Review of Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014) by Mallory F — 31 May 2015

"Exodus" is being unfairly lambasted for its unfortunate casting controversy on the one hand, and impossible to please conservative Christians on the other. Of course, the negative critical response is to a certain extent understandable: early and critical plot developments are rushed through and feel jumpy (I suspect a typical Scott Director's Cut may solve some of these issues upon home release) which negatively impacts the impact of the film's final moments. But once "Exodus" hits its stride in the second act, it's a rousing Biblical epic. The cinematography is solid, and the acting quite good. Joel Edgerton steals the show as Ramses, crafting a surprisingly empathetic antagonist at the story's heart. The spectacle of the dread miraculous is embraced head on, and the film raises fascinating questions about the extent to which faith can and should be adhered to. Moses (Bale) wrestles with the justice of what is being done, a difficult question that hasn't been heavily dealt with in other adaptations. The decision to personify God as a child is an intriguing one, and serves the story well in this light. "Exodus" might still fall short of "The Prince of Egypt" and "The Ten Commandments", but that really isn't much of a condemnation. As a big fan of the original Exodus textual account, it was great to get yet another artist's take on this provocative story of faith.

**.

Addendum: On a rewatch, yeah the first act is a mess, and the film is painfully anachronistic at times. But viewed as a Ridley Scott thought experiment, placing Scott in the place of Moses, the film becomes an intriguing exploration of Scott's agnostic doubts. It just barely sneaks into the four star category, and pales in comparison to its 2014 predecessor "Noah", but it can't be denied that Scott crafts the most gorgeous looking epics of anyone in the business, and the Ramses material, particularly once the plagues start and onward, is compelling. And don't get me started on the marvelous chariot sequences.