‘Samson and Delilah’ an Epic Bible Drama

TNT’s fifth movie in a series based on stories from the Old Testament, “Samson and Delilah,” is rife with inherent drama.

The tale of the muscle-bound Samson and his search for God encompasses an array of emotions and dramatic turns. Love, lust, vengefulness, betrayal, tragedy, war and rebellion all come into prominent play here. It’s little wonder that TNT chose to present “Samson and Delilah” as a four-hour epic spread over two evenings.

But while director Nicholas Roeg executes the film’s broader strokes with credible style and verve, he and writer Allan Scott are less adept at illuminating the more elusive inner struggles of their central character.

To be fair, the complex Samson (Eric Thal) does not appear to be an easy figure to flesh out. This is a divinely chosen strongman whom the Israelites expect to lead them in their struggle against their Philistine oppressors. Yet Samson is hesitant and unsure of God’s plan for him. Instead of spearheading an insurrection, he marries a Philistine girl, which leads to tragedy and even more animosity between the two tribes.

What’s missing from the film is a deeper sense of the muddled mind and soul of the flawed Samson. A biblical movie should have a far more meaningful metaphysical and spiritual dimension than “Samson and Delilah,” which seems more intent on keeping the larger plot lines humming along.

Though Delilah’s name appears in the title, she only comes into sharp focus during the film’s second installment. Elizabeth Hurley is fine when she’s playing Delilah as a strictly wicked figure but stumbles when she tries to express regret and ambivalence as her character begins to realize that a part of her truly does love Samson.

At least “Samson and Delilah” does stir one’s interest in discovering--or rediscovering--this Old Testament tale in its original, written form.

* Part 1 of “Samson and Delilah” airs at 5, 7 and 9 p.m. Sunday on TNT, with Part 2 airing at the same times Wednesday.