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A recurring theme in this film is the ineffectuality of rules and traditions, and the need for individuals to strike out on their own. Eating the forbidden fruit might not literally make Zed a smarter man, but he does become more curious and adventurous afterwards, almost as a placebo effect. And when Zed and Oh arrive in Sodom, where the pagan king (Xander Berkeley) and his high priest (Oliver Platt) are imploring the gods to relieve them from a drought, much is made of the notion that anyone who enters the temple's holy of holies will automatically be struck dead—but this, too, proves to be an easy rule to break.

How bout dem apples

By the time Zed gives a speech telling people that they can make their own destiny, free of religious authority, it is clear that Ramis was trying to put a bit of a message into his film, not unlike the message that came through in Monty Python's Life of Brian. But the Pythons remembered to keep things funny even when they were speechifying, and their humor was, even at its naughtiest, of a wittier and more intelligent variety. Far too often, Year One is content to wallow in smutty humor or in cringe-inducing gross-out scenes for their own sake (people urinating in their own mouths, tasting animal dung while hunting, etc.).

The end result is a movie that "takes us back" in all the wrong ways. Occasionally amusing but not very funny, and far too coarse and stupid to be all that enlightening, Year One has to rank as the most disappointing Bible-themed movie by a major studio in decades.

Talk About It

1. Does seeing a movie like this affect how you read the original Bible stories in any way? Does the movie omit important things? If so, what? Does it highlight any aspects of the Bible that you never thought about before?
   
   
2. When Abraham says God told him to sacrifice Isaac, Isaac replies, "If the Lord told you to jump off a cliff, would you do it?" How would you respond to this? What would you have done in Abraham's place if God had given you a similar command?
   
   
3. Zed tells the people of Sodom that there is no "chosen one," adding: "Maybe we can make our own destiny. Maybe we can all be chosen." Do you agree or disagree? What does it mean to be "chosen"? Is Zed properly acknowledging the one who does the choosing? Why do you think God "chooses" people and nations in the Bible?
   
   
4. Zed and Oh argue at one point over whether God exists. Do you think the film ultimately tips in either side's favor?
   
   

The Family Corner

Year One is rated PG-13 for crude and sexual content throughout (no nudity, but lots of sexually suggestive language and imagery; also scenes of people urinating on themselves and tasting animal feces, etc.), brief strong language (a few four-letter words) and comic violence (Cain beats Abel to death with a rock, soldiers attack a caravan, etc.).

Photos © Columbia Pictures

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