Sunday, April 11, 2010

Jabotinsky's Samson - Coming to Your Screen Soon

Well, a good film once, hopefully a better film again.

The news, Sergei Bedrov to to direct a film adaptation of Jabotinsky's Samson:

The Book of Judges (13-16) tells us of the heroic life of Samson, one of the most famous characters of the Old Testament. He was a wise judge, a fierce fighter and a brave defender of his people.

Vladimir Ze’ev Zabotinsky in 1927 wrote a brilliant book titled «Samson the Nazarite». In his unique interpretation of the biblical story, he empowers Samson with supernatural strength, yet at the same time he never loses sight of Samson the man. This story rages with the scope and drama of a major cinematic event.

Samson overflows with life. The Philistines are his tribe’s enemies, but they are also his closest friends. Only with them can he be himself, drinking and laughing and entertaining them with his jokes. When his people accuse him of not acting like a judge, Samson answers them: «In my land I live and act as a judge. When I am away from you, I follow my dreams. Do not judge my dreams!» But his dream ends when he falls in love and marries the Philistine beauty Semadar. When his closest friends kill his wife and her family, Samson vows revenge. He burns their fields and towns, killing hundreds, and then flees. The Philistines send their army to capture him. To save his people from war, Samson surrenders. He is rescued by friends, but then betrayed by a woman who loves him. The Philistines blind him, robbing him of his power. The years pass. Blind Samson knows that the Philistines plan to invade his homeland and destroy his people. The day of the great festival to the gods arrives, and Samson takes a horrible revenge.

Samson was the first Superhero in history. His story comes to us from the ancient past, from the land of the Dead Sea. Yet a Superhero never dies. He will live again in this movie.

Genre: Action, epic, drama.
Screenplay: Sergei Bodrov, Carolyn Cavallero
Based on a novel by Ze’ev Zabotinsky
Director: Sergei Bodrov (MONGOL, NOMAD)
Language: English
Casting director: Susie Figgis (PRINCE OF PERSIA, HARRY POTTER)
Production designer: Wolf Kroeger (PRINCE OF PERSIA)
Visual concept: Khamid Savkuev
Locations: Israel, Morocco
Production Co: Bodrov Film Production, Russia, Tengri Production, USA, Kinofabrika, Germany.


Here's Sergei in Jaffa at the event:



And here's Ze'ev Jabotinsky, the author's grandson and great-granddaughter:




Do you understand Russian?

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UPDATE:

The promotional trailer:



3 comments:

DoubleTapper said...

Now that's my kind of movie!

Anonymous said...

Original post and more photographs from the event is here:
http://www.pbase.com/rdavid/20100407

David Rabkin said...

Original post and more photographs from the event is here:
http://www.pbase.com/rdavid/20100407