It's complicated... I really like the directing, acting and writing but, there are issues with the way it's shot that I just can't deny. As much as I love the storytelling and the fantastic performance but, there are also certain scenes that didn't need to exist.

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

I guess, in this case - Only Samson's hairdresser would know for sure - Eh? (giggle. giggle)And, speaking about Samson's hair - Since all of his super-strength was generated from his locks - Then - Why do you suppose he didn't grow his hair all the way down to his knees? Eh? Why?And, speaking further about Samson (and not his hair) - For a man who was apparently a righteously devoted follower of his god (a god who looked upon him favourably) - He sure didn't conceal his intense carnal lust for all the babes.Yeah. This guy was definitely thinking with his "other" head most of the time. That's for sure.It really killed me that even though all of Samson's motives were totally self-serving - When he was required to prove his strength - All he had to do was call on this often-neglected god of his and (Presto!) he was promptly granted super muscle-power like no other man on Earth.And, finally - When it came to actor, Victor Mature playing the Samson part - This barely fit dude was so pathetically miscast for his role that it was total blasphemy in my opinion.

"Samson and Delilah", the precursor of producer-director Cecil B. DeMille's tour de force, "The Ten Commandments", is truly a beautiful, entertaining, and impeccable film; it reenacts a famous biblical story of love, hate, betrayal, remorse, faith, vengeance, and self-sacrifice: the story of Samson and Delilah. Victor Mature's characterization of Samson is superb; he adds human quality and depth to the challenging role. Hedy Lamarr is exquisite and absolutely convincing as Delilah since she has Minoan-like looks (fair skin, dark wavy hair, fine features, and a slim figure) and first-rate acting expertise. George Sanders also crafts a fine performance as the sophisticated, easygoing Saran. A young Angela Lansbury gives a gracefully splendid performance as Delilah's older sister, Semadar. Henry Wilcoxon, Olive Deering, Fay Holden, Julia Faye, Russ Tamblyn, William Farnum, Laura Elliot (actress Kasey Rogers in a minor role), and countless others are also remarkably good in supporting roles.Victor Young's score is one of the best film scores (along with Elmer Bernstein's for "The Ten Commandments") in the entire history of motion pictures. It's engrossing, vivid, and descriptive of the film's characters, themes, and emotions. The Academy Award-winning art direction, set decoration, and costumes also add special value to this film. DeMille's sensational directing style, which always perfects the beneficial cinematic elements of action, romance, disaster, and religion, is prominently and effectively displayed in this film.Cecil B. DeMille was, undoubtedly, the master of the biblical epic.

This DVD version of Cecil B. DeMille's 1949 Biblical box-office hit "Samson and Delilah" ("S & D") is an excellent high-grade update featuring sharp, crisp visuals and better sound quality than the video version. These technical improvements help to enhance the already famous story of the Biblical strongman who fell victim to the deceptive femme fatale Delilah.I must admit that, even before the release of this excellent DVD version, I was already a big fan of this film and of DeMille's films in general. In fact, "S & D" is my second favorite film of all-time, right after DeMille's 1956 super spectacular "The Ten Commandments."Now for specifics. First of all, the improvement of colors is incredible. Even if you already own the VHS video tape of "S & D" (as I do), you should consider upgrading to this DVD. As the DVD box claims, the film has been "meticulously restored." The rich, deep colors of this DVD version almost burst off your TV screen in clean, sharp, crisp hues that must be very close to those which theater audiences first saw in 1949 when the film was released. In addition to improved colors, other visual improvements include a much "cleaner" image with no blotches or stray marks. This means that Edith Head's Oscar-winning costumes and the Oscar-winning art direction can look more beautiful than ever.The sound quality has also been improved quite a bit. Victor Young's exquisitely lovely musical score can be enjoyed throughout the film, and many lines of background dialogue that were muffled or lost before can now be heard much more clearly. And improved sound is an added benefit of this film, because "S & D" features an intelligent, articulate, easy-on-the-ear script filled with poetic and literary value. Many of the lines are taken directly from the Biblical account found in the book of Judges, chapters 13 to 16.Although this DVD version is not a Blu-ray version, it is nevertheless a great improvement over the VHS video tape version. In fact, if you have a Blu-ray player, you could do as I did and play this "regular" DVD film in your Blu-ray player and enjoy a slight boost in image clarity sharpness, making it very "close" to a Blu-ray film.And here's one final advantage of the "S & D" DVD: it does offer scene selection, so if you want to thrill again and again to any of the big action scenes of this film (and there are many!), you can just press a button and go instantly and directly to one of those spectacular scenes.So, my rating is 10 out of 10 for this DVD treatment of DeMille's great "Samson and Delilah." It will hold us very nicely until Paramount or some other studio makes a true Blu-ray version of it containing running commentary and documentaries. And let's hope that comes along very soon!

First seen in 1949 when I was still a kid, and again on DVD last night, deMille's "Samson and Delilah" has actually improved with age. Although this was a standout success in 1949, the fact is that quality movies were commonplace in 1949; seldom and few in 2010. (Resident Evil 3D" does nothing for me, thanks.With perfect photography, an exceptional script, inspired direction, you can add onto that the casting of Victor Mature, Hedy Lamarr, George Saunders -- each perfect for the part, each giving the performance that marked their career.The special effects were magnificent (unlike today's boring computer generated foolishness) and give a spectacular conclusion to the story.Try to imagine the unholy mess that today's anti-religious and talent-free empty-heads would make. Never mind.As others pointed out, this is the kind of picture to see on the giant screen. I'd like to add that it's the kind to enjoy in the magnificent movie palaces of yesteryear -- as we did at Loew's Capitol in Washington, DC in 1949 (plus a stage show). Most of these, like the Phillistine temple in the movie, have been converted to rubble and dust. However, you can enjoy "Samson and Delilah" on exceptionally high quality DVD made in South Korea. Look for it. The price and postage are low and shipment is quick. If Paramount Pictures is asleep-at-the-wheel about issuing a DVD, just look elsewhere.