The Story of Joseph : Full Length Movie

[muman613]

I found this movie on youtube last week... I watched the entire presentation and found it satisfactory from a Jewish {according to my understanding} viewpoint...

This is a long movie... 3+ hours long but it covers just about everything from the story of Genesis {regarding Joseph} including his sale by his brothers into slavery...



What I found incredible is that one of my 'favorite' actors, Martin Landau, plays the part of Yaakov Avinu {Jacob}... Ben Kingsley plays the part of Potiphar {and he played Moses in the movie Moses}.

[muman613]

As with all screen adaptations of Torah stories I find faults in this movie. For the most part it seems authentic to the Torahs narrative concerning the dynamic between the brothers, the favoritism shown towards Joseph and the ensuing jealousy on the part of the brothers, and the inter-personal relations between Potiphar and his wife seems authentic.

The Jewish Midrash contains quite a bit more insight into these scenes, and often the maker of the movies doesn't consult or consider some of these Jewish understandings.

One problem which I can demonstrate as incorrect in this movie is one of the final scenes, where Joseph goes out to greet his father.

Here is a link to this particular scene : http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Yoy1zrndPok#t=10902s

The movie shows Joseph falling to his knees before his father and saying "Father".... But the Torah text doesn't say that, it says that Joseph fell on his fathers neck and wept, while his father {according to the sage Rashi} was saying the Shema...

Genesis 46:29

"Joseph harnessed is chariot and went up to meet his father, to Goshen, and he appeared before him, he fell on his neck, and he wept on his neck for a long time."

RASHI

And he wept on his neck for along time: Rashi: This means 'profuse weeping' …Here, too, he (Joseph) wept a great deal - more than usual. But Jacob did not fall on Joseph's neck nor did he kiss him. Our Rabbi's said that this was because he was saying the 'Shema'.

WHAT IS RASHI SAYING?

The subject of the various pronouns in this verse ("He appeared", "he fell", "he wept" ) are clear. Rashi assumes that Joseph is the subject of these verses, since the beginning of the verse names Joseph as the subject. Joseph harnessed his chariot, Joseph appeared to Jacob (and not vice versa), and Joseph wept on Jacob's neck (and not vice versa). Because it does not say "and they wept" (as it says when Jacob greets Esau, see Genesis 33:4). Also supporting this idea that all this refers to Joseph is the fact that the next verse (46:30) begins with "And Israel said…" implying that until now Joseph, not Israel, was the subject. (The Ramban learns otherwise.)

http://m.chabad.org/m/article_cdo/aid/3222

[muman613]

Oh, and another part which appears to differ from the Torah account is when Jacob is told that Joseph was killed by beasts and shown Josephs multi-colored coat covered in blood...

In the movie @ http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Yoy1zrndPok#t=4875s

The movie shows Jacob mourning by taking dirt and smearing it over his face. This is not a Jewish mourning ritual while rending the garments is considered a Jewish mourning ritual...

http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/281558/jewish/Keriah-The-Rending-of-Garments.htm

The Bible records many instances of rending the clothes after the news of death. When Jacob saw Joseph's coat of many colors drenched with what he thought to be his son's blood, he rent his garments. Likewise, David tore his clothes when he heard of the death of King Saul, and Job, who knew grief so well, stood up and rent his mantle.

The deception has taken place. Joseph has been sold into slavery. His brothers have dipped his coat in blood. They bring it back to their father, saying: “Look what we have found. Do you recognise it? Is this your son’s robe or not?” Jacob recognised it and replied, “It is my son’s robe. A wild beast has devoured him. Joseph has been torn to pieces.” We then read:

Jacob rent his clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourned his son for a long time. His sons and daughters tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. He said, “I will go down to the grave mourning for my son.” (37: 34-35)