 |
| Courtesy of 20th Century Fox |
Hollywood
has expressed a renewed interest in biblical epics this year, with the release
of Noah and Son of God. The latest installment in this trend has director
Ridley Scott, known for his eclectic taste when choosing projects, tackling the
Old Testament saga of Moses (Christian Bale). However, this version has a
distinctly modern flair, focusing on the character’s strengths as a solider, his
complex relationship with the rulers he believes are a part of his family (John
Turturro and Joel Edgerton), and his struggle to put his faith in God without
knowing every detail of the plan.
Once
Moses is revealed as a Hebrew and kicked out of the royal family, Scott spends
a lot of time on the character’s rise to leadership (by far the most compelling
section) before the story peters out into the cinematic version of a greatest
hits album. Once the climactic parting of the Red Sea is over (depicted with
more computer animation than Pixar ever dreamed of), the Hebrews’ time in the
desert and Moses delivering the Ten Commandments are addressed in montage,
almost as an afterthought.
On
the plus side, Bale’s usual gruff demeanor works well for this interpretation
of Moses and Edgerton brings a complex humanity to the role of Pharaoh before
the screenplay turns him into a cartoon character. As flawed as the script
(credited to Adam Cooper, Bill Collage, Jeffrey Caine and Steven Zaillian) is,
I appreciate its willingness to show that heroes aren’t perfect and villains
almost never believe they’re the bad guys.
I
also enjoyed the film’s explanation of God using the laws of nature to unleash
the various plagues, with one logically causing another like falling dominos.
And when the most devastating punishment is unleashed – the death of countless
firstborn children – Scott’s depiction of the tragedy is unflinching. As a
parent, it affected me in a way I wasn’t prepared for.
However, Exodus: Gods and Kings (ugh, that title) absolutely squanders some of its
most promising elements, particularly the actors. And that’s not even getting
into the troubling fact that a 2014 movie about Hebrews and Egyptians features a
lily-white cast and a ton of bronzer.
Other
than Bale and Edgerton, the performers (including Turturro, Sigourney Weaver,
Ben Kingsley and Aaron Paul) are completely wasted. None of them get more than
a handful of lines and absolutely no time to flesh out their roles. I can only hope
that there’s a Kingdom of Heaven-style director’s cut in our future that will
allow more time for character development.
Also,
the depiction of God is ludicrous. I realize that personifying the creator of
the universe is a tall order, fraught with peril. But surely they could’ve done
better than hiring a 10-year-old British boy in desperate need of acting
lessons. It sucks the drama out of any scene in which Moses is wrestling with
God’s orders, making the duo’s interactions inadvertently comic.
Exodus:
Gods and Kings isn’t the year’s best biblical film (that would be Noah), and
its easily-avoided stumbles keep me from recommending it wholeheartedly. But
those with an interest in the material, or fans of Bale’s ultra-intense acting
methods, should find enough to justify a matinee ticket.
Exodus: Gods and Kings is rated PG-13 for violence including battle sequences and intense images.
Grade:
B-
Comments
Post a Comment