MovieChat Forums > The Bible in the Beginning... (1966) Discussion > Suitable for children?

Suitable for children?

posted 19 years ago by Grand
26 replies | jump to latest

Does this have an "R" rating?

I'm really worried about whether or not this safe for children to see. Does this have a father impregnating both his daughters? Does it have a brother forcibly raping his sister? Does it have two stories about women being gang raped and murdered? Does it have a song in which Jews sing about the happiness of the person who smashes out the brains of Iraqi babies? I know those are all Bible stories, and I certainly wouldn't want my children seeing any pornography.

"In a democracy, the midnight knock on the door can be friendly." -- Gerardo Escobar

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] Kingum2341 19 years ago

The story of Lot ends right after he escapes so there is nothing to worry about there. There is no incest between a sister and brother. No raping. There is not really any blatant sexuality at all in it except in Soddom there looks like there might be some revalry going on. A faraway shot of Adam and Eve lying together. Also Abraham and Sarah kiss passionately but still fully clothed. Adam and Eve are shown naked in a few scenes but it's most of the time faraway.
No song about cruelty to babies. Main violence is an attack on an enemy camp where Abraham whacks a couple of guys. I think a child of 10 could see this film. Heck, I watched it when I was 9 and wasn't to scared or confused. I wasn't even frightened by Abraham about to kill his son. Anyway a good film.

[–] wck19832004 18 years ago

I don't remember reading in the Bible anything about a song about a person smashing out the brains of Iraqi babies. Iraq wasn't even a country when the Bible was written.

[–] Paul_Jay 18 years ago

Interesting commentary. Perhaps that's why people are told what the Old Testament says and how to interpret it rather than being encouraged to study and understand it on their own.

After all, they might find in it an entirely different meaning than the ones handed down the Christian, Jews and Moslems.

[–] homie2pat 18 years ago

I like Paul_Jay's. The movie actually moved me to tears at particular points. Much of it seems a testament to Huston's encounters with the Hebrew Bible; this movie felt less like the very common/available veneration of "obedience" among Christians than it did a work of humanism.

Many of my friends balk at the thought that the film offers anything more than stark retelling (ie boring). I contest that Huston kept it stark on purpose. Notice the weight he puts on portions of the narrative which are not typically in focus; for example, our absolutely wrenching journey with Scott as Abraham through Moriah. The simplicity of the movie, its lack of flair, throws into focus the humanity of all the characters. Huston takes us down the less-traveled road and puts us next to them while a booming voice (Huston's!) damns a boy to never best his brother, or a father to make his son medium-rare. I've seen this movie a mere few times and repeatedly find a profound and, I would deem, accurately bleak take on the Biblical God. My viewpoint of his retellings in film is obviously of a minority, but I feel it congruent with Huston's own intentions.

[–] Bingedrinker 18 years ago

H E L L O ?!?!?

I knwo some stories are hard to understand! And I am even a Christian. Yet some of those 'stories' you're referring to are strange!! Which are they?
I already know the story of Lot; the story of the two daughters empregnated.

Brother raping his sister???
Gang rape???
Happiness in smashing in the brains of Iraqi babies???

Nonsense by my measures.

AND >> all Bible stories are (IF true and exact) suitable for children.

You're the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world - TYLER DURDEN

[–] wck19832004 18 years ago

Actually, there is a story in the Bible about a brother raping his half-sister. It is in 2 Samuel 13:1-19. It involves David's son Amnon and David's daughter Tamar.

[–] Bingedrinker 18 years ago

RIGHT

Now enlighten me about this gangrape thing and the Iraqi babies.

pretty please?

__RAY__

You're the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world - TYLER DURDEN

[–] cos-9 18 years ago

TeaserRay,

Judges 19 and Psalm 137.
What was Babylon is now located within the borders of modern-day Iraq.
And it's absurd to say that all Bible stories are suitable for children. I think that it's important that everyone read the entire Bible, but at the apporpriate time. Do you want to tell a small child about what happened in Sodom that night, and then what happened with Lot and his daughters after? Do you want them to see a screen dramatization of Judges 19?

[–] kurgan-10 17 years ago

It's also worth pointing out that even if the featured stories in the Bible are 100% true, that doesn't mean they are necessarily suitable for children of all ages. And even still, this is an artistic representation of select of those stories. So it really all matters on what you think after seeing them.

But that's up to the parent to decide. Traditional fairytales are fairly gruesome, and some parents have a problem with the kids hearing that before a certain age, while other's don't care. When I was in grade school (3rd-5th grade) a lot of the kids watched a lot of R-rated "slasher" movies (liked to brag too), but my parents wouldn't let us (though I did see the gruesome remake of "The Fly" at the theater with my dad, uncle, and same age cousin... yikes).

So watch it first and see what you think. That's the safest bet.

http://www.historyvsthedavincicode.com
History vs. the Da Vinci Code

[–] slinter 15 years ago

Just because a thing is mentioned in the Bible does not mean we are invited to act accordingly. Yes, one of David's sons raped a sister, but he recieved his just desserts for it. The events in Judges 19 really suck, but they are merely telling us what happened, NOT eliciting the same actions from us. From these stories, we can often learn what we should NOT do.

[–] raythorne2005 9 years ago

I think I will go kill Muslims. If God killed his enemies, that sets a good example for us to do!

It could be God, the Devil, Buddha, an Alien...or it could be a kid playing a video game. - onn1320

[–] slinter 18 years ago

Ummm...rent it, watch it, then decide.

[–] thecalhouns 17 years ago

to the OP

har har.....very funny mr satirist

R.O.D the tv...nuff said

[–] PostmortemG 17 years ago

"When I was in grade school (3rd-5th grade) a lot of the kids watched a lot of R-rated "slasher" movies (liked to brag too), but my parents wouldn't let us (though I did see the gruesome remake of "The Fly" at the theater with my dad, uncle, and same age cousin... yikes)."

I was born in '80, so when i was attending grade school i dealt with the same thing. My parents would only let me watch old movies [ I saw The Bible during this time ], and as a kid i wasn't happy about it, but now I'm very grateful because the Hollywood classics are such superior films. I'm a raving fan of Italian horror/exploitation films [ Which should *NEVER* be viewed by children, by the way ], but i can't stand U.$.A. 'horror' films at all, because for the most part they're terribly made... the classics stand out [ The Exorcist, Rosemary's Baby, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde '41, the Universal monster movies, etc. ], but the rest for me [ Especially the '80s slasher explosion ] is utter garbage.

My point is that now i feel I'm at an advantage when it comes to film, being an aspiring film-maker myself... if there's anything to be inspired by, it's the classics. I'm grateful to have seen so many of them when i was young; though i didn't appreciate it at the time, I'm gradually revisiting all those old movies, and I'm discovering that most of them are absolutely incredible works of art.

"Cain and Abel will go to Heaven... if they can make it through Hell!" -Los Hijos Del Topo

[–] gaby01575 16 years ago

Yeah, the tone of the original post itself was hilarious. Can't believe so many fell for it.

[–] winterview 16 years ago

The OP did not mention the Levites Concubine either . . .

[–] 16 years ago

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[–] 16 years ago

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