Samson and Delilah

Director Cecil B. DeMille puts a spin on the classic Bible story of Samson and Delilah in his 1949 film, Samson and Delilah.

DeMille puts an interesting spin on the story, adding characters not mentioned in Judges 16, where the story is in the Bible.  Samson's mother is in the story for a short time, but she actually has speaking parts in the movie.  The movie also includes a love interest from his hometown, Miriam, who loves him but he does not love her back.  In the movie one gets a feel for daily life in Dan, where Samson is from, and his interactions with others.

What is really interesting is how DeMille portrays Delilah.  In the book of Judges she is portrayed as a temptress, also in the movie, but the movie almost justifies why she would betray Samson to her people, the Philistines. One of the first reasons for Delilah's behavior is the fact that the woman Samson was to marry in the story is Delilah's sister in the movie, and she is jealous of her because she is in love with Samson, as well.

Another reason behind Delilah's behavior is that Samson burned down the place where they lived after the woman he was to marry was given to another man when he solved the riddle that Samson had given him and his soldiers.  This angered Delilah, but she still loved him so. However, she made a deal with the Philistine soldiers that she would find the secret to his strength and they could capture him.

Even though she did find the secret of Samson's strength and had him captured and made to be a slave, she redeemed herself at the end.  She realized that what she did was terrible and that she still loved him, so she led him to the pillars where the statue of the false god of the Philistines was located.  Samson tore down the pillars and the entire arena was destroyed, and the lives of many Philistines were taken.

DeMille portrays Delilah as a temptress, but gives her reason behind it, filling in gaps from the Bible story.  He almost justifies her actions, but has her redeemed in the end, making things right and doing the work that was necessary to do.