Posted on 12/12/2014 9:50:34 AM PST by SeekAndFind
In 2014, Hollywood has embraced telling religious stories on film. No longer, it seems, are religious viewers denied the opportunity to see biblical stories onscreen.
In February of this year, Roma Downey and Mark Burnett brought Jesus’ story to the big screen in Son of God. In March, director Darren Aronofsky presented Noah , which— in spite of its narrative flaws— worked as an epic tale. This weekend, Ridley Scott— the newest high-profile director to embrace this trend— offers up a version of Moses’ story in the new drama Exodus: Gods and Kings.
Regardless of your religious beliefs, this biblical story of Moses leading the Hebrew slaves out of Egypt is a massively engaging one, and one that could easily serve as the basis for an epic film. As a matter of fact, it already did in 1956 where Charlton Heston played Moses to great acclaim in Cecil B. DeMille’s beloved epic, The Ten Commandments.
But times are different now, it seems, and instead of relying on the compelling narrative to tell the story, Scott focuses all of his attention on production values and visual effects. Oscar winner Christian Bale stars as Moses and does an admirable job but Joel Edgerton seems completely lost as the monstrous Ramses, making the figure as superficial and off-putting as the massive amount of make-up that adorns his face. After a rumor spreads that Moses is a Hebrew, Ramses threatens one of Moses’ loved ones and forces him into exile. The superficial scenes between the two (showing their comradery before Moses’ exile) — like so much of the first hour— simply seem to exist to tire the audience out before the plagues begin.
Scott only seems interested in what happens in the second hour of the drama (which, for the record, clocks in at a grating 146 minutes). Some of the effects work but they offer little consolation for viewers who are more interested in substance than style.
Instead, well-known actors— like Sigourney Weaver and Aaron Paul— appear and then seemingly disappear from the drama with little explanation. That only gives more room for Scott to add in unnecessary special effects like a brutal alligator attack and horses being devoured by sharks. What should’ve been a solid religious drama instead sometimes feels like the third installment in the Piranha movie series (now with sharks!).
As for God himself, he doesn’t speak to Moses through a burning bush. He speaks to Moses through a petulant child named Malak (Isaac Andrews), who condescendingly commands Moses to do things he’s uncomfortable with. When Moses is hesitant to follow God’s plan, Malak notes “For now you can watch” and later, when Moses urges restraint, Malak insists that he wants to see the pharaohs on their knees.
Ironically, God is presented as a vicious leader while little is shown of the physical abuse that the pharaohs delivered to their slaves for hundreds of years (when some abuse is shown, it’s directed at a slave who notes that he doesn’t feel any pain). The story of Exodus should’ve been about these slaves escaping their masters but instead Scott misses the main reasons why they needed to escape.
If Hollywood wants to embrace Biblical stories, they should focus on the text and show why certain things— like the exodus itself— were important and necessary, unlike the film Exodus: Gods and Kings, which is a baffling waste of time and talent.
I’m looking forward to it on blu-ray on my home theater, which is how I view every movie these days.
Why would you look forward to watching a movie that undermines the Bible? The Bible is the Word. Jesus is the Word.
When it comes to director Ridley Scott's artistic and storytelling choices, there's so much wrong with "Exodus: Gods and Kings," it's hard to care about the director's childish hostility towards religion, which no doubt resulted in a bloodless, brutally boring tale of Moses the Lawgiver.Honestly, if it weren't for the fact that film reviewing is my job, I would've left long before the parting of the Red Sea.
[...]
Thematically, Scott makes a fool of himself. DeMille used the ancient biblical tale to tell a universal story about human liberty. Where Charlton Heston's Moses demanded that Ramses "Let my people go!", Bale's Moses -- and this is no joke -- demands that Ramses pay his slaves a living wage and make them -- again, no joke -- citizens. DeMille's Moses was a liberator. Scott's Moses is a community organizer agitating for executive action on the minimum wage and amnesty.
[...]
These bigoted, provincial, secular, left-wing Hollywood morons hand projects like "Noah" and "Exodus" to filmmakers determined to strip history's most moving and inspiring stories of everything that moves and inspires. "The Passion" printed money because it hit the faithful squarely where we lived.
"Noah" and "Exodus" just lie there like a Muzak version of "Sexual Healing."
Because it looks like a good movie, that's why.
If I want the Word of God, I'll read the Bible. If I want to be entertained, I'll watch a Ridley Scott film.
http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3974&p=.htm
They are predicting a huge successful weekend with Exodus. Good for Hollywood. They had a bad weekend last weekend because they didn’t have any new movies out. The next months is going to be incredible with movies......most of America will be living in the theater the next couple weeks. So many incredible movies to chose from. It is an embarrassment of riches to all Americans having to chose. Too bad they don’t spread it out some.
I think I’ll skip it. Christian Bale is no Charlton Heston.
And Christian Bale thanks God everyday for that since Charlton Heston is six feet under.
Hollywood made Kirk Cameron’s skipping Christmas disaster. Oh I guess it was a success as it has made 2 million dollars......lololololol.
I wonder if Exodus will beat Skipping Christmas this weekend????????
BTTT!!!! You hit the nail on the head!
Milking the Bible for plots, spot on!
Yes, they are too cowardly to do the same to islam, although I am glad they don’t because no more attention needs to be brought up of that cult.
From what I've read, it is as big a piece of crap as Noah.
One of my favorite verses in the Old Testament is when Moses turns to the audience and says, “I’m Batman.”
This bible epics made by anti-God liberals is sinister.
They know that these movie epics will endure and educate, long after the criticisms when they are first released.
We vent a little today, but generations of people will absorb the images and dialogue from these movies, whether it is Dances with Wolves, The Titanic, or Biblical Epics, they become implanted in modern people as historical truth.
It got panned on laura ingraham’s Show this morning. Moses gets hit in the head by rocks before hearing God’s voice and the Plagues are pretty much caused by Climate Change in rapid order. No “Let my people go” warnings in between them.
Old joke:
Two goats were wandering around a Hollywood back lot. They found some outtakes and one of the goats began munching on the film.
“How is it?”, the other goat asked.
“Well, it’s OK,” the first goat said, “but it’s not as good as the book.”
Is Aaron Robin?
$2.6m in ticket sales on $500K in production costs is a better return on investment than most blockbusters. I won't be watching it, but plenty of people obviously have.
It probably will no doubt bring in more sales.....question is will it make a profit. Last I heard Noah will be many years before it is profitable....not exactly what I would call a success!!!
It probably will no doubt bring in more sales.....question is will it make a profit. Last I heard Noah will be many years before it is profitable....not exactly what I would call a success!!!
I don't think it's a bad thing that movies like Noah and Exodus are being made. Plenty of people go to the movies and become curious about the story behind the story. Even if 1% of the audience does this, that's 500K people who might become curious about the Christian faith.
RE: Bale’s Moses — and this is no joke — demands that Ramses pay his slaves a living wage and make them — again, no joke — citizens. . Scott’s Moses is a community organizer agitating for executive action on the minimum wage and amnesty.
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They subtly want to equate Obama to Moses.
Prince of Egypt was respectful of Exodus, excellent animation, and a very good medium to convey the story to a young audience. Based on the trailer this new film is close to an abomination.
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