Heyy! You know what's never been done?

[patrickbeverley]

There are quite a few films and stage productions around that put the words of Shakespeare into a modern setting. Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet is a famous example. But what about doing the Bible the same way?

Oh man, I can just see it. It's a whole untapped canon. Some parts wouldn't really work: Creation is just creation, you can't put it into an era. But the search for the Promised Land? Jesus's mission? These stories would work brilliantly put in a new setting. Just imagine Moses as, say, the captain of an army regiment, lost in the wilderness, relying on God to lead them to safety. Injured and struggling, he sets out alone and hears the voice of God speaking to him. Then, a broken-hearted Moses returns and says this:

"I besought the Lord, saying, O Lord God, thou hast begun to show thy servant thy greatness, and thy mighty hand: for what God is there in heaven or in earth, that can do according to thy works, and according to thy might? I pray thee, let me go over, and see the good land that is beyond Jordan, that goodly mountain, and Lebanon. But the Lord was wroth with me for your sakes, and would not hear me: and the Lord said unto me, Let it suffice thee; speak no more unto me of this matter. Get thee up into the top of Pisgah, and lift up thine eyes westward, and northward, and southward, and eastward, and behold it with thine eyes: for thou shalt not go over this Jordan. But charge Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him: for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which thou shalt see."

[Mr. Vandemar]

I think a modern-day film adaptation of Job would be very interesting. Does anyone agree with me?

[patrickbeverley]

I do, but I'm divided. My original thought was that, like most of the Shakespeare adaptations, these films should keep the original text (well, not the original original, but the King James translation) and just change the scenery. But Job would work really well with much more of an overhaul, where God and Satan are two powerful humans, and Job is a common man (or even a woman) held under their control. Maybe that could still be done with the original text though. I do really like some bits of Job: "Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?"

[Nightshade]

Actually there was a modern day adaptation of the Nativity story on at during the build up to Christmas last year in the UK on the BBC, it was called Liverpool Nativity
http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2007/11_november/16/nativity.shtml

[jgweed]

Be sure, if you do adapt it, to put in lots of smilies.

[kiki1982]

I guess I'm one of the traditionalists who find modern settings for classic stories an absolute disaster.

Don't get me wrong, I'm NOT a traditional christian who believes that one may not touch on Bible stories because they are to be interpreted literally. On the contrary they should be interpreted in a way that is relevant to this day. But...

Unless it is interpreted by people who can, which is usually not the case, it cannot become a serious film script that is plausible.

The example you give, patrick beverley, is a perfect example of how it shouldn't be done... Sorry... An army regiment is not in the same situation as the Jews in Egypt. They are not slaves, who are hungry, who die of hungre, bad hygiene etc. They were not born in that situation. They chose it, even if they didn't really know what they chose, they still signed out of free will. I can't imagine any army commander saying what you put in his mouth. The army regiment does not have to be lead out of the wilderness, or out of slavery, but they have to fight for their country... I would wonder about the seven plagues that came over Egypt in a modern setting. The golden kalf. The burning shrub. Was it not Moses too who knocked the rocks with his stick and there came water out of them? And the ten commandments.
You would be able to put it into the 'slave to commercialism'-idea, but then you are not working with an ethnic sort of people. And there is nobody who's above it, like Moses was in the beginning.
The you would be able to ut it in a 'Holocaust'-context, but that you know ends badly, and Jews would be very offended if you would mix the two stories up...
Then you would be able to put it into a Pinochet-like regime with ethnic discrimination, but then the relevance of God leading his peope out of misery is kind of in the backround and certainly the ten commandments and the golden calf, would not be relevant in this setting.

Can we imagine the story of the walls of Jericho in a modern setting? They just fell over, well...

You can compare the old testament with Greek mythology. You don't put the birth of Athena (?) who came out of Zeus' head, in a modern setting, do you? The whole of the old testament and the new testament are symbols. So filming it doesn't make any sense because that goes past the idea it wants to teach you.

Indeed, it can be modernised, but then it either looks implausible or needs to be changed and then we can qualify it as a story/film/whatever based on and not the story itself. Which is of course a good thing, but then you can't call it a film adaptation of, let's say, the story of Moses.

The same goes for Shakespeare and other things they try to modernise. It usually leaves a gastly result.

I tell you all once more, I am not in favour of literal interpretation because that's absolutely beside the point, but it needs to be done with care, and not merely put in a modern story that goes past the moral of it.

[dzebra]

A film about King David and his Mighty Men would be as bloody and action-packed as 300.

[Niamh]

Anyone who has seen jesus christ superstar would probably agree its a bit modernised with its costumes etc.

[dramasnot6]

There is always the Green Day song "Jesus of Suburbia". :p

[Niamh]

never thought of that!

[El Viejo]

It needs to be done. The entire Bible on film. Directed by Christopher Nolan.

Starring:
James Earl Jones as the Voice of God
Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie as Adam & Eve
Kevin Spacey & Leonardo DiCaprio as Cain & Abel
Woody Allen as Lot
Mia Farrow as Lot's wife
Soon Yi as Lot's daughter
Alec Guinness as King Solomon
J. T. Walsh as King Saul
Wallace Shawn as the tax collector
Maggie Gyllenhaal as Mary Magdalene
The Rock as the Roman Army
Wallace Shawn as the innkeeper
Christian Slater as Judas
Wallace Shawn as Pontius Pilate
Harrison Ford as Saul of Tarsus
Wallace Shawn as the guy who married his father's wife
Keifer Sutherland as Satan

oh, yeah, Christian Bale as Jesus

A Cast of Thousands. CGI 'till the cows come home.

[patrickbeverley]

Ooh yeah. I like your casting for Mary Magdalene.

Ewan McGregor as David
Robert Carlyle as John the Baptist
Toni Colette as the Virgin Mary

[TuckyTulip]

The Bible is a Perfect piece of History, up to this very Moment.
As Tolstoy said in 1909, 'Fate in Action'

[PabloQ]

It needs to be done. The entire Bible on film. Directed by Christopher Nolan.

Starring:
James Earl Jones as the Voice of God
Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie as Adam & Eve
Kevin Spacey & Leonardo DiCaprio as Cain & Abel
Woody Allen as Lot
Mia Farrow as Lot's wife
Soon Yi as Lot's daughter
Alec Guinness as King Solomon
J. T. Walsh as King Saul
Wallace Shawn as the tax collector
Maggie Gyllenhaal as Mary Magdalene
The Rock as the Roman Army
Wallace Shawn as the innkeeper
Christian Slater as Judas
Wallace Shawn as Pontius Pilate
Harrison Ford as Saul of Tarsus
Wallace Shawn as the guy who married his father's wife
Keifer Sutherland as Satan

oh, yeah, Christian Bale as Jesus

A Cast of Thousands. CGI 'till the cows come home.

Some trick getting the dead folks to show to shoot the film. Pretty sure Guiness and Walsh are already face to face with the voice of James Earl Jones.

[Pendragon]

hummm....

Ian McKellen as Abraham
Viggo Mortensen as John the Baptist
Liv Tyler as Esther

hummm.....

[PabloQ]

Mel Gibson as King Herod
Sylvester Stallone as Samson
Demi Moore as Delilah
Bruce Willis as Jonah
John Travolta as Naomi
Charlize Theron as Ruth
Meryl Streep as Sarah
Michael Douglas as Daniel
Russell Crowe as Moses
Jackie Chan as Pharoah

[El Viejo]

Ooh yeah. I like your casting for Mary Magdalene.

Thank you.


Ewan McGregor as David
Robert Carlyle as John the Baptist
Toni Colette as the Virgin Mary

Mm. Good choices, as are PabloQ's (Travolta as Naomi, yes) and Pendragon's.

Keanu Reeves, Jeff Bridges, Arnold, Tori Spelling, Courtney Love, and so many more need roles as well. Reeves could be Jehu, Popa Chubby would make a good Eglon...

Getting serious for a minute, what do our choices say about our views of the characters? I'd originally cast Eric Stoltz as Jesus, because as Lance he looked like the Jesus in pics and holy cards. Decided that choice would seem disparaging in a post, and settled on Bale. Good guy. Superhero.

[patrickbeverley]

David Threlfall as Noah.

http://a.bebo.com/app-image/6328213413/i.idlestudios.com/img/q/u/08/03/30/sham.jpg

[patrickbeverley]

Getting serious for a minute, what do our choices say about our views of the characters? I'd originally cast Eric Stoltz as Jesus, because as Lance he looked like the Jesus in pics and holy cards. Decided that choice would seem disparaging in a post, and settled on Bale. Good guy. Superhero.
I have to be honest, I don't know what our choices say about the characters. I'm having fun though!

[El Viejo]

David Threlfall as Noah.

http://a.bebo.com/app-image/6328213413/i.idlestudios.com/img/q/u/08/03/30/sham.jpg

Mm hmm. I'd board the ark if he told me to.

[Pendragon]

Liam Nelson and Orlando Bloom as James and John

John Rhys-Davies as Matthew the Publican

Hugo Weaving and Ron Perlman as Andrew and Peter

Sean Bean as Thomas

Christopher Lee as Aninais the High Priest

John Hurt as Luke, the Beloved Physician

Doug Jones as Jude

[El Viejo]

Liam Nelson and Orlando Bloom as James and John

John Rhys-Davies as Matthew the Publican

Hugo Weaving and Ron Perlman as Andrew and Peter

Sean Bean as Thomas

Christopher Lee as Aninais the High Priest

John Hurt as Luke, the Beloved Physician

Doug Jones as Jude

Great choices all.

Hugo Weaving has such an otherworldly quality. He'd be good as one or more of the angels.

[Pendragon]

Great choices all.

Hugo Weaving has such an otherworldly quality. He'd be good as one or more of the angels. I didn't think of that, EV! Yes, I think that would be a better choice for Hugo Weaving. Perhaps Pierce Bronson could play Andrew instead!

[Pendragon]

:p Hummm....

Jeff Bridges as Daniel.

Hummm.... :p

[El Viejo]

:p Hummm....

Jeff Bridges as Daniel.

Hummm.... :p

I agree, The Big Lebowski would be a good advisor to Nebuchadnezzar and would maintain his cool in the lion's den.

[El Viejo]

I'm looking at IMDB and there was a film in the mid '60's called "The Bible: In The Beginning..." It had some interesting choices for characters. I liked Richard Harris for Cain. Peter O'Toole is a good pick for the angels. Not so sure about George C. Scott as Abraham, nor about Michael Parks as Adam. Bronson, maybe, but not Adam.

[blp]

I we can get Werner Herzog to direct, I'm in.

[El Viejo]

Looks like all we need now is a producer.