Post by Rob W. Case on Apr 16, 2019 22:47:52 GMT -6
Around the time Jews celebrate Passover and Christians celebrate Easter, the ABC television network airs the timeless 1956 classic film The Ten Commandments starring Charlton Heston, which is still the most popular rendition of the Exodus account to date. And yet, beginning in 1994, Steven Spielberg, former chairman of the Walt Disney Studios Jeffrey Katzenberg, and music recording mogul David Geffen decided to make a uniquely distinct version as their new studio’s first full length animated feature film. In 1998, DreamWorks Pictures released one of the most memorable and moving adaptations of the biblical account of Moses ever, and in this piece, I would like to commemorate this film, its depth, dimension, and impact in hopes that you too will experience its magnificence and value on a variety of levels.
The Story:
The film begins in the Egyptian empire (at a time when it was the most powerful empire in the world) where its Hebrew slaves are experiencing back breaking labor, oppression, and a lot of physical abuse at the hand of their masters. With the population of the Hebrews increasing in number and becoming very strong, the Pharaoh orders his soldiers to throw all of the Hebrew boys that are born into the Nile River. In the midst of this effort, a Levite woman named Jochebed (along with her two young children Miriam and Aaron) places her baby boy in a basket that she made out of pitch and tar, and sends it adrift into the Nile River. The basket makes its way to the Pharaoh’s palace, where a royal family member notices it, opens the basket, names it Moses (which means “to draw out”), and raises the child as her own son. And while all of this is occurring, the Hebrews are crying out and praying for a deliverer to free them and restore the hope of a promise made by God to their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Years later, we find Moses (Val Kilmer) and his adoptive brother Rameses (Ralph Fiennes) engaging in fun, chariot races, and mischief around the palace. Since Rameses is the heir to the throne, He is scolded and molded by his Father, Pharaoh Seti (Patrick Stewart) to prepare him to bear the weight and burdens of the crown, maintain the ancient traditions, be a strong and unwavering leader, and take Egypt to the next level. In that Pharaoh gives Rameses serious responsibilities to prove his worth and strengthen his leadership skills. And while Moses and Rameses have a strong loyal bond to each other, Rameses is instructed not to allow himself to be led astray and become a “weak link in the chain of a mighty dynasty”. Meanwhile while walking outside of the palace, Moses encounters his sister Miriam (Sandra Bullock), and his brother Aaron (Jeff Goldblum), and they approach him, but he knows nothing of his relationship to them. Miriam is so enthusiastic at seeking her baby brother again, that he feels uncomfortable and cautious by them. While Aaron tries to hold her back, Miriam confronts Moses with the truth of his background, and the hope they have in his preconceived destiny. Defensive and a bit bogged down by the revelation, Miriam sings to Moses the song her mother sang to him before he was sent away in the basket. A little scared and inquisitive, Moses runs back to the palace confident in his privileged position. When God reveals to Moses in a dream the truth of his salvation from death ordered by the Pharaoh whose roof he lives under, Moses becomes inquisitive about his upbringing, and asks questions which confirms what his sister had told him. In confirming his origins, Moses went to see his own people and watched them suffering under forced labor. He now has sympathies and empathies towards the slaves that he didn’t have before. While watching his people suffer, Moses witnesses the beating of an elderly slave to the point where he feels uneasy and tries to intervene and put a stop to it. Moses ends up murdering the man and fleeing Egypt.
While away from Egypt, Moses comes across a well, where the daughters of the high priest of Midian (Danny Glover), draw water. There Moses meets and eventually marries his daughter Zipporah (Michelle Pfeiffer). Moses learns valuable morals and life lessons by them and how to shepherd a flock of sheep. One day, Moses follows a wandering sheep to bring him back to the fold, and encounters a burning bush. There the burning bush identifies himself as the God of his ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. There God tells Moses that He has heard the cry of his people in Egypt, and sends Moses to confront the Pharaoh to let His people go. Doubtful and resistant at the task, God assures Moses that He will be with him when he goes to the King of Egypt and that He will, by use of his staff, demonstrate His powers to smite Egypt, knowing that the King will not listen to Moses.
Moses finally goes to Egypt, and sees that Pharaoh Seti is dead and Rameses is the new Pharaoh. Not long after a bit of a “reunion”, Moses tells Rameses of his encounter with the God of the Hebrews, and his command to let the Hebrews go, but the Pharaoh does not listen. Rameses is shown the power of God through Moses’s staff (in that it turns into a serpent), and summons his two magicians (voiced by Steve Martin and Martin Short) who summon the power of the “gods” and turn their staffs into two serpents, and is swallowed up by Moses’s staff. As Moses persists in his efforts, Rameses grows more and more irritated, doubles the Hebrews work load, making Moses’s task more difficult. The two destinies between the Pharaoh and Moses begin cracking their bond apart, heading into two distinctly different directions, warping away their previous bond. As Moses continues to be obedient to God, Rameses’s heart is hardened and resistant to anything. Rameses’s stubbornness leads to plagues, death, disease, famine, loss, and other devastating things. It is in all of these events and reactions to them, we see what the true meaning of Passover means, and what it will later signify. In all of what happens with Moses, his purpose, and the direction God had set for his life at the beginning of it, and how events unfold to get him on track with his predestined purpose this movie shows the true power of God and how it sets apart two distinct actions and reactions.
My Take:
I love this movie, and highly recommend it. It is very purposeful, deeply moving, epic in scope and scale, and is cinematically breathtaking and beautiful. In other words, if you have personally experienced God’s intervention in your life, perhaps through a miracle, involvement, comfort, some door opening up for you, and/or strong discerning feelings that eventually led to your freedom from something harmful in some way, then this movie will connect with that and resonate with you.
What is also fascinating, and thus a tremendous achievement in and of itself is that in being an animated film, (one that is predominantly more serious in nature) it is so deep, emotional, and intriguing that it leaves a very solemn and lasting impression on you. In addition to that, the music (composed by Hans Zimmer) and songs (written by Hans Zimmer and Stephen Schwartz) contributes to the mood and direction of the story in such a powerful and dynamic way, that it adds a unique effect to the drama playing out. In fact, as an owner of the musical score, I have to say that whenever I play it, it reminds me of the scene that goes with it, and the message behind it. The impact that this movie, its music, and its songs have even gone so far as to take on a life of its own. On October 6th, 2017 a Broadway theater production of The Prince of Egypt opened up in Silicon Valley (with added songs/music not in the film), and as of April 9th, 2020, released an album with its cast. The Broadway Production was so successful in fact, that it reacquainted audiences with this movie and on October 16th, 2018, after being only available on VHS and DVD since 1999, the movie was finally released on Blu-ray and digital copy. On March 14th, 2023, the film was released in 4K-UHD, with a new restoration and scan. The Prince of Egypt looks better than ever, and is a film that is timeless, leaving a strong, lasting impression once its experienced.
I first saw this movie in the spring/summer of 1999, and liked it so much that I went to see it again and again, taking different friends with me every time I saw it. This movie brilliantly and artfully depicts the power of God and how He uses people to carry out His will for a purpose that is deeply life changing, as well as constructive and productive as a whole. And while the world will always harden its heart to the new things that God has planned, there will always be people with power over you who will stubbornly defend the status quo, and try to relinquish any threat to it.
Out of 4 stars, I give The Prince of Egypt 4 stars.
The film is rated PG and runs 1 hour and 38 minutes.
To view a trailer for the film, please click on the link below.
Trailer 1:
Trailer 2:
In addition to everything mentioned about this film here, I want to leave you with the music video of the feature song from this movie, "When You Believe" featuring Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. Since 1998, it has played countless times on the radio, in restaurants, grocery stores, etc. And not only does it speak to the world that the ancient Israelites experienced in their day, but it speaks to the world and many of its similar mindsets that people continue to have today.
"The Prince of Egypt" is available on 4K-UHD, Blu-Ray, DVD, VHS physical media formats, and is also available on various streaming services, all of which can be found HERE.
The Story:
The film begins in the Egyptian empire (at a time when it was the most powerful empire in the world) where its Hebrew slaves are experiencing back breaking labor, oppression, and a lot of physical abuse at the hand of their masters. With the population of the Hebrews increasing in number and becoming very strong, the Pharaoh orders his soldiers to throw all of the Hebrew boys that are born into the Nile River. In the midst of this effort, a Levite woman named Jochebed (along with her two young children Miriam and Aaron) places her baby boy in a basket that she made out of pitch and tar, and sends it adrift into the Nile River. The basket makes its way to the Pharaoh’s palace, where a royal family member notices it, opens the basket, names it Moses (which means “to draw out”), and raises the child as her own son. And while all of this is occurring, the Hebrews are crying out and praying for a deliverer to free them and restore the hope of a promise made by God to their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Years later, we find Moses (Val Kilmer) and his adoptive brother Rameses (Ralph Fiennes) engaging in fun, chariot races, and mischief around the palace. Since Rameses is the heir to the throne, He is scolded and molded by his Father, Pharaoh Seti (Patrick Stewart) to prepare him to bear the weight and burdens of the crown, maintain the ancient traditions, be a strong and unwavering leader, and take Egypt to the next level. In that Pharaoh gives Rameses serious responsibilities to prove his worth and strengthen his leadership skills. And while Moses and Rameses have a strong loyal bond to each other, Rameses is instructed not to allow himself to be led astray and become a “weak link in the chain of a mighty dynasty”. Meanwhile while walking outside of the palace, Moses encounters his sister Miriam (Sandra Bullock), and his brother Aaron (Jeff Goldblum), and they approach him, but he knows nothing of his relationship to them. Miriam is so enthusiastic at seeking her baby brother again, that he feels uncomfortable and cautious by them. While Aaron tries to hold her back, Miriam confronts Moses with the truth of his background, and the hope they have in his preconceived destiny. Defensive and a bit bogged down by the revelation, Miriam sings to Moses the song her mother sang to him before he was sent away in the basket. A little scared and inquisitive, Moses runs back to the palace confident in his privileged position. When God reveals to Moses in a dream the truth of his salvation from death ordered by the Pharaoh whose roof he lives under, Moses becomes inquisitive about his upbringing, and asks questions which confirms what his sister had told him. In confirming his origins, Moses went to see his own people and watched them suffering under forced labor. He now has sympathies and empathies towards the slaves that he didn’t have before. While watching his people suffer, Moses witnesses the beating of an elderly slave to the point where he feels uneasy and tries to intervene and put a stop to it. Moses ends up murdering the man and fleeing Egypt.
While away from Egypt, Moses comes across a well, where the daughters of the high priest of Midian (Danny Glover), draw water. There Moses meets and eventually marries his daughter Zipporah (Michelle Pfeiffer). Moses learns valuable morals and life lessons by them and how to shepherd a flock of sheep. One day, Moses follows a wandering sheep to bring him back to the fold, and encounters a burning bush. There the burning bush identifies himself as the God of his ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. There God tells Moses that He has heard the cry of his people in Egypt, and sends Moses to confront the Pharaoh to let His people go. Doubtful and resistant at the task, God assures Moses that He will be with him when he goes to the King of Egypt and that He will, by use of his staff, demonstrate His powers to smite Egypt, knowing that the King will not listen to Moses.
Moses finally goes to Egypt, and sees that Pharaoh Seti is dead and Rameses is the new Pharaoh. Not long after a bit of a “reunion”, Moses tells Rameses of his encounter with the God of the Hebrews, and his command to let the Hebrews go, but the Pharaoh does not listen. Rameses is shown the power of God through Moses’s staff (in that it turns into a serpent), and summons his two magicians (voiced by Steve Martin and Martin Short) who summon the power of the “gods” and turn their staffs into two serpents, and is swallowed up by Moses’s staff. As Moses persists in his efforts, Rameses grows more and more irritated, doubles the Hebrews work load, making Moses’s task more difficult. The two destinies between the Pharaoh and Moses begin cracking their bond apart, heading into two distinctly different directions, warping away their previous bond. As Moses continues to be obedient to God, Rameses’s heart is hardened and resistant to anything. Rameses’s stubbornness leads to plagues, death, disease, famine, loss, and other devastating things. It is in all of these events and reactions to them, we see what the true meaning of Passover means, and what it will later signify. In all of what happens with Moses, his purpose, and the direction God had set for his life at the beginning of it, and how events unfold to get him on track with his predestined purpose this movie shows the true power of God and how it sets apart two distinct actions and reactions.
My Take:
I love this movie, and highly recommend it. It is very purposeful, deeply moving, epic in scope and scale, and is cinematically breathtaking and beautiful. In other words, if you have personally experienced God’s intervention in your life, perhaps through a miracle, involvement, comfort, some door opening up for you, and/or strong discerning feelings that eventually led to your freedom from something harmful in some way, then this movie will connect with that and resonate with you.
What is also fascinating, and thus a tremendous achievement in and of itself is that in being an animated film, (one that is predominantly more serious in nature) it is so deep, emotional, and intriguing that it leaves a very solemn and lasting impression on you. In addition to that, the music (composed by Hans Zimmer) and songs (written by Hans Zimmer and Stephen Schwartz) contributes to the mood and direction of the story in such a powerful and dynamic way, that it adds a unique effect to the drama playing out. In fact, as an owner of the musical score, I have to say that whenever I play it, it reminds me of the scene that goes with it, and the message behind it. The impact that this movie, its music, and its songs have even gone so far as to take on a life of its own. On October 6th, 2017 a Broadway theater production of The Prince of Egypt opened up in Silicon Valley (with added songs/music not in the film), and as of April 9th, 2020, released an album with its cast. The Broadway Production was so successful in fact, that it reacquainted audiences with this movie and on October 16th, 2018, after being only available on VHS and DVD since 1999, the movie was finally released on Blu-ray and digital copy. On March 14th, 2023, the film was released in 4K-UHD, with a new restoration and scan. The Prince of Egypt looks better than ever, and is a film that is timeless, leaving a strong, lasting impression once its experienced.
I first saw this movie in the spring/summer of 1999, and liked it so much that I went to see it again and again, taking different friends with me every time I saw it. This movie brilliantly and artfully depicts the power of God and how He uses people to carry out His will for a purpose that is deeply life changing, as well as constructive and productive as a whole. And while the world will always harden its heart to the new things that God has planned, there will always be people with power over you who will stubbornly defend the status quo, and try to relinquish any threat to it.
Out of 4 stars, I give The Prince of Egypt 4 stars.
The film is rated PG and runs 1 hour and 38 minutes.
To view a trailer for the film, please click on the link below.
Trailer 1:
Trailer 2:
In addition to everything mentioned about this film here, I want to leave you with the music video of the feature song from this movie, "When You Believe" featuring Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. Since 1998, it has played countless times on the radio, in restaurants, grocery stores, etc. And not only does it speak to the world that the ancient Israelites experienced in their day, but it speaks to the world and many of its similar mindsets that people continue to have today.
"The Prince of Egypt" is available on 4K-UHD, Blu-Ray, DVD, VHS physical media formats, and is also available on various streaming services, all of which can be found HERE.