination. I almost laughed aloud at Pharaoh's mannerisms in the courtroom. The most powerful ruler in Egypt is really pompous, arrogant, superstitious, and perhaps more than just a little scared of this G-d-fearing Semite.

Last of all, the stirring music is suited to the mood of every different scene and the Moroccan landscape is beautiful on screen. All of these admirable qualities are what makes "Joseph" such a praiseworthy film. It is an underestimated masterpiece of one of the Bible's most well known and unforgettable stories. Whether others are watching this film for educational, spiritual, or personal reasons, I hope they enjoy it as much as I did.

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3 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
Entertaining and fun, 2 December 2001
8/10
Author: joshualieder from Warwick, RI, USA

Very accessible Bible film. The leads are great. I take exception to the Christlike "My God...why have you forsaken me" (which would have been more fitting in a film about David) Joseph utters when thrown into prison though. Major blunder that one - but still well meaning.

Mercurio was perfect for the role and Kingsley is always exceptional. What a shame this film and others like it are not out on DVD. Pardon my saying so, but thats a sin!

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Touching Triumph of Forgiveness and Compassion, 14 September 2009
8/10
Author: Marcin Kukuczka from Cieszyn, Poland

They throw him into a well and sell him into slavery; yet, he makes them rich masters and forgives them all the misery and hatred... that would be called 'simpleton's naiveness' in a world where luck takes over all respected values and where power reigns over goodness. Many people would mock such naiveness nowadays and throughout history when a strong hand has been far more appreciated than a good heart. Is there still anything that can persuade us to believe in 'subtle reign of goodness' 'subtle reign of heart'?

Yes! That is the story of Joseph from the Book of Genesis, the story of a young boy sold into slavery by his envious brothers who overcomes particular hardship and injustice in order to be placed one day over the Pharaoh's house, his people and his entire kingdom, in order to become "Zapaneth Paneah" – a 'saviour' for Egypt and all surrounding lands; finally, in order to embrace his brothers in tears of pardoning.

Although the story of Joseph was, for a long time, quite neglected in cinema, the new biblical project in the 1990s could not skip this significant tale after ABRAHAM with Richard Harris and JACOB with Matthew Modine. I was quite skeptical about this movie in the mid-1990s taking into consideration some critics' opinions. The director, Roger Young, is known for taking liberties with historical content and, as he was not known in my country at that time, some critics spread negative viewpoints about the production before its TV premiere in Poland. Nevertheless, what we saw during the 1996 Easter time was far beyond our expectations. Again, critics disappointed us terribly...

The entire movie is faithful to the Bible to such extend that there are hardly any changes, even minor ones, which makes it one of the most accurate productions ever. Yet, it is not a sort of sheer continuous narrative in accordance with the Bible but a very innovative execution of the captivating, mesmerizing content. The story in most part of the film's first half is told 'in media res.' We get the insight into an Egyptian slave market and a slave boy of Canaan who opens his mouth only in prayer bought by a rich master Potiphar (Ben Kingsley). Although things begin to improve for both, a woman steps in... Joseph (Paul Mercurio) tells his dramatic story to his master just after the unfair accusations have been made up by Potiphar's wife (Lesley Ann Warren) and... everything gets so vivid, combined with emotions and personal suggestions. Thanks to that, Potiphar is more aware of Joseph's innocence. In a memorable scene, his wife asks him sarcastically: "What is more important to you? His God or my good name?" his thrilling answer sounds "Truth" ... At the same time, Joseph shouts desperately "Lord, my God why have you forsaken me?" Events to come truly prove that his God was with him...

However, besides the story that has overwhelmed lots of different people for centuries, "Joseph" offers much more. When the story itself does not suffice for many (that is the case with all biblical material) what we want, as viewers, is something that will remain in our memories, that will leave us breathless, something awesome within the perfectly familiar walls of our knowledge and experience. Something like that may be provided only by certain artistic merits. "Joseph" as a movie offers us all of them including lovely cinematography, memorable sets and very good camera work. While watching the movie for the second time, I paid particular attention to camera work, to single images and I was mesmerized by some moments which are both symbolically and visually significant.

The cast... Paul Mercurio in the lead portrays a man of integrity, a man of forgiveness, a man who has truly seen the evils of rape and vengeance and, consequently, appears to be "endowed with a spirit of God" as poetically described in the script, or, more realistically, very reliable to all the people around, even to such greatness itself like the Pharaoh himself. He is boyish for women, upright for masters, gentle for brothers and faithful to his values. All these unique features of Joseph are beautifully portrayed by Paul Mercurio. The supporting cast include great stars of cinema as well as unknown actors who do equally fine jobs in their roles. Ben Kingsley as Potiphar focuses on patience, Martin Landau as Jacob emphasizes father's love, Stefano Dionisi as Pharaoh highlights confusion of a ruler and Vincenzo Nicoli as, perhaps, Joseph's most wicked brother, Simeon, stresses integral aspect of jealousy and hatred. A mention must be made of beautiful Monica Bellucci as Pharaoh's wife. But a nice contrast is highlighted by two women: Valeria Cavalli as Asenath: a subtle, beautiful woman pleasing to Joseph and Lesley Ann Warren as wicked, lustful and cruel Potiphar's wife.

In short, for me, Joseph has been a biblical experience on screen, a movie that touched me to tears, a motion picture that addressed my heart. Whenever I am depressed, sad or tired of earthly vanity, it is one of the films that takes me into a consoling reality. Timeless story of a gentle heart that brings all worldly revenge, cruelty and jealousy to their knees, which never stops saying "Forgiveness is greater than vengeance; compassion more powerful than anger"

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Best "Joseph" ever!, 12 March 2008
Author: margaretwestlake from Glendale, CA

Every time this 1995 version of Joseph's profound story is on TV again, I watch it. I'm mesmerized by the beautiful Soul of Joseph as depicted by the really likable Paul Mercurio. He brings Joseph's kind and courageous spirit to life.

Also excellent is Ben Kingsley, Martin Landau, Leslie A. Warren. This film is thoughtful, beautifully photographed and directed. For me it is essential viewing for audiences who want accurate Biblical stories, as well as for those who simply like well-produced movies.

Joseph truly has a character to aspire to as followers of the deeper nature of humanity, and his characterization is both believable and amazing in this rendition. Because it isn't certain who really made this story work, I have to give everyone in the production credit.

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The best film of a Bible story I have ever seen, 3 October 1999
10/10
Author: DavidT-5 from Reading, England

The film was the most faithful Bible adaptation I have seen. It kept faithful to the Bible with intelligent in-filling of Biblical gaps of plot and character. The drama was maintained with real depth and passion to the characters

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