This movie can be graded differently. If you are looking for a movie that stays true to the content of the bible, this movie is very subpar. They rewrite many scenes of the bible. I understand maybe adding scenes (like filler scenes) but to take parts from the bible and then re-write them can be upsetting. If you are looking for a movie that somewhat tells the story as a whole of sampson, then i can see giving it 5 or 6 stars. I unfortunately saw the 1949 version and because of such, I couldn't help but compare these two, and it made this movie look like a kids play. Three boring hours this movie was. Two of the three hours was pure talk.

Samson and Delilah is a German/Italian/American TV movie that tells the story of a man chosen by God among the Israelites to destroy the Philistines.It stars Eric Thal and Elizabeth Hurley as Samson and Delilah respectively together with Dennis Hopper as the Philistine leader General Tariq.This 3-hour telemovie based on the three chapters of the Book Of Judges from Chapters 13 to 16 was narrated by Max Von Sydow.The telefilm starts with the story of Mara and Manoah,an upright Israelite coup who were blessed by God with a child after many years of prayer to the Lord.The were given a son and they called him Samson.He grows up as a shepherd but he possessed an unusual strength who could battle and kill the Philistines on his own.Then,he falls in love with a lovely Philistine woman named Delilah,who ultimately betrayed him.The film ended when Samson became a slave of the Philistines and was given by God an opportunity to redeem himself when he regained his strength and managed kill many Philistines which is more than he ever killed during his lifetime including Delilah.This led to the liberation of the Israelites.The TV movie maybe three hours but it was definitely a good film about Samson and Delilah for multiple reasons.First,the acting was brilliant.Thal was commendable as Samson while Hurley was gorgeous and luscious as the courtesan Delilah.Their romance that consists of love,seduction,deception and betrayal was definitely interesting.The themes of faith in God was also looked upon especially on the parents of Samson who managed to have their prayers answered after years of difficulty of having a child.Other themes such as arrogance;the burden of having an unusual gift;being of service to God;learning humility and being forgiven by God will be learned from the character and life experiences of Samson.Despite the fact the writers added many things to the story of Samson like the addition of Naomi,it still provides us a great story about one of the great judges or heroes from the Bible.

When I first saw this Made For TV version of Samson and Delilah, I enjoyed it's background and also some of the details Nicholas Roeg decided to include. I liked the way it followed the other Bible Series that Lorenzo Minoli and RAI-It produced in the late 1990's. Eric Thals' Samson was really impact-full and stellar even though my hat goes off to Victor Mature's effort in Demille's 1949 film. What really was outstanding was in the temple scene Samson yells "At last, o God of Israel!" when he destroys his enemies plus himself due to being blind. Elizabeth Hurley's Delilah was not that bad even though perhaps Jessica Alba would have done a glamorous job. Too bad that she wasn't offered the role.Anyone who enjoyed this film may want to watch the 1984 TV version with Anthony Hamilton,Belinda Bauer, and Max Von Sydow.

Although their story in the Old Testament only spans three chapters in the Book of Judges, the popular tale of Samson and Delilah is stretched out into a three hour entry mini series here. All the characters (many not mentioned by name in the scriptures) are elaborated upon, as is the situation between the Israelites and the Philistines. The Gaza court is well (if a bit predictably) portrayed: Michael Gambon as wise King Hanun is constantly bickering with his hotheaded (and red bearded) son Sidqa (Ben Becker). Well cast Liz Hurley plays the part of Delilah both slutty and posh as the king's niece, while top billed Dennis Hopper portrays the smart and sarcastic General Tariq. Hopper gets some of the best lines, but fails to give them that George Sanders delivery and is the only one looking out of place in these settings and costumes.Delilah only really figures in the last part of Samson's story, but there are enough scenes featuring her and the Philistines to justify her name in the title. Actually, the two main characters almost meet in part one, where she turns out to be the main reason why Samson fought that animatronic lion from Jim Henson's Creature Shop. In the title role, Eric Thal is a virtual babe magnet himself, rescuing the outspoken Naomi (Jale Arikan) before choosing a Philistine bride (Deborah Caprioglio) to the dismay of his parents (reliable Diana Rigg and Paul Freeman). Screenwriter Alan Scott put great emphasis on Samson's search for a purpose in life, making him comes across a very modern (i. e. constantly worried) hero.One point repeatedly made in the Book of Judges is the lawless nature of this time period (between 1200 - 1000 b.c.). This is addressed in a new sub plot concerning the brothers Jehiel and Amram. They betray Samson in order to become rulers themselves, leading to the familiar scene involving the jawbone of an ass. Most of these action sequences are filmed with skewed angles, making Samson look even more like a comic book superhero. To this effect they could not show him mishandling 300 foxes to burn down enemy crops (as it was written). Unfortunately the chapter about tearing the town gates from their hinges is more implied than shown, but this does lead to an interesting bit of foreshadowing for Dennis Hopper's character in the temple. Director Nic Roeg makes effective use of flashbacks during two crucial scenes, adding greater meaning to both of them. First the love scene between Samson and Delilah is interwoven with scenes from the lion fight and secondly Samson relives his ultimate betrayal when forced to 'witness' the defeat of the Israelite army. The latter scene also resolves the plot strand concerning Jehiel and Amram in a satisfactory way and indeed every character arc is neatly resolved before the end. Shame about all those bouncing foam pillars during the climax though.8 out of 10