Frogs, boils and locusts are truer to the text and are rendered in luscious visual detail. See more Jesus in Film and TV: 13 Devilishly Handsome Actors Whove Played the Son of God. [12], On March 15, 2013, Deadline Hollywood reported Scott wanted Christian Bale to star in the film;[13] in August he confirmed the role to be Moses. Using his military skills, Moses trains the slaves and leads them in an insurgency, prompting Ramesses to retaliate harshly. Early on, Scott'sMoses is prophesied to "wrestle" with God - a key idea on which the entire film is built. Ridley Scott publicly stated that he would be looking to natural causes for the miracles, including drainage from a tsunami for the parting of the Red Sea. The rest of the plagues play-out similarly to scripture with the death of Egyptian livestock, painful skin boils, athunderstorm of hail and fire, crop-devouring locusts, and perpetual darkness, before culminating in the death of every firstborn child acrossEgypt (save for the Hebrews that painted their doors with lamb blood). [48], The highest openings came from Russia ($8 million),[49] Brazil ($6.68 million), South Korea ($6.2 million), Mexico ($5.4 million), France ($5.35 million), the UK ($4.25 million), Spain ($3.7 million), and Germany ($3.64 million). Now go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you are to speak.. See production, box office & company info. The film features a number of visually stunning scenes, but above all else, Scott's Exodus movie is still a straightforward drama - meaning that the primary focus is on its human characters. Anyway, the ending rushes along as if the producers wanted to end this "masterpiece" and go home. Costume designer: Janty Yates "Exodus: Gods and Kings" is an epic, an adaptation of the biblical story of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt - his struggles to accept his destiny, and his inevitable conflict with the Egyptians. Exodus 23:21 my power Literally, "my name."; Exodus 23:24 stones gods Or "memorials." Here, these were stone markers that people used in worshiping their gods. Anton Alexander has a small role as the Israelite Dathan, while Kevork Malikyan appears as Zipporah's father, Jethro. Furthermore, the text asserts that,despite agreeing to let the Hebrews leave, Ramses (as well as the Egyptian people)beganto second-guess the decision - and became enraged at the thought of the Israelites camping in the wilderness on the road to freedom. Here, Scott conflates these elements into Moses' persona. elohim, a word that means "human ruler" in some contexts, is used to refer to a court or a human leader. A. This Egyptian saga is not quite in the same league, but it confirms the director's flair for widescreen imagery. "[65], On the negative side, Scott Mendelson of Forbes criticized the film for being too "dark" and "gritty", saying that the film lacked in humor and excitement, offering little nuance and little artistic interpretation beyond hitting the expected goal posts. Later on, Moses is carving out the Ten Commandments onto a slab of stone. In several scenes, Ramses is depicted in bed with many luxurious pillows. "[63] Justin Chang of Variety said, "Some may well desire a purer, fuller version of the story, one more faithful to the text and less clearly shaped by the demands of the Hollywood blockbuster. "[59] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone was positive toward the film and said, "Exodus is a biblical epic that comes at you at maximum velocity but stays stirringly, inspiringly human. As indicated earlier, God's participation inExodus varies in the scripturesand film. [48][50][51] At the end of its theatrical run, Spain proved to be the most successful country with $18.1 million followed by Russia, Brazil, France, and the UK. See Ex. Not . Secondly, a lot of choices he makes in the details of the story will not go over well with the a large part of the target audience. The Red Sea reverts back, drowning the majority of the Egyptians who are still crossing. While the Pharaohs (both Seti I and Ramses) are heavily featured in the Hebrew scriptures, neither is presented as anything much more than a vindictive and corrupt ruler. Exodus 14: 21,22: Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The film opens with Pharaoh, or Seti (John Turturro), giving almost identical swords to his son, Ramses (Joel Edgerton), and his nephew, Moses (Christian Bale). Going east symbolizes going away from God. Frustrated, Moses throws his sword into the sea and, after a humble appealto God, the waters begin to recede- slowly revealing the seafloor. Take the cord that Nun presses into Moses' hand. Still, Moses asks them to have faith, and the Israelites wade into the water as the Egyptians break through the mountains in view ofthe shore. A numbing and soulless spectacle of 3-D, computer-generated imagery run amok, Ridley Scott's "Exodus: Gods and Kings" presents an enduring tale by pummeling us over the head with it. CGI produced the 180-foot wave, the horses, and the chariots. Upon his arrival, he encounters the slave Joshua being lashed and questions the vicious lashing. It barely concedes the miraculous. The presence of both Pithom and Succoth in Exodus is to be explained by the gap in time separating the entry of the one from the entry of the . Exodus: Gods and Kings is this century's answer to Cecil B. DeMille 's The Ten Commandments, but it already looks to be more controversial than that pious 1956 opus. Ramses then banishes Moses to the desert. 1. Unfortunately for Moses,a pair of spies overheard themeeting with Nun and report back to the corrupt Viceroy HegepofPithom (a character that does not appear at all in Hebrew scripture). Ramesses also survives, but is distraught and stunned over the destruction of his army, and with no apparent way to return to Egypt. With Jimi Stanton, Janelle Snow, Charles Andrew Gardner, James Lloyd McKinney. [31] There were 400,000 humans depicted in total, with 30 to 40 people accompanying Bale while crossing the Red Sea and the rest being computer generated. This Egyptian saga is not quite in the same league, but it confirms the directors flair for widescreen imagery. When Ramesses threatens to cut off her arm, Moses intervenes saving her and confirms he is a Hebrew. Years later, an elderly Moses riding with the Ark of the Covenant sees God's manifestation walking with the Hebrews through the desert. 2014. Though Moses tells the Hebrews to kill a lamb and brush blood on their doors, he barely explains why, though he does say that in years to come, we will remember the blood of these lambs. Despite an excess of mascara, Turturro is sympathetic, but he doesnt fit all that comfortably into ancient Egypt. He added, "Ridley Scotts Exodus: Gods and Kings is a terrible film. It is inspired by the biblical episode of the Exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt led by Moses and related in the Book of Exodus. To begin with, it was a fool's errand to try and remake Cecil B. DeMille's THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. Filming occurred primarily in Spain beginning in October 2013, with additional filming at Pinewood Studios in England. "It's not even that good a story," Moses grumbles early on in Ridley Scott 's " Exodus: Gods and Kings ," shortly after learning of the mysterious events that . Edgerton is competent, but we miss the hammy exuberance of DeMilles Ramses, Yul Brynner. Like the other elements of the tabernacle, this east gate of the court was rich with meaning. Exodus Gods and Kings 2014 1080p HD. Footnotes. By Justin Chang. The film emphasizes Scott's imagining of the visual spectacle of the most obvious elements of the exodus (Exodus 12:31-14:29) on a scale that leaves Cecil B. DeMille's 1923 silent "The Ten Commandments" and the Oscar-winning 1956 remake in the dust. Scott comes up with a somewhat more credible portrayal of how the Israelites managed to cross the sea before a monumental storm drowned the Egyptians. Safe and sound, the Hebrew people pull Moses from the water - whileRamses crawls onto thebeach to find his entire army destroyed or drowned when the watersreturned. His work in the latter film earned Bale his third Oscar nomination. The 2014 film, Exodus: Gods and Kings, starring Christian Bale in the lead role as Moses, is a fictional take on some historical events in Late Bronze Age/New Kingdom Egypt, combined with a loose retelling of the biblical book of Exodus.The epic begins with the Hebrew people enslaved in Egypt during the reign of Pharaoh Seti I (ruled ca. In December 2014, Exodus: Gods and Kings, starring Christian Bale and directed by Ridley Scott will be the latest Hollywood film that twists and distorts a Biblical story.Based on the account of the Exodus from the Old Testament, Exodus: Gods and Kings is riddled with Biblical and historical inaccuracies, false doctrine, racial miscasting and a theology that de-emphasizes God, sin and the . Moses then leads the Hebrews through Midian, where he reunites with his family. [8] According to Scott, the parting of the Red Sea was caused by a tsunami believed to have been triggered by an underwater earthquake off the Italian coast around 3000 BC. Moses, who refused to ever be humbled, ultimately surrenders to God. [52], Exodus: Gods and Kings received generally negative reviews from critics. However, this isn't a direct endorsement of the NRSVover other versions (or religious overnon-religious beliefs). GARDEN OF EDEN: PROTOTYPE SANCTUARY 127 (4) The cosmic mountain was symbolically affiliated with the garden and temple. Ramses doesn't want to go, so Moses does. At the same time, God commandsMoses' brother, Aaron, to join him onthe journey - so that he can speak for Moses (who is nearly 80 years old at this point). The section of the poem on the departure of the pagan gods also situates the nativity against the backdrop of world history. In the scripture, there is no direct mention of Moses serving in the Egyptian army, training as a warrior, or even carrying a sword - meaning thatScott definitely took liberties with his battle-hardened version. This moment is almost a footnote. So far, Exodus: Gods and Kings has earned an estimated $107 million worldwide. The Comfort Zone: Christian Bale's "Exodus" Movie. . "[61] Catherine Shoard of The Guardian gave 3 out of 5 stars and said, "Its impossible not to feel some awe at the spectacle, but more shocks would have helped see you through the two-and-a-half hour running time. But despite favoring a sword overtheiconic staff (not to mentionthe inclusion of a training montage and isolated moments of guerrilla warfare tactics), Scott still positionsGod's unrelenting siege over Egypt asthe catalyst forRamses' decision to free the Israelites. . Exodus: Gods and Kings is this centurys answer to Cecil B. DeMilles The Ten Commandments, but it already looks to be more controversial than that pious 1956 opus. There are . Select any of the newsletters below, then enter your email address and click "subscribe", Christian Bale, center, in "Exodus: Gods and Kings" (Twentieth Century Fox), Stories of climate, crisis, faith and action, Mission and ministry of Catholic women religious around the world, Help us deliver independent, lay-led Catholic journalism, French priest restricted, not defrocked, after abuse claims, Church of England refuses to back same-sex marriage, To be pastoral, look to the Good Shepherd, pope says, Catholic groups say Russian missile attacks endanger aid to Ukrainians. He has never been thought of as a military man and a warrior to believers, but as a leader. Buildings and vineyards are burned. In fact, Moses and Aaron are directly involved inkicking-off the first plague -when they turn the Nile into a river ofblood (killing all of the fish within itswaters). Nun gives Moses a cord that was on him when he was found floating in a basket as a baby. Following his father's death, Ramses is an equally cruel and unreasonable figure. (6) Cherubim, or heavenly beings, function as guard-ians of the garden and the temple. [5][6] On March 27, 2014, the studio changed the title of the film from Exodus to Exodus: Gods and Kings. Instead of a series of separate events, Scott presents several of theplagues as a series of (somewhat)interconnected events - beginning with a horde of crocodiles that ruthlessly kill Egyptian fisherman before turning to cannibalism, bloodying the waters of the Nile. It is all based on a translation of documents (books) passed down through generations of re-writes and embellished stories written in a time where true knowledge was scarce and the lack of a print press meant everything was written by hand by man. You say this is not your fault. He rejects that the boy could be an angel -- though there is mention of an angel in the Elohist version of the Scripture -- or God, who would never have been visible. However, the scriptures do not paint as pleasantof an ending. 2023 The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. As nobody has firsthand experience from a story told over 4000+ years ago there is no possible way to actually make a movie based on the life of Moses and those around him, historically accurate. Later, Moses volunteers to go to the city of Pithom in place of his cousin to meet with the Viceroy Hegep, who oversees the Hebrew slaves. Christian Bale portrays Moses in the new Ridley Scott film, "Exodus: Gods and Kings.". Moses is stunned at the revelation and leaves angrily; during which he is attacked by two guards whom he quickly kills. It is a reflection of Scott as a recovering atheist who is agnostically struggling with materialism and the possibility of the Divine. Movie Info. Authorities said they had found "many mistakes" in the story. God's manifestation appears to Moses and explains that ten plagues will affect Egypt. The Hebrews then continue making their way to the promised land.Exodus: Gods and Kings Scenes : https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-v9MNQtvBaX_N1qRMr6vyQnse5m0Y3X5I do not own nor take credit for the clips uploaded here. The end of Exodus: Gods and Kings Show how Moses's leadership helps build a lasting kingdom for Israel. After making their way through a dangerous mountain pass, Moses and the Hebrews arrive at the edge of the sea, uncertain about what to do. The savage crocodiles were not in the Old Testament, but as they attack humans as well as fish, they turn the Nile blood red, which is at least an ingenious explanation of how the river might have turned to blood. It will continue to roll out to foreign territories, though you can scratch Egypt off its world-tour schedule. This too seems to be a . When Ramses finally commands the people to go, they slowly plod forth, by now 400,000 strong. Ben Mendelsohn, however, has fun with the role of the sniveling, treacherous viceroy who exposes Moses true heritage. The next major problem for me was the Passover. NOTE: In the interest ofincludingdirect examples, weusedtheNRSV (New Revised StandardVersion) for any relevant citations. Exodus: Gods and Kings is based on one of the most important stories in the Jewish and Christian traditions. [7], Some controversy and criticism arose concerning biblical accuracy of the script and its portrayal. All the latest gaming news, game reviews and trailers. The film stars Christian Bale as Moses and Joel Edgerton as the Pharaoh with whom Moses speaks with in order to obtain the freedom of the Hebrew people from slavery in Egypt. 1294-1279 BC) and ends with Moses ascending Mount Sinai . He said he came to the conclusion that the cord was probably a superstition that traces back to Kabbalah, the mystical interpretation of the Scriptures. "Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, there went up Ezra son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah, 2 son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub, 3 son of Amariah, son of . [15] The studio announced the casting calls in Spain's Almera and Pechina for 3,000 to 4,000 extras, and on the island of Fuerteventura for another 1,000 to 2,000 extras. . '"[27], Shooting of the film began in October 2013 in Almera, Spain. [3] The film earned $8.7 million on its opening day (including previews) in the United States. This judgment would come on Egypt soon. You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his land. (7) Revelation was an essential part of the garden and the temple. Yet here, Moses is mired in mud, as if he had been hit on the head. Made up of sixty-six However, EXODUS: GODS AND KINGS is definitely one of his lesser efforts. It would be easy to go on and on with what was missing or remade in Scott's image, but this probably would not be as helpful as encouraging people to go back to the Scriptures and read the Book of Exodus, imagining for themselves the mystery of how things may have happened. This sequence is visually thrilling. Who makes them mute or deaf, seeing or blind? The story has been changed so much from the Biblical narrative that it is barely recognizable. 2:21-22). [46] The film was number one in 13 markets. Using state-of-the-art visual effects, this spectacular adventure brings new life to the story of Moses (Christian Bale) as he defies the . Enlightened human parents know better than to act that way to their children. There is no gathering of families, no unleavened bread, no preparation for the journey. EXODUS: GODS AND KINGS Clip - "A Journey Into The Desert" (2014).Most Popular Movie Clips -- https://bit.ly/3aqFfcgPLOT: The defiant leader Moses rises up ag. Moses returns home where soon after Seti dies, and Ramesses becomes the new Pharaoh (Ramesses II). And the plagues begin. Inseveral occasions, Moses outright argues with the boy, calling God out for not being involved enough as well as questioning the severity of key plagues that God inflicts upon the Egyptian people. A High Priestess divines a prophecy from animal intestines, which she relates to Ramesses's father, Seti I. 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Go back and forth from gate to gate throughout the camp, and each of you kill your brother, your friend, and your neighbor. The sons of Levi did as Moses commanded, and about three thousand of the people fell on that day. If you've already seen the movie (or do not mind being SPOILED), read on for our breakdown of this new interpretation of Exodus, as well as info to helpcasual moviegoers understandanydifferences betweenGods and Kingsand its biblicalsource material. Thanks to his close relationship with Ramses as young man,Moses voicesconflicted feelings regardingGod's supernaturalsiege- especially when it is revealed that God intendsto kill every firstborn childin Egypt (including the Pharaoh's own son). "[62] Phillips Hawker of The Sydney Morning Herald gave a mixed review and awarded the film 3 out of 5 stars, saying, "Exodus: Gods And Kings lacks Gladiator's full-on intensity and committed central performances, however; it's a mixture of the grand and the bland, and when it's not spectacular it's a little plodding. He himself is hit in the head with a rock, and his leg boasts a nasty, bloody fracture. Watch for . Ben Kingsley adds gravitas as the elderly Jewish leader, but most of the other actors are stranded with far too little to do. Without a doubt, there are plenty of other changes that we either did not include or may have missed - and encourage our readers to respectfully discuss those as well as the largerfilm in the comment section below. With Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton, John Turturro, Aaron Paul. It is still God who forces the king's hand - not a newly-formed Hebrew fighting force. [55] The film has a score of 30% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 210 reviews, with an average rating of 5.00/10. "[23], Scott responded that without the casting of big-name actors, the film would never have been approved by the studio. Constable: "The day of the Lord" is any day in which God acts in a dramatic way in history. They are a very close family. He talks to Malak again, who tells him that if he truly believes in what he's writing, that he ought to continue.The Hebrews make their way through Mount Sinai. Meanwhile, a priestess predicts that someone will save the leader's life and will become the leader. Now playing in 2D and 3D theaters. But viewers might want to ask themselves if director Ridley Scott has resurrected the same characters for a different story entirely.Taking a leaf from Prince of Egypt, [] 'Exodus: Gods and Kings' Director Ridley Scott on Creating His Vision of Moses . Moses kills a Hebrew overseer, seriously wounds another and stabs two would-be assassins. Development on the film was first announced by Scott in June 2012. If you are familiar with the Book of Exodus, you can see that Scott's version follows the narrative in broad strokes but not closely, and in fact makes some changes.
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