Nominated for five Emmy Awards--and taking home the coveted award for "Best Miniseries" - Joseph is a richly woven tale of human resilience, integrity, hard work and belief in God. The film begins with Joseph, favored son of Jacob, being sold as a slave to Potiphar, the Pharaoh of Egypt's chief steward (brilliantly portrayed by Ben Kingsley in his Emmy-nominated performance) after having been betrayed by his jealous older brothers. Joseph proves himself an able "slave" and gains the trust of his master, gradually assuming more and more responsibility in the Pharaoh's household. All this progress is brought to an abrupt halt by the trickery of Potophar's Wife, who accuses him of rape after Joseph rebuffs her advances. Imprisoned and fighting for his life, Joseph retells his life story to Potiphar in flashback, who privately believes in Joseph's innocence but must publicly vindicate his wife's honor. However, it is while Joseph is in prison--where he develops a reputation for deciphering dreams--that he unknowingly lays the foundation for his eventual rise to the pinnacle of power.
Directed by
Roger Young
Written by
James Carrington (earlier teleplay); Lionel Chetwynd (teleplay).
Starring
Ben Kingsley (Potiphar); Paul Mercurio (Joseph); Martin Landau (Jacob); Lesley Ann Warren (Potiphar's Wife); Alice Krige (Rachel); Dominique Sanda (Leah); Warren Clarke (Ednan); Monica Bellucci (Pharaoh's Wife); Stefano Dionisi (Pharaoh); Valeria Cavalli (Asenath); Kelly Miller (Tamar); Gloria Carlin (Bilah); Michael Angelis (Reuben); Vincenzo Nicoli (Simeon); Colin Bruce (Levi). Please contact SFC to add other cast members and characters.
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Good production but below-par acting keeps it from my Top-100
Mark Banks (United Kingdom)
Opinion: Recommended
Productions like this make me both happy and sad; happy because the story proves strong enough that it can be made into an entertaining feature-length production, but sad because the acting (excluding that of the commendable Ben Kingsley) just doesn't come up to scratch, and so I'm left a little disappointed by what is greatly-unfulfilled potential. One or two other things were also amiss in this production; first the make-up was too glossy, in particular the producers could have at least made sure not all of the actors had gleaming white polished teeth - unlikely in the time I think! And also I felt the scene in which Potiphar's wife seduces Jacob went a little too far, and thus for me excludes the production from recommended family viewing - certainly for those with young children anyway. Again, great potential missed and a shame to miss an audience that could so greatly have benefited from it. All in all though, for those above the age of about 14 this dramatisation does bring to life a key story in the Old Testament - a story that foreshadows the life of Jesus Himself; and for that reason I still do recommend it overall.
