Trivia of the Week: Biblical Films

With the celebration of Easter and the damnation of Darren Aronofsky's Noah in Malaysia, let's look at some itty-bitty things about biblical films. Throughout movie history, biblical epics were frequently at the center of attention, attracting both praises and critics, acclaims and controversies from fanatic alike. Here's some interesting trivia you might never knew about biblical epics:

(1) The most frequently filmed story from The Good Book is undoubtedly the story of Jesus, with different movies focusing on different stages of his life. I suspect you might already expect this as well: the second most frequently filmed Bible story is Moses and the ten commandments.

(2) According to Box Office Mojo, the five most successful biblical films in terms of box office (adjusted for inflation) are The Ten Commandments (1956), Ben-Hur (1959), The Robe (1953), The Passion of the Christ (2004), The Prince of Egypt (1998). 1950s obviously was the golden era of biblical films.

(3) Malaysia did not ban The Passion of the Christ (2004) as is commonly believed. The Malaysian government allowed Christians to the film. Tickets were allowed to be sold only by Christian churches. However, The Prince of Egypt (1998) was indeed banned in Malaysia.

(4) Christian Bale and Michael Fassbender were offered the role of Noah in Darren Aronofsky's Noah (2014), but they declined due to scheduling conflicts. Christian Bale will appear as Moses later this year in Exodus: Gods and Kings.

(5) The Nativity Story (2006) was the first feature film ever to premiere at the Vatican. Prior to that, the only Hollywood film to make the Vatican approved film list in the category of religion is Ben-Hur (1959).

(6) Val Kilmer playes Moses twice: The Prince of Egypt (1998) and The Ten Commandments: The Musical (2006).

(7) Sir Ben Kingsley appeared in / narrated 5 bible movies: Joseph in Egypt (1995), Moses (1995), Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014), The Ten Commandments (2007) and Noah (2012). That gotta be a record or something, right?

(8) Cecil B. DeMille first made The Ten Commandments in 1923, and remade it 33 years later in 1956. He also directed another biblical film in 1949, Samson and Delilah.

(9) In The Prince of Egypt (1998), some changes were made to the story to make it work as an animated feature. Here are some differences between the movie and the Biblical account of the Exodus.

• Moses was "adopted" by Pharaoh's daughter, not his wife.
• Moses murdered the Egyptian slave master and even tried to hide his body. He did not kill him by accident.
• Aaron supported Moses from the beginning and even helped perform some of the miracles of God. Aaron did not doubt Moses.
• It was Aaron who turned his staff into a snake and turned the water of the Nile to blood, not Moses.

(10) Throughout Academy Award's history, a total of 17 biblical films received a total of 65 nominations, and eventually won 17. Out of the 17 wins, 11 were by Ben-Hur (1959) alone.