Hollywood portrayals of the Bible is subject of upcoming Fairfield University lecture | Press Releases

Talk will focus on films by acclaimed directors Cecil B. DeMille and Darren Aronofsky

Adele Reinhartz The Bible’s grand heroes like Moses and David and spectacular events, most notably the Flood to the Exodus, have been brought to the silver screen in remarkable films.

On Wednesday, December 3 at 7:30 p.m., Fairfield University welcomes scholar Adele Reinhartz, Ph.D., who will explore this subject by focusing on two films: the iconic 1956 version of “The Ten Commandments,” and the recent film, “Noah,” starring Russell Crowe. Free and open to the public, the talk, “Whose Heroes? Hollywood Portrayals of the Bible,” will take place in the Dolan School of Business Dining Room. To reserve a seat, call Fairfield University’s Carl and Dorothy Bennett Center for Judaic Studies, at 203-254-4000, ext. 2066.

“In their historical context, these heroes and events took place long before the time of Jesus, and yet in the hands of Hollywood filmmakers, they often turn into Jesus-like figures whose life stories mirror the Gospel accounts in important ways,” said

Dr. Reinhartz, professor of classics and religious studies at the University of Ottawa. “In this talk, I will track this transformation in two films: the iconic 1956 version of “The Ten Commandments,” directed by Cecil B. DeMille and the 2014 film “Noah,” directed by Darren Aronofsky.”

Extensively published, Dr. Reinhartz is the author of numerous articles and books, including “Scripture on the Silver Screen” (Westminster John Knox, 2003); “Jesus of Hollywood” (Oxford, 2007); and “Bible and Cinema: An Introduction” (Routledge, 2013). She is the general editor of the Journal of Biblical Literature.

For directions to campus, and for more information about the Bennett Center for Judaic Studies, visit www.fairfield.edu.

“Whose Heroes? Hollywood Portrayals of the Bible”
Dr. Adele Reinhartz, professor of classics and religious studies at the University of Ottawa, Canada.
Wednesday, December 3, 2014 at 7:30 p.m., Dolan School of Business Dining Room. Complimentary admission.