Samson and Delilah (film)

Camille Saint-Saëns/Ferdinand Lemaire

Following the success of the opera film Rigoletto, Opera Spanga is dedicating 2006 to the filming of Samson et Dalila. The film premiered in 2007 in Spanga.

This opera, which is teeming with love and hate, is set in war-torn buildings, in the wrecks of cars and on barren plains.

With this opera film it is Opera Spanga's intention to produce a humanized war drama which indicates that the horrors of war often have personal injuries at their root. Yet again, the great war for God and Country results from a personal injury which furiously spills over into public life.

Short Synopsis

Samson, who has led his people to victory time and time again and seems to be imbued with inexhaustible strength, is seduced by a beautiful woman from the enemy camp, Delilah. All attempts to banish this woman from his life are doomed to failure. She conquers him with her irresistible charm and in the heat of passionate lovemaking she wrests his secret from him. His strength vanishes and he becomes the impotent plaything of his enemy. His beloved Delilah takes advantage of every opportunity to humiliate him publicly in front of her whole people, to the greater glory of herself. God, however, who has not forgotten Samson, restores his strength one final time. Mustering his last ounce of strength, Samson succeeds in casting himself and the enemy into oblivion.

The première took place 25 Juli 2007 in Spanga.

Press

´This Samson is as exciting as a movie and as compelling as an opera´

HP/De Tijd

´Excellent acting and singing and it all looks like a killer-movie.'

De Volkskrant

'......and the hand of director Corina van Eijk is clearly present in small and larger details. There's great singing - especially the leadroles Klara Uleman and Charles Alvarez da Cruz - and the Polish orchestra is performing well.'

Dagblad van het Noorden

'After 'Rigoletto' Corina van Eijk again delivers a state-of-the-art operafilm.'

Leeuwarder Courant

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