• Bible Films Blog

    Looking at film interpretations of the stories in the Bible - past, present and future, as well as preparation for a future work on Straub/Huillet's Moses und Aron and a few bits and pieces on biblical studies.


    Name:
    Matt Page

    Location:
    U.K.












    Thursday, September 06, 2007

    Van Eijk's Samson and Delilah to play at VIFF

    According to Ron Reed the Vancouver International Film Festival will feature Corina van Eijk's Samson and Delilah - a film based on Camille Saint-Saëns's opera. There's nothing about the film on the VIFF site yet, and most of the sites from my Google search are Dutch (as van Eijk is). Babel Fish helps, but there's still not really much to go on.

    However, Ron did manage to find the following blurb on the film:
    Director Corina van Eijk's reworking of the celebrated Saint-Saens' opera is a splendid example of cinema offering the many things that the stage cannot. Ingenious ideas about at every turn, from the sparks of the contemporary setting to the acting of Klara Uleman as the temptress who tricks the strong man into a haircut.
    There's also this from Symphony Space which relates to van Eijk's stage version:
    Hailed by Opera News as "witty, elegant and bold," Nine Circles explores the interplay of words and music blending chamber music and theatre. This unique production, in association with De Muselaer Netherlands, introduces the brash and brilliant Dutch director Corina van Eijk to American audiences in a one-hour reconception of Saint-Saens’ opera for Dutch soprano Klara Uleman singing Delilah and Nine Circles Co-Artistic Director Gil Morgenstern on violin, "singing" Samson.
    Finally, a couple of bits from Babel fished reviews. Firstly, Parool, suggests that the story is set in the Middle East featuring "a white desert, shutted down cars, pivot wire, army uniforms, guns and a stylised version". Secondly the IMDb links to a review by Rob Veerman:
    The opera Samson and Delilah of...Camille Saint Saëns has been based on theOld Testament tale of the fight of the Israelites against the Philistines. The Philistines are the oppressors, but the people of Israel fight back and have an important trump card in the person of Samson. He has God given strength which makes him invincible, until he falls for the charms of verleidelijke (seductive?) but false Delilah. "in war he is relentless, but he is a slave in my poor," she sings triumphantly. If she succeeds in diddling him of his strength, it seems Samson will be irrevocably lost.

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