Exodus: Gods and Kings
Dir: Ridley Scott
Starring: Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton, Ben Kingsley, Aaron Paul,
John Turturro, and Sigourney Weaver
150 Min
PG-13
Two well known biblical stories have been adapted this year,
starting with Darren Aronofsky’s “Noah” and ending the year with Ridley Scott’s
epic and overlong “Exodus: Gods and Kings”. Ridley Scott, who’s film catalog
alone proves more than capable of handling the sizeable task of this subject
undertaking, handles the action with measured paces that move effortlessly
throughout. Taking point from films like “The Ten Commandments” and
“Spartacus”, “Exodus”: Gods and Kings” has all the shine and effect of a summer
blockbuster but lacks the historical coherency or emotional depth needed to
transcend it above more than simple spectacle.
Moses (Christian Bale) has been raised his entire life in
the royal Egyptian court, embraced into the reigning family as brother to
Ramses (Joel Edgerton). However, Moses is unlike the others in the kingdom and
soon finds out the secret of his Jewish heritage that has been kept from him.
Moses and his protecting family have been exiled from the kingdom, a blessing
of sorts offered by Ramses who was instructed by his council to kill Moses. Moses,
wandering the desert, finds a small tribe and marries a young woman and they
have a child. Time passes and during a feat of nature Moses encounters God in
the form of young boy who directs Moses to return to Egypt and free his people
from slavery.
Ridley Scott offers two stories that are both inherently
about relationships. One story is of a group of people standing up to the
authority that has enslaved them and finding an identity as a people, the other
story is about the relationship with religion and the judgments of God. While
the portrayal of the Israelites and Egyptians is mostly rendered to one-sided
battles and torturous ultimatums levied at the hands of Ramses, Scott is able
to pull some genuine intriguing questions from the relationship the people and
Moses have with their God. The bold decision to render the image of God in the
persona of a young, petulant boy may be offensive to some; however it serves
the purpose of displaying God’s angered finality with the people of Egypt. The
deadly judgment coming in the form of plagues is an extravagance to watch, it’s
part science fiction part disaster film. In the best scene Moses talks with
God, who is only seen to him, before the final plague of the death of the
first-born child. Moses is tormented, pleading with God for compassion due to
his kinship with Ramses who has a sole child. The ensuing scene is a simplistic
slow consuming darkness that is then accompanied by moans and wails. It’s
upsetting and affecting, it portrays the complications and doubt when trying to
understand the judgment and reasoning of higher powers out of human control.
It’s unfortunate that most of the quality storytelling
features are undercut by questionable casting of characters. Christian Bale
attempts to hold the film together but is relinquished to shouting matches with
the elements and Ramses. Joel Edgerton as Ramses feels the most out of place,
aside from John Turturro, as the Egyptian Pharaoh. While this kind of casting
was a familiar practice for American epics of the past, it would seem that time
would have offered talent from some of the similar regions being depicted in
the film. Alas, the actors do their best to keep the film moving from scene to
scene.
The film leads to the final effect laden battle within a
parted Red Sea, a final sentiment of the relationship between man’s ambitions
versus God’s intentions. Unfortunately the film never expels on this theme.
Instead “Exodus: Gods and Kings” resembles the final scene, a film that moves
through the murky mud of a disjointed narrative trying to make it from one side
to the other while trying to avoid the wave of flaws that will inevitably
consume it.
Monte’s Rating
2.50 out of 5.00
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