Isaac's son Jacob deprives his brother Esau of his birthright and has to flee for his life. He finds shelter with his uncle Laban, but is himself deceived. Finally, Jacob has to face both his uncle and brother.
Acting
Matthew Modine's wounded schemer meets Sean Bean's magnificent hair and rage.
Production
Peter Hall's theatrical staging makes tents feel like Shakespearean sets.

Director
Peter Hall
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Peter Hall founded the Royal Shakespeare Company, and it shows in how he stages Jacob's ladder vision like a theatrical set piece.
This 1994 TNT Bible Collection entry was part of a wave of 'prestige' biblical adaptations that tried to compete with Scorsese's Last Temptation—less controversy, more beige desert.