Biblical Epics: Sacred Narrative in the Hollywood Cinema

• Author: Bruce Babington, Peter William Evans
• Year: 1993
• Publisher: Manchester University Press

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This is a major survey and analysis of the relationship between religion and film, and traces the development of this genre in Hollywood. The book examines the impact of religion, ethnicity, sexuality and gender on this complex genre, within the context of American history. The authors raise questions of narrative spectacle, Jewish-Christian relations, authorship, star meanings, the representation of Christ and sexual desire. The authors theorize the Biblical epic in its three main forms: the Old Testament epic; the Christ film; and the Roman-Christian epic. Films analyzed include "David and Bathsheba", "The Last Temptation of Christ", "The King of Kings", "The Greatest Story Ever Told", "Demetrius and the Gladiators", "Samson and Delilah" and "Ben Hur".