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The name "Delilah" is of Hebrew and Arabic origins. Traditionally, it means "delicate", but it is also said to mean "languishing, lovelorn, or seductive". Assuming you're familiar with the Biblical story, the latter seems more appropriate to the main female character, a woman determined to get back at the target of his unrequited love.
Samson and Delilah follows the two titular characters as they develop a troubled and fractured relationship. Samson (Victor Mature), a Hebrew struggling between the enslavement of his people and his commitment to a Philistine woman, ends up a fugitive when he's seduced by Delilah (Hedy Lamarr), who's resolved to avenge her scorn.
Most people will probably know the story, so it's up to Mr. DeMille to fill the screen with his accustomed spectacle, and I'm happy to say that he delivers in that aspect. The production values, set design, and special effects on this film are top-notch. There is a particular seamlessness to how the fights and the action setpieces occur that is impressive for the time.
The performances "suffer" from the usual hamminess and exaggeration of the times and the genre, but it works for the most part. Lamarr and Mature are not excellent thespians, but they're dependable. I think the best performances came from the "bad guys", played by George Sanders and Henry Wilcoxon, both of which neatly balance the scenery-chewing and mischievousness of their roles with a bit more skill.
For the most part, the film has a nice pace. However, it hits a bit of a rough patch between the second and third act, which is when Samson and Delilah's relationship "flourishes". But as soon as things pick up, it's for the best, and the ending is visually magnificent.
Grade:
SAMSON AND DELILAH
(1949, DeMille)
A film from Cecil B. DeMille
-- recommended by Caroline (from Defining Disney) --
(1949, DeMille)
A film from Cecil B. DeMille
-- recommended by Caroline (from Defining Disney) --
"Your arms were quicksand. Your kiss was death. The name Delilah will be an everlasting curse on the lips of men."
The name "Delilah" is of Hebrew and Arabic origins. Traditionally, it means "delicate", but it is also said to mean "languishing, lovelorn, or seductive". Assuming you're familiar with the Biblical story, the latter seems more appropriate to the main female character, a woman determined to get back at the target of his unrequited love.
Samson and Delilah follows the two titular characters as they develop a troubled and fractured relationship. Samson (Victor Mature), a Hebrew struggling between the enslavement of his people and his commitment to a Philistine woman, ends up a fugitive when he's seduced by Delilah (Hedy Lamarr), who's resolved to avenge her scorn.
Most people will probably know the story, so it's up to Mr. DeMille to fill the screen with his accustomed spectacle, and I'm happy to say that he delivers in that aspect. The production values, set design, and special effects on this film are top-notch. There is a particular seamlessness to how the fights and the action setpieces occur that is impressive for the time.
The performances "suffer" from the usual hamminess and exaggeration of the times and the genre, but it works for the most part. Lamarr and Mature are not excellent thespians, but they're dependable. I think the best performances came from the "bad guys", played by George Sanders and Henry Wilcoxon, both of which neatly balance the scenery-chewing and mischievousness of their roles with a bit more skill.
For the most part, the film has a nice pace. However, it hits a bit of a rough patch between the second and third act, which is when Samson and Delilah's relationship "flourishes". But as soon as things pick up, it's for the best, and the ending is visually magnificent.
Grade: