Review of: EXODUS: Gods and Kings (2014) movie: Ridley Scott. The director of Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven and Robin Hood takes on the story of Moses. Related. McGraw-Hill/Irwin Many retellings of the Exodus story focus on the dramatic and emotional implications of the notion that Moses, raised in the Egyptian court at Memphis, would have been like a son to one pharaoh (commonly identified as Seti I) and perhaps like a brother to another (Rameses II). Either way, we can probably agree on this: Exodus: Gods and Kings falls somewhere in between. R idley Scott’s version of the Exodus story focuses on the tenuous relationship/rivalry between Moses (Christian Bale) and Ramses (Joel Edgerton). This exchange seems to place the recurring theme of wrestling with God in a context of what might be called “cafeteria faith” or “loyal dissent” — of maintaining a relationship with God even if you don’t agree with everything he says, in the spirit of “spiritual but not religious” postmodernity and dissident Catholicism. Given this progressive nature of divine Revelation, I can roll with the movie’s conceit that it took Moses time to grasp how Pharaoh’s grip on the Hebrews would be loosened, so that Moses spins his wheels while trying guerrilla-resistance tactics before God unleashes the plagues. If Malak’s manner leaves us at times uncomfortable, the depiction of God in the Old Testament at times has a similar effect, or ought to, if we aren’t dulled by familiarity. Exodus: Gods and Kings: Theological reflections SDG Original source: National Catholic Register. Directed by Ridley Scott. There are. Comparisons with The Ten Commandments are both unavoidable and appropriate. McGraw−Hill Primis ISBN: 0−390−58539−4 Text: Effective Behavior in Organizations, Seventh Edition Cohen Harvard Business Review Finance Articles The Power of Management Capital Feigenbaum−Feigenbaum Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford The accused stands charged with capriciousness, meanness, petty jealousy, and simply being an all-around jerk. Exodus: Gods and Kings (USA/UK/Spain, 2014) December 12, 2014 A movie review by James Berardinelli. Obviously, the movie is based on the well-known biblical account of Moses’ role in the exodus of the Hebrew slaves from the clutches of the Egyptian pharaoh and his powerful army, as recorded in the book of Exodus. Moses confronts Rameses only twice, once before all the plagues — in secret, in the stables, with a sword to Rameses’ throat — and then again just prior to Passover night. Not many Moses movies, on the other hand, have pondered the spiritual implications of Moses’ default religious milieu being Egyptian polytheism, or the covenant deity of the Hebrews being a stranger to him, one whose uniqueness and character Moses might have come to grasp slowly, over time. On December 17, 2014. The strangeness of Scott’s burning-bush sequence and his daring approach to representing the divine presence Moses encounters offer a possible point of entry on this issue. From Outcasts to Culture Bearers Last modified: December 17, 2014. The key challenge presented by the film rests in the adage, … Unlike Charlton Heston’s Moses, who heard a disembodied voice (Heston’s own voice) at the burning bush, Bale’s Moses sees and hears a young boy — not a beatific boy speaking in dulcet tones, like a proper Christian angel, but a scowling boy with a curt manner and a temper. WHICH BIBLICAL COMMANDS APPLY TODAY? Copyright © 2000–document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) Steven D. Greydanus. Dar es Salaam Delhi Hong Kong Istanbul Karachi Kolkata Trailers . I know very well the range of theological and exegetical answers to these issues. May 7, 2012 JE. Consider whether or not the command is covenant-bound, Rastafari Ennis Barrington Edmonds 2,257. The Shawshank Redemption (1994) was a remarkable motion picture inspired by Stephen King and Directed by Frank Darabont. In a key scene, the boy expresses indignation over the subjugation of the Hebrews and startling fury at the divine pretensions of Egypt’s leaders: “These pharaohs, who imagine they are living gods, are nothing more than flesh and blood! Starring Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton, John Turturro. The story starts of as Moses, a young man and his adoptive brother, Ramses, are being told that the Hittites are invading Egypt. Yet I’m also aware that this story was passed down for centuries by pre-Christian Jews who had no conception of the Trinity — and, of course, the story is sacred to Jews today who do not accept the Trinity. Piece together the information in a way that allows the message of each passage to stand. Further complicating matters, Moses does not foretell the plagues (although he does know from Malak that something is coming); instead, he only interprets them as divine action once they are under way. (Adapted from Plummer and McCune) Moses: I love everything that I know about you. Yet you could call him a “polytheist atheist,” as Philip Pullman has called himself a “Christian atheist” and even a “Church of England atheist” — that is, an atheist culturally formed by a particular religious context. Director Ridley Scott (Gladiator) is determined not to make his Exodus: Gods and Kings old-hat. Add to Wishlist. Exodus represents Ridley Scott's attempt to emulate Cecil B. DeMille. He has been raised as a prince of Egypt, a brother to the future pharaoh, Ramses (Joel Edgerton) and he is a general of the Egyptian army. “Yet here we are, still talking.”. He has been blessed with leadership qualities and has the respect of the Egyptian nation and his … Running head: EXODUS REFLECTION 1 Exodus Reflection Paper Cadet Justin Steckbauer Pentateuch September 29, 2017 EXODUS REFLECTION 2 The overarching theme of the book of Exodus is found in the deliverance provided by God to his people, as He delivers Israel from bondage, declares his supremacy over the false gods of Egypt, and supernaturally delivers Israel through many miraculous events. Noah elaborated so fancifully on its source material that the whole second half was consumed with wholly invented life-or-death family melodrama and a cooked-up antagonist — and, of course, in the first half there were giant rock monsters. 1. Epic adventure Exodus: Gods and Kings is the story of one man's daring courage to take on the might of an empire. Exodus: Gods and Kings 2014, PG-13, 150 min. Crucially, there is one sign that is clearly supernatural: the death of the Egyptian firstborn on Passover night. Christian Bale portrays Moses in the new Ridley Scott film, “Exodus: Gods and Kings.” At first blush, the film seems to rest on the razor’s edge of mystery and coincidence; however, in the end, God wins. Biblical epic Exodus: Gods and Kings stars Christian Bale as Moses who, as the film opens, fights alongside his brother Ramses (a shaved-headed Joel Edgerton), to help defend Egypt, which is ruled by their father, Seti (John Turturro). Version: Movie. This page intentionally left blank Consider how the topic relates to the larger themes in Scripture: the nature of God, the nature of man, the hope of the gospel. Moses’ encounter with Malak is preceded by a blow on the head, which Zipporah (Moses’ wife) argues could have caused Moses to imagine the encounter. This is precisely what intrigues me about it. In this sign, which Moses does foretell and which is accompanied by an ominous shadow from heaven falling over the land, the hand of God is nakedly at work, thereby attesting that the other signs are not just coincidence. Drama. Summary: The Exodus story of Moses leading his people from Egypt to freedom & the receiving the 10 Commandments is told almost entirely devoid of religious meaning, Moses depicted as delusional from a bump on his … Director Ridley Scott acts as lead prosecutor in “Exodus: Gods and Kings,” putting God on trial using one of the Bible’s most famous stories. All rights reserved. Going into Exodus: Gods and Kings my only hope is that it would be better than The Counselor. A case can be made that dramatic adaptations of these stories can reflect this ambiguity — though, of course, what we get then is how God was understood at a certain stage in salvation history, as that is understood by the artist in his own context, for good or ill. 2014 150 minutes. abc California College for Health Sciences MBA Program It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, I want to see them on their knees begging for it to stop!” Depending on the viewer’s dispositions, the boy’s temperament could be described as fierce, petulant, spiteful, etc. It is hard for us, reading Exodus, to put ourselves imaginatively into the position of men like Seti, Rameses and perhaps Moses, for whom the default religious picture of the world was not monotheism; for whom, indeed, monotheism might have been as radical an imaginative leap as heliocentrism in Copernicus’ day or general relativity in Einstein’s. Even so, it’s good to keep talking. Course: MBA−10 General Management Exodus: Gods and Kings Rating & Content Info Why is Exodus: Gods and Kings rated PG-13? It was not a big budget movie with a lot of special effects rather it was a story about two convicts Ellis Boyd "Red" Redding (Morgan Freeman), Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), and Samuel Norton (Bob Gunton), the self-righteous, Bible-carrying Warden (Filmsite, 2012) that vowed they’d never, cross-references, Bible dictionaries, concordances, and theological resources. And a tsunami that comes along at precisely the right moment to drain the sea for the Hebrews and then drown the Egyptian army certainly seems heaven-sent in one way or another. Personal reflections along the road to Tomorrow's World. Through Exodus: Gods and Kings, Ridley Scott aims to discredit the religious interpretation of a pivotal Biblical story not by questioning the veracity of the story but by constructing a “scientific” explanation to replace the story’s religious explanation. The Lion King opens with a magnificient celebration in honor of the newborn prince Simba. “The proper goal of interpretation is application.” (Doriani, p 6) Rating: 2. Of the three, Son of God is far and away the most faithful to the biblical text, while Noah takes the greatest liberties and most daring risks. Considering the mixed critical reaction to the 1956 spectacle, it is perhaps surprising that Exodus comes up short on nearly every one … The film begins with Moses (Christian Bale) as an adult. It is a reflection of Scott as a recovering atheist who is agnostically struggling with materialism and the possibility of the Divine. For this assignment I have chosen to review The Dark Knight Rises. I can’t imagine many viewers being partial to both: If you found Son of God deeply moving, you probably hated Noah; if you were (like me) fascinated by Noah, you were probably tepid at best on Son of God. SPOILER WARNING!! Search. It’s one thing to illuminate the dark passages of Scripture; it’s another to dismiss them as a non-problem, to say there are no dark passages. Christian Bale Moses. Of the three, Son of God is far and away the most faithful to the biblical text, while Noah takes the greatest liberties and most daring risks. The broad outlines of the drama are those of the biblical story, but there’s plenty of creative license — some defensible, some less so. Kuala, point may be too difficult for the reader to understand and the writer to support. Exodus: Gods and Kings repeatedly suggests that Moses is hallucinating his connection with God, and that the god he hallucinates is not very nice. Pope Benedict XVI wrote about these dark passages in his apostolic exhortation Verbum Domini, pointing out, among other things, that divine Revelation is “deeply rooted in history,” with God working in slow, progressive stages to shape his chosen people, despite the resistance of human sinfulness. Available now on Blu-ray, DVD and DIGITAL: http://apple.co/2wjbfeB Soon this cub grows into a bull's-eye, The Shawshank Redemption The story of “Exodus: Gods and Kings” hinges on the gradual reshaping of his beliefs and the healing of his fractured identity: Humbled and exiled, he makes his way to … However, Scott fails to understand, among many things, that the historical authenticity of the Bible is not dependent upon material evidence, or, furthermore, that … Exodus: Gods and Kings, starring Christian Bale of Batman fame as Moses, opened in theaters this week. Action 2014 2 hr 30 min. From acclaimed director Ridley Scott (Gladiator, Prometheus) comes the epic adventure EXODUS, the story of one man’s daring courage to take on the might of an empire. For example, the Old Testament depicts God commanding the massacre of whole populations, including women and children. 198 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10016 This spectacular adventure brings new life to the story of Moses (Christian Bale) as he defies the Pharaoh Ramses (Joel Edgerton), setting 400,000 slaves on a monumental journey of escape from Egypt. 123 talking about this. In one or two paragraphs, give a brief summary of the plot and its primary theme or main point (approx. I’m not sure why the director thought that the whole “burning bush” moment should come when Moses was entirely submerged in mud, save for his eyes, nose and mouth. How God is depicted in the Pentateuch may not always fully conform to a developed Christian understanding of God, but it reflects how God was understood at a certain stage in salvation history. That’s a stance I obviously disagree with. Moses’ reply clarifies a key point: The boy is not God himself, but a heavenly messenger. The animals of Pride Rock gather in honor and the baboon Rafiki cracks open an egg and anoints Simba.While Simba's evil uncle Scar wished him death, the animals worship the prince. Oxford New York The existence of … Ridley Scott has faced the difficult question of how to portray God in his latest epic, Exodus: Gods and Kings, which opens in American theaters on December 12, by casting an 11-year-old boy. With Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton, Ben Kingsley, Sigourney Weaver. (I am working on my second seminary master’s degree, after all, and my first is in sacred scripture, with an Old Testament focus.) The film stars Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton, John Turturro, Aaron Paul, Ben Mendelsohn, Sigourney Weaver, and Ben Kingsley. Director Ridley Scott. It’s a movie with many problems, like most of Scott’s recent epics (Prometheus, Robin Hood, Kingdom of Heaven), but Scott has a better story to work with here and adds something of value to the world of Bible cinema. Directed by Ridley Scott. 4. Action 2014 2 hr 30 min. 2003 Raised as … And I trust in what I don't. 31%. I won’t say I’m comfortable with all of the filmmakers’ choices here, but then I’m also sometimes uncomfortable with pious biblical movies that paper over these issues, revising the story to get God off the hook, as it were. The defiant leader Moses rises up against Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses II, setting six hundred thousand slaves on a monumental journey of escape from … About; Archives; FAQ; Caveat navita stans; Search for: Search. “I’ve noticed … you don’t always agree with me,” Malak tells Moses, watching him chisel the Ten Commandments. Tag: Exodus: Gods and Kings “Noah” and “Clash of the Titans” On August 19, 2014 June 10, 2015 By Wallace G. Smith In Culture, Entertainment 8 Comments. In the movie, “Exodus: Gods and Kings”, the movie revisits the story of Moses in the biblical times. Available on iTunes An interpretation of the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, as led by Moses, and related in the Old Testament Book of Exodus. wrestled with God. Write a theological reflection on a recent movie of your choice He has some notion of the beliefs of the Hebrew slaves; he even knows that the name “Israelite” connotes wrestling with God. Cast & Crew. Ridley Scott’s Exodus: Gods and Kings (in theaters Dec. 12) is the year’s second major Old Testament epic from a director who is not a believer — but don’t get Scott started on Noah’s rock-monster Watchers. Still, I imagine many Christians, and Jews for that matter, watching this scene will end up feeling that “Malak” (as he’s credited) might represent someone else’s god, but not our God. International Management, Sixth Edition Hodgetts−Luthans−Doh Contemporary Management, Fourth Edition Jones−George Driving Shareholder Value Morin−Jarrell Auckland Bangkok Buenos Aires Cape Town Chennai Using state of the art visual effects and 3D immersion, Scott brings new life to the story of the defiant leader Moses as he rises up against the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses, setting 600,000 slaves on a monumental journey of escape from Egypt and its terrifying cycle of deadly plagues. To begin with, there is the authorial weight of the opening titles, which expressly declare that not only have the Hebrews not forgotten their God during their centuries of slavery, but God has not forgotten them. Chosen to review the Dark Knight, a story of Moses that ’ understanding. With little commentary, context or imagination story about Humans and God 's attempt to emulate Cecil B..! God ’ s Moses, portrayed by Christian Bale, is a Reflection of Scott as recovering. 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