Exodus: Gods and Kings is the fourth major film production of the story of Moses (following 1925’s Ten Commandments, 1956’s Ten Commandments remake, and 1998’s Prince of Egypt), not counting miniseries, TV movies and low budget remakes; so there’ll expectedly be comparisons throughout the review. As such, this review will be clearer if you've seen at least 1-2 of the previous films.
The story of Moses is one of the most popular religious stories in film (second only to Jesus), known by people of both religious and non-religious belief. Including Ridley Scott’s latest telling, I've seen all four major motion pictures; out of the four, the 1925 Ten Commandments and Prince of Egypt are both deserving of praise as great films. Cecil B. Demille’s 1956 remake (of his own 1925 film) is of course a fan favorite, though my feelings for it are more lukewarm than anything (though it does have scenes of greatness). It’s essential to notice these films, because Exodus: Gods and Kings has certainly been doing so; blending past strengths of its predecessors into its gritty retelling. Does it work? Similar to 2014’s Noah, there’s much to be praised about Exodus, yet also areas needing refinement; the film’s strength of blending previous aspects is also its major weakness, with barely anything new or refreshing to a story told many times before. Yet while far from achieving greatness, Exodus: Gods and Kings stands its ground as an entertainingly fast paced rendition about Moses.
At two and a half hours, Exodus would usually be considered a lengthy feature; when compared to its predecessors however, the film is considerably short. Yet even compared to an average length film, Exodus progresses at surprising speed, moving through the plot with smooth pacing. Exodus’ pacing is in fact its greatest strength, with its 30 minute mark hitting around the 90 minute mark for The Ten Commandments. Of course quicker doesn't mean better, with several sections being brief enough to confuse those unaccustomed to Moses’ story (the Golden Calf scene for example is so split second, newcomers may believe the calf a positive symbol for the Hebrews). Yet Exodus’ impressive pacing rarely feels rushed at all, moving as quickly as The Prince of Egypt (only at a considerably longer run time).
Several Exodus characters are a mix-match of previous story designs. Ramesses II (Joel Edgerton) for example, follows closely with The Prince of Egypt version; being a bonded relative (here a cousin) to Moses who’s torn over becoming his enemy. Yet there are also elements from the 1956 Ten Commandments as well, such as Ramesses’ jealousy over Moses’ bonded relationship with his father (even hinting at Ramesses murdering his father by poisoning before his father can choose a new successor). Such combination delivers an interesting version of Ramesses, one who’s both evil sibling and tragic villain. Ramesses orders the killing of Moses and his family (after Moses declares them enemies), yet shows clear hesitation and guilt for such action; he displays true care and devotion towards his wife and son, yet doesn't think twice about slaying his slaves, subordinates and citizens.
Christian Bale’s Moses is both tactical genius and knowledgeable man, knowing much about the Hebrews and their lives before even meeting them. He possesses the formidable nature of the 1956 Moses, the wildness of the 1923 version (sometimes he comes across even crazier than Ramesses), and the conflicted nature of the 1998 version. Here he doubts his capacity to lead the Hebrews to freedom and openly shows confliction over God’s brutal methods (to God himself no less) over his former Egyptian populace. Speaking of God, his representation is rather unique and different from the former films; here he’s represented as a young boy (Issac Andrews) whose effective amount of intensity makes for a rather surprising God. As with the Book of Exodus, God here is of the wrathful kind, full of anger at the Egyptians making slaves of his people. There’s no sidestepping when it comes to his anger, and God can even be seen as an anti-hero of sorts (something which may run sourly with certain religious groups, despite the film honestly following the description of God’s “old school” personality).
The film’s type casting is utterly bizarre; while Christian Bale does a fine job as Moses, his blatantly pale skin feels wrong for one who’s lived his whole life in Egypt (they at least made John Edgerton look Egyptian). Then there’s the casting of big named actors in small, often unnoticeable roles, such as Ben Kingsley and Sigourney Weaver (the latter of which had hardly a minute of screen time). Exodus: Gods and Kings is however the first live action telling to show each of the ten plagues in all their terrific horror. Of all the plagues, it is the first and last that always get the most prominence, and while the final plague (death of the Egyptians’ firstborn sons) acts in similar fashion as before, the first (water turned into blood) is given new life. In one of the most creative plague imaginings put to film, the first’s turning does not spontaneously appear from Moses’ staff, but rather gruesomely begins with an onslaught of the Nile’s crocodiles; swarming and feasting on anyone that moves (including themselves) in a chaotic feeding frenzy, staining the river’s red with blood.
The plagues are given a graphically gritty feel, with Egyptians screaming as flies engulf their bodies, golf ball sized hail crashes on their heads, and boils painfully spread across their bodies (forming scars and bodily deformities). These plagues, alongside its smooth pacing and mix-matching, are Exodus’ strongest qualities. There’s nothing majorly new to the film in general, but rather small changes which come together, forming a satisfyingly different take on the story of Moses. Exodus: Gods and Kings is no head turner, and I doubt it’ll overtake the previous versions as an Easter classic, but nonetheless holds as an entertainingly fast paced film.
