Exodus: Gods and Kings (A Movie Review)

***This review will contain SPOILERS...you have been warned lol***

Now, before I get started, I would like to preface this blog with this - this review is my own personal opinion. I am in no way a professional film critique. Please don't take it as more than what it is.

Exodus: Gods and Kings
Directed By: Scott Ridley
Rating: PG-13
Run Time: 2 hours and 30 minutes
Genre: Action|Adventure|Drama
Tag line: Once Brothers, Now Enemies.
Plot Summary: The defiant leader Moses rises up against the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses,  setting 600,000 slaves on a monumental journey of escape and its terrifying cycle of plagues.
(As found on IMDB.com)

Overall I would rate this movie a B-/C. 

It is probably not a movie I would pay to go see, or see more than once. While it wasn't a horrible disaster, it wasn't a great movie either.

It is very graphic so if you don't do well with that sort of stuff I would suggest steering clear. There are several scenes of brutal family hangings, a blood bath in the middle of the Nile, and the plagues in general are pretty raw.

Even if you take the Biblical inaccuracies out of the equation, the film was not one of director, Scott Ridley's, finest works.

Movies that are created based on stories from the Bible have always been critiqued and pulled apart ruthlessly by Christians and non-Christians alike.

It is no secret that Ridley Scott is an atheist. He is on record in The New York Times in an interview titled 'Most Novelists Are Desperate To Do What I Do' by Adam Sternbergh saying,"I've got it (referring to Exodus: Gods and Kings) well plotted out. I'm an atheist, which is actually good, because I've got to convince myself the story works." Exodus: Gods and Kings is not the first Biblically inspired film to be directed by an atheist (Pier Paola Pasolini's 'The Gospel According to Matthew' and Robert Rossellini's 'The Messiah' are a couple others).

With that in mind, if you are looking for Biblical accuracy, for the most part, you are not going to find it in this movie. The plagues, minus the Nile to blood, are fairly well done, and probably the closest thing to Biblically accurate you will get in this movie. (More on that later)

The only part that I truly couldn’t get past was their portrayal of God, or as they have him credited "Malak" (The term Malak means angel or messenger).  They have a child, portrayed by young actor Isaac Andrews, playing the role. It wasn't the fact that a child played the role (though I wouldn't have personally made that choice) that bothered me, but the way they interpret the very nature of "God". They make him out to be a very angry, vengeful, ruthless, petty, argumentative, and at times bratty "God".

Now, time to go through the scenes. I am going to go into more depth and dissect the movie in this section, and again spoilers will abound.

For the first hour I actually mostly enjoyed the movie. I had to ignore the Biblical and historical inaccuracies, but Scott did have a creative take on the story. The costumes are exquisit, and the time period is a great canvas for Scott to paint this story on.

Visually the movie was well done save for some of the CG left something to be desired. There is at least one scene I can remember that is clearly green screened.

Scott follows suit with previous renditions of the Exodus story and plays that Moses has no idea of his unconventional and miraculous origin. He grows up believing he is a part of Pharaoh's family.

The movie opens with Moses (Christian Bale) sitting in the war room along with Pharaoh (John Turturro), Pharaoh's son, Ramses (Joel Edgerton), and many of the royal advisors. We learn that they are readying for a battle against the Hittites who have come too close to Egypt's borders. During the war council an Egyptian prophetess shares one of her prophecies saying that one would save the life of another, and the one who saves the other's life would become a leader. Moses clearly thinks prophecies and the like are a joke. Ramses in the other hand seems unsure.

Pharaoh bestows swords to both Ramses and Moses. On the hilt of each sword is the other's name. Pharaoh tells them it is to remind them that they are to always protect each other.

Scott follows Moses and Ramses into the battle between the Egyptian army and the Hittites. Here they show a part of Moses that is usually not brought into the story. I really liked the choice and being able to see Moses as a warrior. During the battle Moses saves Ramses' life. Thus begins Ramses' jealousy and paranoia of Moses taking over the throne. 

Later in the movie, Moses chooses to go inspect Pithom, where the Hebrew slaves are working. It is during his visit that he meets an elder named Nun, played by actor Ben Kingsley. It is Nun who tells Moses about his true origins. In this rendition Miriam floated baby Moses to Pharaoh's daughter because she knew he'd be safe there, and then she becomes a maid for Pharaoh's daughter.

Moses refuses to believe the old man's story and leaves the hut. It is clear that the story has made him doubt everything he has known to be true. Some Egyptian guards mistake him for a slave and try to stop him by shoving and hitting him. Moses kills both of them without hesitation before returning to the palace.

Moses goes to see Pharaoh who is obviously dying. Healers and physicians surround him, and leeches are attached to his arms as they try to draw the sickness out. (I am not sure if they used leeches in medical practice this early in history or not) In this scene Pharaoh reveals to Moses that he trusts Moses over his own son to lead. Pharaoh's health fails him and claims his life. This opens the door for Ramses to take his place on the throne. He has a beautiful procession showing everyone that he is now Pharaoh of all Egypt. The visual here is amazing - an overhead shot of Ramses in Egyptian decor walking over the skins of animals known for their killing prowess (tigers and leapards just to name a couple).

Shortly after Ramses becomes Pharaoh he is told about Moses really being a Hebrew. He confronts Moses about it. He brings Miriam into the scene and asks her point blank if she is Moses' sister, to which she continues to respond "No." Ramses then moves to more extreme measures and threatens to cut off Miriam's arm as motivation to get her to tell the truth, but Moses stops him at the last second screaming the answer "yes!"

Ramses decides to banish Moses rather than kill him, and Moses is taken to the edge of the desert with a horse and some provisions. Here he says goodbye to his "mother" and Miriam. His "mother" tells him that the story he was told is true,  and Miriam gives him a token from his birth mother. Moses watches as the guards, Miriam, and his Egyptian mother head back to what we assume is the royal palace, but it isn't really clear what happens to them as this is the last we see or hear of them.

While roaming through the desert Moses finds the sword he was given hidden in the blankets on the back of his horse. After several camera shots of wandering in the desert, Moses pushes through a sandstorm in which his horse dies from exhaustion and lack of water. Moses is lying beside the shriveled up carcass (which was clearly fake) when a group of assassins try to do him in. He makes quick work of them using his sword. Lucky for him the assassins had two horses that he is now free to take and head on his way.

He comes to a well where several women are being bullied into waiting to use the well even though they were there first. Moses doesn't do much other than tell the men to leave and flash them the golden sword hilt, but it is enough to cause the men to make a hasty exit.

They follow Moses through getting married, an awkward wedding night (no graphic sex, just awkward), and having a son. (Only one son rather than two like the Biblical account states)

This is when the movie derailed and crashed. Time for one of the most well known moments of the Exodus story...the burning bush.

Disappointed doesn't even begin to describe this scene. While climbing the mountain which his son told him previously that God forbade anyone to climb (not sure where that came from or why) he gets caught in a storm. He gets overwhelmed in a rock slide and topples down the mountain side.

His eyes open and he is buried in mud so only his face is showing. A young boy walks by and he asks for help. Rather than helping him, the boy tells Moses that more than his leg is broken, and that he is in need of a general. When Moses asks who he is, the boy replies, "I am." So here is Scott's interpretation of "God"/Malak. Malek goes on to tell Moses he has to return to his people or he will never find peace.  I should note that while Malak is talking he builds a small pyramid with black stones then knocks it down; your guess is as good as mine. Moses jerks awake and finds himself in his room with his leg splinted and running a high fever.

His wife tells him it was just a bad dream and to forget it, but he can't. Moses goes so far as to mistake his own son for Malak. When he decides he has to return to Egypt both his wife and son are angry with him for leaving them. He is thought to have lost his mind.

The scene shifts to Ramses who has awoken in the middle of the night. He checks on his infant son before heading down to the stables where he has a rather uncomfortable run in with Moses.

Moses comes up behind him and puts his sword to Ramses' throat and demands he let's the Hebrews go free. Ramses is clearly stunned that Moses is still alive. Moses blames him for the assassins in the desert who tried to kill him. Ramses insists it wasn't his doing but his mother's. Moses takes a moment trying to debate if he should believe him or not, but he finally lowers his sword. Ramses refuses to give in to Moses' demands, and Moses vanishes into the night.

Moses then becomes this odd sort of freedom fighter. He hides out in a cave and secretly teaches other Hebrew men how to fight and make weapons slowly creating a small army.

During this time Ramses has his guards ruthlessly search for Moses. When they can't find him Ramses starts to hang entire families. One family a day until someone tells him where Moses is. No one does so the viewers watch helplessly as several Hebrews are hanged.

Moses tells the Hebrews the only way to win their freedom is to get the people of Egypt to tell Pharaoh to let the Hebrews go. To do this he and his small army of men take to blowing up storehouses and setting crops and supply ships on fire to cut off the peoples' resources. Apparently guerilla warfare existed in ancient Egypt, who knew? (sarcasm)

Reenters Malak. Here Moses argues with Malak over how he is doing all he knows how to do. Malak then tells him to just sit and watch. That the Egyptians will pay for the last 400 years. During most of Moses' confrontation scenes with Malak the camera cuts to Joshua who watches dumbfounded while it appears to him that Moses is conversing with himself. Again playing up the idea that Moses has lost his mind.

Now lets move on to the plagues.

A huge hoard of crocodiles begin a vicious attack on the fishermen's boats and each other filling the Nile with blood that in turn pollutes the rest of the water. Then come the frogs, gnats, flies, livestock deaths, boils, hail, locusts, and darkness. These are all very graphic, but well done. They give a small glimpse into what horrors and devestation the plagues would have caused.

During the plagues there isn't much interaction between Moses and Malak or Moses and Pharaoh. The Hebrews at one point send a horse to Ramses with a message written in blood on its side. Ramses is furious and states boldly that he is the god, and that he is going to kill every first-born Hebrew child in the river. he goes on to say that they will see which god is better at killing.

Moses comes to Ramses during the plague of darkness and tells him to meet their demands before sunset or else something was coming that was beyond his control. He tell Ramses that he needs to do so to save his son. Moses leaves with Ramses shouting after him asking if that was a threat.

Moses returns to the Hebrews and tells them to slaughter a lamb and cover the door posts with its  blood. When asked why all Moses responds with is if he's right then they will remember the lambs' sacrifice for years to come.

I think the angel of death scene was the most impacting for me. A dark shadow slowly descends over Egypt. Several children, including Ramses' infant son, are seen taking their last breaths. Screams sound from all over Egypt. Mothers, fathers, siblings all crying out, all mourning their losses.

Ramses confronts Moses again. He holds his dead son in his arms as he asks how Moses could serve a God who murders children. Moses calmly tells him that no Hebrew children were lost. I appreciated the choice here - when Moses says that no Hebrew children were lost, the Hebrews just look on sorrowful. No cheering, no celebrating, just sadness at what they knew the Egyptians had lost.

At long last, Pharaoh tells them to get out of Egypt.

This brings me to the Red Sea.

Apparently "dry ground" and "parted the Red Sea" aren't important parts of the text.

The waters direction shifts to flow away from them causing the water to become shallow enough for them to cross. The Hebrews then wade through waist deep water to get to the other side.

The Egyptian army is in hot pursuit. Ramses loses half of his men in a graphic rock slide that was started by a man falling from a chariot and getting trampled, but this doesn't deter him. What's left of his army charges forward into the now muddy terrain of the Red Sea.

As they near Moses and a small group of Hebrew soldiers, a huge tsunami-like wave appears. Moses has his men hurry to the other side while he rides out to meet Ramses. The remaining soldiers with Ramses turn around to try and make it back to shore before the wave engulfs them all. However, they are not successful and viewers look on as the water overwhelms them as well as Pharaoh and Moses.

I was waiting for a pocket of safety to form around Moses protecting him from the wave, but he isn't spared from getting swirled around like a shirt in a washing machine.

Eventually, Moses washes up on the shore a short ways from where the Hebrews are, and Ramses washes up on the other. The camera pans through the floating wreckage of chariots, horses, and Egyptian soildiers before turning to Ramses on the beach looking over all that remains of his army. He is defeated.

Moses returns to his family to convince them to go with him. The next we see is Moses climbing a mountain with the Hebrew people far below worshipping a statue of a calf. (It is written to be a golden calf, but it was hard to tell what it was made of in the shot)

Malak appears again and shakes his head disapprovingly. Cut to Malak pouring tea for Moses (Malak is shown several times through the movie with a pot of tea). Moses is chipping away at stone tablets which are assumed to be the 10 commandments. There have been a lot of conversations and discussions about this part of the film. Here Malak tells Moses that these laws will last forever to lead the people because Moses will not last forever. He also tells Moses that if he thinks he can rule forever to put the hammer down. Moses continues chipping away.

The movie ends with a much older Moses riding in a wagon with the tablets in a box behind him. One last entrance for Malak. He is walking, still as a little boy, in the crowd beside Moses' wagon.  They make eye contact and Malak stops walking and disappears into the crowd. Moses smiles. Roll credits.

My final thoughts....like most movies, I would recommend you read the Book. It is far superior to the movie.

How many other people have seen the movie? What were your thoughts and opinions? Let me know!  Don't forget to follow me!

MelLew