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They’re Not Just Bad, They’re Stupid and
Ugly, Too
The Depiction of Baal-Worshipers
in Nest Entertainment's Animated Stories from the
Bible
The adaptation of any written work
for the screen inevitably involves a variety of semiotic
transformations. Nest Entertainment's Animated Stories
from the Bible is no exception. In particular,
the transition from a strictly verbal medium to a visually
rich medium results in an additional "layer"
of depiction. Nest's Elijah installment in
the Animated Stories from the Bible series
provides an interesting test case. In the video, the
prophets of Baal are visually "otherized"
using visual cues that can be expected to be "decoded"
negatively by Nest's predominantly conservative Jewish
and Christian audience. These transformations have the
effect (among others) of implying a starker conceptual
difference between Baalism and Yahwism than is evident
from the biblical and ancient Near Eastern source material.
The video's script also calls for the Baal worshipers
to behave as buffoons. On the other hand, Elijah is
visual characterized as a commanding presence, physically
powerful and professionally competent. A(n unforseen)
consequence of these depictions is that Elijah's status
as an "underdog" in 1 Kings is lost. Instead,
the video never leaves any doubt that Elijah will emerge
victorious — even if he has to beat up his opponents
to come out on top.
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