Exodus Movie: Promised Land or Golden Bull?

Crisis Magazinei ^ | December 12, 2014 | K. V. TURLEY

[Biggirl]

Well LIfetime did just that this week when I was able to see the miniseries, which was BOTH based on the Bible and this best selling book, “ The Red Tent “ about Jacob’s only daugther whom in the latter becomes a midwife.

[Biggirl]

Forgot to add, Jacob’s daugther Dinah.

[Biggirl]

Plus if my memory is correct, Cecile B. DeMill did TWO movies of “ The Ten Commandments “, one in the days of the silent films and the much more famous one with Charlston Heston in the mid-50’s. I think and I could be wrong, the second one was his last film because in old pictures he was old himself.

[Biggirl]

Plus also there was a special about the women of the Bible, which I liked, on Lifetime as well.

[IronJack]

Was it any good? I used to call Lifetime the M.A.P. channel, for Men Are Pigs. Seemed like all they aired was androphobic claptrap and male-bashing drivel.

[NYer]

Maybe the solution is to forget the sweeping “epics” and just tell those intimate tales that are epic in their reach if not in their spectacle. The tale of Daniel, for example. Or Job. Or Ruth and Naomi. Or Saul of Tarsus. Or any of the countless martyrs and great thinkers of early Christendom: Acquinas, St. Jerome, Augustine ... Their stories are compelling and uplifting without necessarily being spectacles.

Any and all of the above are candidates for a film that would draw a large audience. IronJack mentioned the huge success of The Passion, a film made in Aramaic, Hebrew and Latin ... without one word in English or any other living language. The entire film centered around the last 12 hours of Christ's life, because that is the pinnacle of Christ's sacrifice. No special effects! No 3D!

Stunning cinematography and consistently brilliant acting, combined with the director's profound spiritual insight into the theological meaning of the passion and death of Christ -- all contributed to a production of exquisite artistic and religious sensitivity. What separates Mel Gibson's The Passion from the current biblical epics? Jim Caviezel and Mel Gibson understood that Jesus is the incarnate divine Son of God, who is nonetheless fully human.

Caviezel conveyed, entirely convincingly and effectively, that Christ is enduring his passion and death willingly, in obedience to his Father, in order to satisfy for the disobedience of sin. We are witnessing what the Church would come to call Christ's "voluntary suffering." Recall the words of St. Paul: "Just as through one man's disobedience all became sinners, so through one man's obedience, all shall become just" [see Romans 5:19].

Essentially, the making of The Passion was a "passion" for Gibson and those involved in its production. It came from the heart, out of love for our Lord. It was intended to move hearts. Without that same passion, it's doubtful any other Hollywood biblical film can rival the success of The Passion.

[Biggirl]

It was very good. I do not on a regular basis go to that channel, but since it was playing on there and I do have the book, I was happy they were able to present it.

[Jeff Chandler]

I’ll see it and take it with a grain of salt.

Bring Lot's wife.

[Jeff Chandler]

I’d go see it if I knew for sure James Coburn would show up on the Red Sea in a paddle boat.

[IronJack]

It was almost laughable that the Establishment critics panned "Passion" as a "gore-fest" and a "snuff film with religious overtones." THAT demonstrates how far they missed the heart of the story, the inhuman agonies Christ suffered -- WILLINGLY! (this was the Son of God, remember) -- for the sake of His unworthy children.

Absent that moral dimension, then yes, it was a snuff film and a blood-fest. But that's not the fault of the film or the filmmaker, but of the soulless, godless, self-impressed, self-absorbed viewer, who cannot (or will not) comprehend that anyone would gladly suffer such disgrace and humiliation for another.

[LadyDoc]

The irony is that Hollywood hates the Bible so much that they are making bad films to prove there is no “Christian” market, to justify making the usual crap.

Ironically, the real sin is not that they don’t follow the Bible but that they ruined the story. Both Moses and Noah are ancient tales that are similar to other stories that have been around for 5000 years, and remain popular because of the story: In Moses, about how poor people found freedom from tyranny, and in Noah, how God will save the just even in the midst of death.

One need not be a believer to make a good movie out of such stories.

If you want a good movie, watch “the good lie” about the lost boys of Sudan, who carry a bible with them. The Bible stories resonate with the boys, because they too fled tyranny, kept their faith in God and their families, and He rescued some from death, and they knew those who died lived in Him in heaven.

I might suggest “Unbroken”, but apparently they cut the part of the story where he was indeed broken but remade into life by accepting Jesus. Can’t have that I guess. Sigh.

[do the dhue]

Hollywood is delusional, not Moses.

[rwa265]

To me, BCE is before the Christian Era and CE is Christian Era.