The 2020-2021 Film Journal Entry #34: "Samson and Delilah (1949)"

2020-2021 Film Journal Entry #34

by Xavier E. Palacios

"Samson and Delilah (1949)"

4 out of 5

Directed by Cecil B. DeMille

Premise: A retelling of the Biblical story of the mighty and foolish Samson (Victor Mature), the ancient Hebrew hero of the Danite Tribe blessed by God with inhuman strength so long as he maintains his one secret vow to the Lord. When a dispute at his engagement banquet devolves into violent destruction, this chosen one turns into a dangerous rebel against the dominating Philistines. Seeking a way to defeat the unstoppable Samson, the Saran of Gaza (George Sanders) finds a solution in Delilah (Hedy Lamar), a fellow Philistine who once loved the hero before he destroyed her family and home in that wedding disaster. Using her great beauty and cunning, Delilah enters into a love affair with Samson to learn the secret of his strength. Yet her quest for vengeance and his yearning for love will bring tragedy and transformation upon them both. Gloriously theatrical, here is a film that proves cinema's unique grandeur.

"No Rating"

My Thoughts

Romeo and Juliet / Samson and Delilah / Baby, you can bet / Their love they didn't deny, as Bruce Springsteen once sang in a live performance of "Fire". I first heard of this film from one of the finest teachers I ever studied under, Dr. Harrison. Second only to another university mentor of mine, Dr. Rogers, (who I know is enormously happy about the Braves' recent success in the MLB World Series), my writing ability is thanks to his tutelage. This literary doctor is a real wizard. He looks very similar to the character, Marley, from the film, Home Alone. Except Dr. Harrison has a rounder head, big glasses, a thicker but smaller white beard, a hunch in his back, and a voice perfect for audio books.

In his classes, he would read aloud so many works like Geoffrey Chaucer, Hedda Gabler, or Joan Didion with an actor's power and a teacher's expertise. In one class, he practically gave a live performance of T.S. Elliot's The Waste Land. I regret doing so, but I forced myself not to act on instinct and applaud him for some socially anxious reason. To be in a class taught by Dr. Harrison was to truly learn about the world. Especially because he would often and suddenly stop instructing us students to share side notes related to our studies from his vast mind.

I cannot remember what he was teaching at the time, but I remember, during one class, he looked up from his textbook resting on his podium, (he always stood and delivered from behind one), and began talking about how the Cecil B. DeMille, one of the architects of cinema, made a late forties film on the Biblical tale of Samson and Delilah. "You'll like it," he told me and the rest of the class. Since then, I have made efforts to experience at least one of this magnificent teacher's artistic recommendations and see this film. My public thanks to Dr. Harrison and all the other teachers who forever changed me for the better.

Samson and Delilah (1949) is a movie's movie, the kind which would be awesome to see on the silver screen even today. Every part of this film is larger-than-life in the best way. The costumes are eye-candy; the set designs are filled with good staging; the big-budget glamour is delectably extravagant; and the acting, because of such a worthy script, is succulent. Sometimes I find an old cinematic piece and must accept some standards of decades-old filmmaking I am not a fan of. These experiences can be poor or just hokey, if entertaining, not unlike more recent flicks. Other times, when I am lucky, I find an old timey film I really connect with and demands I say, "Gosh, now, that's a movie!" Samson and Delilah is such a picture. Unlike the gross, laughable, and hateful little religious flicks produced today, this film is not only a real, handsome production but also creatively intelligent by thematically digging into the technically scant story to find entertaining drama and spiritual depth. This one is a winner.