Review of Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014) by Kermitlaphroaig — 12 Dec 2014

Exodus is a grand and complex new interpretation of the story of the Hebrews and their exodus from Egypt by legendary director Ridley Scott, known for films such as 'Alien' (1979), 'Blade Runner' (1982), 'Gladiator' (2000), 'Black Hawk Down' (2001) and 'Prometheus' (2012). The film stars Christian Bale as Moses and Joel Edgerton as Ramesses.

'Exodus' breaks new ground in its depiction of epic landscapes and the glory of architecture. Ancient Egypt is reconstructed before our eyes with vast CGI vistas of pyramids and temples populated by thousands of ant-like workers. The audience truly has God's view of this panoply, looking down from above at one of the world's mightiest and most ancient civilizations. Likewise, we are given breathtaking views of mountains and the desert landscapes of Egypt as Moses wanders, first as a outcast, then as a leader of his people into the unknown wilderness. Special attention is given to the sea floor of the Red Sea as special effects wizardry reveals what lies beneath the waves as God rolls back the tides for the Hebrews.

The drama of the epic is centered around the two personalities of Moses, the adopted Egyptian prince and his natural-born brother Ramesses, the incipient Pharaoh. Bale turns in a dedicated and focused portrayal of a reluctant messiah induced by God, in the persona of a 7-year-old boy, to lead his people out of slavery. I found Joel Edgerton's Ramesses to be much more interesting. He interprets the young pharaoh as a brash, bullying, but shrewd man, born to the purple. His performance hearkens back to that of Joaquin Phoenix's Commodus in 'Gladiator', and exceeds it in power and depth. Edgerton projects a sort of visceral sense of entitlement that brings the pharaoh to life. John Turturro plays referee to two princes as the wise elder pharaoh, Seti.

The main weakness of the film is that the lack of action makes the two-and-a-half hour running time seem very drawn out. Part of the problem is the faithfulness to the long biblical narrative, and the other part is weak-willed editing. For example, there is a long sequence in which Moses wanders in the wilderness, encounters a bedouin community, marries a woman and has a child, all of which could have been safely omitted from the film. Moses' interactions with the ghetto-like Hebrew slave community in Memphis is also written and edited in a somewhat ham-handed manner, leaving actor Ben Kingsley, playing a Hebrew elder, with the raw end of the script.

The costumes and scenery of the film are a high point that set a new standard for depiction of the ancient world, going far beyond even Gladiator in their detail and authenticity. The razor-sharp cinematography and moody lighting combine to give the film a fine-art feel, like a Ruisdael painting come to life.

Overall, 'Exodus' is a rich and complex film that provides a valuable new re-telling of the Hebrew mythos.