La genèse

A biblical tale not in the style of a massive Hollywood epic but on a much smaller scale as Jacob, his wives, children, and other assorted hangers-on may actually have lived in the desert a few thousand years ago. All the familiar details of the Genesis story are there, although the 'council' scene, where some of the background is filled in, is a bit confusing. The actors and setting are African (though it is hard to tell exactly what race Esau might belong to -- perhaps to emphasize that he has literally given up his birthright and heritage), but who's to say that Soutiguy Kouyate (Jacob) looks any less like an ancient Hebrew than does Charlton Heston? A refreshingly straight-up adaptation of a biblical story and a fine film.