Bible Movies

They say a picture says more than 100 words. If that is true, how much more does a film say that consists of millions of single images? Bible movies are great to add some visual impact to the greatest story ever told. I have put here together my personal collection of my favorite bible films on dvd. Not everybody will agree with what I have selected, some of them are quite controversial, and that is great. Because, despite public opinion, being a Christian doesn't mean leaving your brain at the church door. Instead it means being ready to challenge and to be challenged. I have included old favorites like Quo Vadis?, modern adaptions like Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and a controversial report called For The Bible Tells Me So...

Bible films are meant to educate and to entertain at the same time. They are rarely dyed in the wool study material. I personally see them more as brain teasers, something to get you thinking about something what you always have taken for granted. When choosing one of them, you might especially consider the age of the people that are going to watch it. The Passion of Christ will not be suitable for small children, whilst not every adult will enjoy watching the Prince of Egypt ;-) Apart of a short synopsis I have added to each bible film review some notes for which age and interest group I think the film is especially suited for and for whom less. But in the end it is all up to you, always remember, God gave us free will – and a brain to use it!

Oh, and before I forget it, I added at the end some study bibles on DVD, just to round things up a bit ;-)

Haunting is not the right word to describe this movie. If there is only one bible based film you are going to see this year, or even in your whole life, make sure it is this one. For the Bible tells me so is neither a film adaption of a bible story nor an ABC of Salvation style film. It is a film that wants us, Christians and non-Christians alike, to start to think if God really hates gays and lesbians. Or if the Bible simply reflects some cultural prejudices prevalent at the time of writing and now as out-ruled and out-lived as slavery thankfully is. For the bible tells me so features and interviews people as well-known a Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Bishop Gene Robinson. It gives them and others room to express themselves and invites us to listen to them. For the Bible tells me so speaks about reading and living the bible in our times, rather then trying to live in the times of the bible. It is not a kind of in your face movie, it is a movie that challenges our, yours and mine, belief in what the bible says. And it may surprise you in what the bible really says about homosexuality, if you let it to ...

Suitable for: This movie is not officially rated, but I would suggest a simple "PG" will do. I wouldn't let children see it alone, not because of violence and / or strong language, more because of the difficult issue itself. One group that might have difficulties watching this movies are people that think they know already everything about what the bible has to say about LGBT issues.

The story of Moses is the story of two (actually three), unlikely, brothers. A story of adoption and a story of oppression, a story of salvation of one that will become the savior of many. Does Moses, Prince of Egypt takes some artistic license with the biblical text of Exodus? Yes, but a limited one. The most important one is that Aaron, Moses birth brother, plays a rather minor rule in the film. This film starts with Moses birth, adoption and early life at the Pharaohs court (I truly love the scene where the Sphinx looses her noose tip ;-) ) and the resulting tell-off the two adoptive brothers get by Daddy Pharaoh. I will not spoil the story (see this Wikipedia article about Moses for this), just saying that the film finishes shortly after the people of Israel have left Egypt and doesn't include the years in the wilderness, nor the arrival in the promised land.

Suitable for: The film is rated PG (Parental Guidance), I guess mostly due to the fact that the film gives so much 'food for thought'. It is a great movies to get some real family discussions going about relationships between siblings, freedom versus slavery and the different ways of resistance, violent as well as non-violent ones. A great film to watch with the whole family, just make sure to plan in some time afterward for discussions.

OK, if you are a biblical purist this musical is not for you. This film concentrates more on dreams and feelings than of an accurate and literate re-telling of the story. Nevertheless, set in a school and guided by a narrator, the story follows the biblical outline. The story in short (You can read the detailed story in the bible, Genesis 30, 22 and following):

Joseph is the youngest son of Jacob and has 11 brothers. He receives a beautiful coat from his father, something that causes increased jealousy in his brothers. His brothers fake his dead and sell him as a slave to Egypt, where Joseph quickly rises to become viceroy. As his family suffers under a famine, his brothers decide to go to Egypt and to beg there for food where they meet their brother. The whole family decides to settle in Egypt and they become the forefathers of the people that Moses later let into freedom (see movie review above).

This musical was written by the team of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, but its origins go back to 1968 and to the story of “The Coat of many Colors" that was first performed as a 15-minute pop cantata at a school in London. Over time it developed into the 80 min musical we know and love today. There is very little speaking, but a lot of singing involved in the story. Historical correct costumes and habits are surely not a forte of the movie, but remember that this is meant to be an entertaining bible-story-based musical, not an accurate report. One thing what this bible movie does well is that everybody that has seen it only ones will remember the story of Joseph, his wonderful coat and his family ;-)

Suitable for: It is family friendly and suitable for all ages, the only disadvantage this musical might have is that you find yourself, and your whole family, humming the tunes for weeks on end.

Called the most monumental, colossal and epic movie of its time (1951), it is one of those films that you never forget, no matter how long ago it is that you last saw it. It is situated in the first century of our time, telling the story of the first Christians in Rome in the time of emperor Nero. It features famous Hollywood stars such as Robert Taylor, Deborah Kerr, Peter Ustinov and others.

The title 'Quo Vadis?' is latin for 'Where are you going?' and refers to an ancient Christian tradition that the apostle St. Peter met the risen Jesus whilst fleeing Rome and the persecution of Christians under Nero. He asks Jesus 'Quo vadis, domine?' (Where are you going to, Lord?). The risen Christ answers him 'Eo Romam iterum crucifigi!' (I, to Rome, to be crucified [again]! St. Peter then changes his mind, returns to Rome and is crucified.

That is the background to the film title, but the story encompasses more than just this event. It is set in Rome, during the reign of emperor Nero, known for his mental instability and persecution of everybody that doesn't acknowledge him as a God. Whilst some of the protagonists are based on historic persons and events, others are not. And as it is good, old Hollywood tradition, there is a love story (between a roman soldier and a Christian woman) at the center. As the persecution against Christians becomes fiercer and fiercer, cumulating in them being accused of having set 'fire to Rome' many of them are send to the arena to be killed by wild animals such as lions. It would be spoiling the plot revealing who survives and who dies, but let me just say this: It is a great movie that takes every care possible at the time to reproduce the historical settings and costumes. As far as a Hollywood movie can be called 'historically reliable', this one is it.

Suitable for: This movie contains quite a bit of violence and therefore I would strongly recommend to watch it with your children and that this children should be of an age that they can distinguish between a movie and real events. There is also a bit of love and romance, including the odd kiss, around, so use your common sense if you want to watch it en famille or grown-ups only. It is a movie loosely based on some events described and hinted at in the New Testament, that tells a powerful story about the life of the first Christians and it beautiful pictures makes it well worth watching. It might even encourage you to do some more research into the life of the Christians of the first century of our time.

You could call this the adult version of the 'Prince of Egypt' reviewed above, The Ten Commandments tell the Old Testament story of Moses from his birth until the arrival of the people of Israel in the promised land. Starring Charlton Heston as Moses and Yul Brynner as his adoptive brother, the pharaoh, this movie drew its inspiration not only from the bible, but also from alternative Jewish, Egyptian and islamic sources. This might accounts for some of the differences between the bible story and the film, such as the different reactions to the dead of the Egyptians in the Red Sea. Speaking of the events related to the passage through the Red Sea, this film was made in 1956, long time before computer effects were even thought of. The passage through the Red Sea was filmed using two kinds of footage, one of the Red Sea and one, played in reverse, of water pouring from large U-shaped trip-tanks in the studio, both footage were spliced in such a way that the optical illusion resulted in the parting of the sea.

If you live in the USA, than this movie will be familiar to you as it is traditionally shown on ABC around Easter / Passover. Watching the whole movie in one go is no small feat as it is a staggering four hours long. At least a DVD allows you to pause it and to replenish your drink and popcorn. It is a great movie with incredible images, well worth watching it.

Suitable for: All audiences, but smaller children might get bored, due to the length of the length of it.

Another old testament story, this time the one of Abram who became Abraham. The movie covers the calling and name change of Abraham, his travels to Canaan and his commitment to God, including the sacrifice of his own son on Gods own command. The story starts in Haran, where Abram lives together with his wife and wider family. Unfortunately Abram and Sara have no children together making a distant relative the sole heir to his wealth. One day, he hears the voice of God that promises him to make him the 'Father of Nations' and to give him descendants as many as the stars in the night sky and the sand corns in the desert. Abraham and Sarah, as they are now called, follow Gods commandment and start their journey. If you want to read the whole story, rather than watching the film, grab your bible and read Genesis chapters 11 and following.

The biggest plus point of this movie is its love to detail and accurate, historical details. The story of Abraham is still of interest today, even to non-religious people, as both Israelis and Arabs track back their roots to him. Making him the common forefather of two peoples that are in war with eachother today, a brother war.

Suitable for: The whole family, due to the inclusion of the sacrifices, parental guidance is recommended.

Claimed to be the most accurate rendering of the biblical text, this modern movie (2010) certainly does the short old testament book justice. Following the story line of a woman that follows her mother-in-law to an unknown country and finds a new life, love and faith there the film is 'sugarfree' unlike so many older adaptions of the book of Ruth. Ruth, the foreigner became so the ancestor to famous historical figures as David, Solomon and Jesus.

Suitable for: All ages, but I guess that this film will more appeal to romantic girls and women than to tough boys and men ;-)

Ok, the title sounds a bit overly cheesy, but the movie itself is great. This film is about Esther, one of the most courageous women in the old testament and one whose story is not told very often in our churches and Sunday schools unfortunately. Perhaps because her role is far more important in Jewish liturgical year, the feast of Purim is based on her achievements.

Before watching the movie, it might be a good idea of reading her story in the bible itself. Also if there is a whole book in the OT that carries her name, it is a short book with only 10 chapters and it can be read in just under the hour. Here the story in short: Esther is the foster daughter of Mordechai, a Jew like herself. Esther becomes in the 5^th century before Christ, through marriage to Xerxes I, Queen of Persia despite belonging to the despised minority of Jews. She conceals her religion before her husband, but stays faithful to Jahweh and his commandments. Her foster father Mordechai saves the live of the king by discovering a plot to murder him. Shortly after he offends the prime minister so thoroughly that he decides to not only kill Mordechai, but all the jews in Persia as well. Mordechai calls on Queen Esther to help her people and she succeeds, revealing at the same time that she is a Jewess as well. Since the time of Esther Jews all over the world celebrate the feast of Purim to remember how one woman saved them all.

This movie stays faithful to the story, making it suitable for the whole family under parental guidance.

If you are like me and believe that events described in the bible are passed an events that have actually occurred then you will enjoy this film that tries to answer one question: 'What was the Star of Bethlehem really?' The bible tells us that some magi were guided by a star to the place Jesus was born. Over the centuries many theories have been formulated about how this could have been occurred. The answer given in this film might surprise everybody that believes in a kind of 'carrot in lantern form' that dangled in front of the magi, instead it takes a good look on what people belived and acted upon in the time Jesus was born. If you believe the findings in this video or not is completely up to, always remember, God gave us a brain in order to use it! Suitable for: All ages, but might be a bit too technical for small children.

hen this musical by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber was first performed, and especially when its film adaption was released in 1973, it caused quite a stir. True to the tradition of musicals it consists only of pictures and songs, no spoken word whatsoever is uttered in it. The movie was shot in Israel and other Middle East locations to give it that extra ambiance. The story is basically along the biblical story line as told in the gospel of St. John, but puts more weight in the relationship and interaction between Judas Iscariot and Jesus then in the others. The musicals starts with the preparations of Jesus and his disciples to go to Jerusalem for the Passah feast and ends with Jesus' dead on the cross. No mentioning of his resurrection is ever made, but it is also not excluded. The language is contemporary, something that has over the years, offended quite some traditional Christians whilst opening up the greatest story ever told to people on the fringe and outside church.

Suitable for: Released for the general audience, I still think the trial and crucifixion scenes require some parental supervision and guidance to make sure that children understand that, yes, the events took place two thousand years ago, but the actor they see now has never been harmed in any way. Suitable for: This musical makes a great 'kick-off' for discussions with people that normally don't go to church ;-) So much easier to invite somebody to the movies then to church!

Like the bible musical reviewed before, this bible movie is based on the gospel of St. John, hence the title ;-) It is a new testament based movie that tells the story of Jesus Christ as recorded by St. John the Evangelist. The real special thing about it is that this motion picture follows the gospel text precisely, on a word to word basis. Nothing has been added and nothing has been omitted. Another special feature of it is, that theological and history consultants were present during the production, making sure that historical accuracy and theological scholarship were observed. Watching this film immerses you directly into the culture and habits of the time of Jesus as it was – to our best knowledge. The movie is an as close recreation of the Israel Jesus lived in as it is humanly possible. Rated PG-13, it is a great bible film to see with the whole family, provided everybody is at least 13 or at least has the mental age of a 13 year old or above ;-) It is also a great movie to watch with interested friends that normally don't frequent Christian events like church. The aesthetically and literature quality of this bible movie is so high that it will engage even the most critical mind. The movie was filmed using unknown actors and narrators. Using only the two thousand year old words to illustrate the pictures without adding anything makes for a powerful performance, sometimes less is more. No matter if you believe that Jesus was the son of God and resurrected after his crucifixion or not, the power of this story will not leave you untouched.

Suitable for: 13 years + and makes a nice starting point for discussion about the historical Jesus.

This story about Jesus Christ life is different as it was first to be conceived as a TV series, giving space of no less than one hour solely to the nativity story! The whole movie is more than six hours long, so take a seat, a bag of popcorn and a cool drink ;-) Most of the biblical passages are quoted verbatim, making it another bible based, new testament movie that strives for literal faithfulness. Taking its time in order to tell the story, pays out, the story proceeds at its own pace and is rightly considered to be one of the best gospel movies ever made encompasses the events between the betrothal of Mary to Joseph and the resurrection of Jesus. The great faithfulness to historical and cultural details helps the viewer to understand the world as it was in the time of Jesus and to put events into their wider historical context.

Suitable for: The general audience, but babies being ripped out of their mothers' arms and killed by the sword and nails being driven into the hands of Jesus bound to the cross beam, may be too much for young children, so parental guidance is strongly advised with this bible movie. Apart of this it makes a great movie for everybody interested to learn more about Jesus Christ and his world and time, Christians and no-Christians alike.

One of the most controversial bible movies of all times, The Passion of the Christ by Mel Gibson was discussed, before even being released, for violence and anti-Semitism. The film concentrates on showing the last twelve hours of the life of Jesus Christ, starting with the scene in the garden of Gethsemane and ending with his resurrection, leaving the tomb. Previous events are alluded to with the help of flashbacks. One thing that distinguishes this film from all other bible movies reviewed here is that it is entirely in Aramaic, Hebrew and Latin, with subtitles in the modern vernacular to help the understanding.

Suitable for: The original movie was rated R, due to its violent scenes, the dvd release was left unrated, but I would strongly recommend to parents to first watch the movie before thinking of showing it to even teenagers, let alone younger children. One thing is sure, this film certainly will kick start many a discussion, it is up to you to decide if the movie indulges to much in violent scenes or if it was a good idea to show the crucifixion as it has, most likely, happened two thousand years ago. The same for the anti-Semitism the film has been accused of by some. It is up to you the watcher, to make up your mind what the film shows and provokes in you.

The story is based on the figure of Barabbas (which translates to 'son of the father') as mentioned in the four gospels. Whilst the evangelists don't mention anything what happened to him after he is released, this film resources to traditions and legends to weave an engaging tale of what could have happened. The story starts when Pontius Pilate, following an old tradition, releases one of two prisoners, asking the crowd for their opinion, they select Barabbas to be released, instead of Jesus. Here ends the story in the New testament, Barabbas disappears from the biblical records, the film spins the tale further. Barrabas, a known revolutionary, returns to his friends and girlfriend, only to discover that his girlfriend has become a Christian meanwhile. She, Rachel, is shortly later stoned for the crime of teaching the gospel in the streets. Barrabas kills one of her murderers and gets condemned for this to work in the mines of Sicily. Later events, an earthquake included, lead him to rome where he is trained as a gladiator. In the roman catacombs he meets the apostle St. Peter who explains to him the story of Jesus Christ, shortly after Barrabas becomes a Christian and dies on the cross.

Suitable for: Pretty much all age groups, perhaps the very young excluded. Anthony Quinn makes for a rough Barabbas and the story is engaging, if also completely invented.

Another film that is based more on tradition and on creativity than on biblical evidence. An epic film about the events that followed the crucifixion. It is the story of the Roman officer that commanded the unit that crucified Jesus, he is played by no other than Richard Burton and circlers around one question: 'What happened to the Roman soldier who won Jesus' robe through a dice game under the cross?' and what happened to the robe? Marcellus (Richard Burton) is haunted by the events of the crucifixion and becomes more and more mad. Tiberius orders him to go back to Israel and to investigate this new sect called 'Christians'. Here he meets St. Peter and teh Christian that guards the robe. The encounter of the three leads to Marcellus conversion to Christianity and to his becoming a missionary on Peters site and traveling back to Rome. And obviously, in good old Hollywood tradition, there is also a love story intertwined in it.

It is a nice movie, but especially dyed in the wool protestants might have a problem with the miraculous nature of the robe. Suitable for: All ages and everybody that isn't too narrow minded, but enjoys a good movie.

An epic film that won a record of eleven Academy Awards (Oscars). Condemned for a crime he has not committed, the young, Jewish prince Ben Hur is send to the galleys, passing through Nazareth on his way to the ships with other prisoners he is given water by a carpenter called Jesus. Ben Hur arrives at his destiny as a galley slave and starts his sentence. Several years later he manages to escape during a battle and, because of saving an officers life, is granted freedom and adopted by the Roman officer he saved. He becomes a champion charioteer, but decides later to go back to his old home country where he finds both, his mother and his sister leaving in a leper village. Witnessing the crucifixion all three of them convert to Christianity and the women are healed. Famous for its chariot race, the film is well worth seeing and one of the better examples of how fiction and bible have been mixed with a good result. Suitable for: All ages.

Omar Sharif plays St. Peter in this modern adaption of the story of the apostle Peter. Not everything is enacted as the gospels tell the story, but the film keeps the overlaying intention of the story intact. It tells basically St. Peters story to faith and his journeys dedicated to spread the good news. Another apostle that plays quite a role in the movie is St. Paul, especially his conversion on the road to Damascus. The overtone of the film might be just a bit more 'Catholic' then some protestant Puritans might like, but basically stays faithful to the New Testament story line. Is it recommendable? Not if you are looking for an accurate 'study bible movie', but if you like a great movie and a great actor, then this one is for you. Suitable for: Rated as PG-13, that means parental guidance is suggested.

As close to a study bible as any movie can get, the films of the 'Visual Bible' series are all following the same pattern: They take their text word-for-word from the NIV (New International Version) translation of the bible. Their goal is to put the whole bible onto 'celluloid' using only the text of scripture without any additions to tell the story. The Matthew edition has been filmed in North Africa as well as in South Africa, using thousands of actors and extras to breath live into the story. They show the chapter and verse in a corner of the screen, making it easy to follow along with your on bible. They are great movies to use with study groups or even in Sunday school as the pictures give a new, fresh angle to the two thousand years old text and really make the biblical figures come alive. This applies especially to Jesus who is shown as a happy person that loves and jokes with his friends as well as showing pain and suffering.

The book of Acts is as historical correct as the gospel film and pays great attention to the details in order to recreate the world of the first Christians. A very nice touch is using Luke as a narrator to the story. Suitable for: All ages, especially great for study groups. If you plan to show it to children, make sure to revise the scenes beforehand, especially the ones that depict the crucifixion.

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