THE original dialect of the movie is Bambara, so be prepared to read your way through this movie. That isn't even the worst part! I personally have to say that I haven't had such a culture shock since Shaka Zulu (1987) - now that was a movie. This is a bare-bones movie, shot in the African desert with the entire cast being natives of the country.

The movie is based on the story of Jacob, Esau and caught in the middle their cousin Hamor. It begins after Jacob (Sotigui Kouyaté) learns that his son Joseph is dead, and he has his family in mourning over the loss. Only Rebecca his wife is tired of being in mourning and asks her daughter Dinah (Fatoumata Diawara) to wash the bloodied robe that Joseph's brother brought back as proof. Esau and his tribe of hunters are shadowing Jacob, waiting for the right moment to strike.

At the same time Hamor's son kidnaps Dinah and takes her virginity, and falls in love with her, so now he wants to marry her. Jacob and his 12 sons will not allow it unless the two tribes become one. To do that Hamor's tribe must circumcise all the males. When they do, Jacob's 12 sons invade the tribe and kill the entire line of Hamor. For that Dinah goes crazy and Hamor decides, too much blood has been shed, it is time for compromise.

While they converge for peace talks, Esau plans his attack. In the night we see how Jacob fights the angel of the Lord, and how Esau spares his life, and how Jacob's name is changed to Israel. The story is very factual and seems to follow details of the Bible closely. At the end, there is even a reference as to where the story can be found.

There is no casual conversation; it really takes some getting used to, to watch the movie. The dialect is different even in English subtitles, and there has to be some understanding of ancient biblical customs to appreciate some of the details of the story. The setting of the story is raw and very basic, the sun, the dry land, and a few straw hats. It probably is the truest form of the Bible on screen, considering that that is probably where the actual story took place. The setting is bleak, and you can see there is not much for the movie to rely on but the competence of the actors. The photography is great though. The quality is first class, as is the flow of the film. There are even flashbacks to tie the story together, but the movie is so crude, that it really is a handful to swallow.

However, if you are in for some enlightenment and some appreciation of the history in the Bible, especially being the founding father of the nation of Israel, then this movie is a great learning experience, despite the culture shock and all.

The actors are actually established actors, and even the actor who plays Esau is a recording artiste. So maybe it is worthwhile to venture outside the realm of fast cars, special effects, and cool one-liners.

Interesting...chalk it up to a learning experience.

The fear factor

Feeding the multitude

DANGEROUS PETS