Moses (The Bible Collection)
T**T
Intimate human portrait of Moses
This TNT miniseries is arguably the best film portrayal of Moses for biblical accuracy and entertainment value. Ben Kingsley is a bit old for the role at 52, but he plays Moses with a passionate zeal and human fallibility (anger, stuttering, impatience) that is captivating to behold, if not readily sympathetic for younger viewers who may want more action than character development. If too many Bible films offer one-dimensional heroes and villains rather than Biblical figures with real character arcs, Kingsley is the antidote as a reluctant hero who matures from a misfit plagued by self-doubts into a true leader of men who trusts deeply in God despite his lingering flaws.The other actors are good foils for Kingsley, giving their own nuanced interpretations of the material. Frank Langella and (more briefly) Christopher Lee nail their roles as the two pharaohs of the story, showing stubborn anger and lust for power without descending into cartoon villainy. David Suchet of PBS "Mystery" fame offers a richly textured Aaron and Scottish actor Maurice Roeves ("The Last of the Mohicans") makes a convincing Hebrew foreman who represents all of Israel's doubts and rebellious instincts, even though he's probably the weakest character of the film. Philip Stone, a staple in Stanley Kubrick films, makes a warm and likable Jethro whose character somehow benefits in a grandfatherly way from being just a tad bland.The film has a few minor downsides. It moves slowly in spots and might have benefitted from including more of the action-packed material (attack of the Amalekites anyone?) from Exodus in its second half, rather than several slow-moving character segments in the desert that are apparently meant to explicate the biblical story. The Amalekite battle featuring the staff of Moses would have been welcome here, emphasizing an important element (the ability to defend themselves) in Israel's journey from slavery to nationhood that is otherwise neglected here. Also, the early CGI special effects are muted despite being very good, making them likely to disappoint younger viewers who expects high spectacle -- i.e. a magical special effects atmosphere for the plagues and crossing of the Red Sea -- from any version of this story on film. Finally, the broad outlines of this story are so familiar that the viewer may lose interest in its straightforwardly reverent approach, which eschews Hollywood style to the point of casting plain-looking people dressed in authentic garb rather than supermodels dressed to attract the eye. For all of these reasons, the film might disappoint kids who have been weened on the self-assured Moses of DeMille's "Ten Commandments" spectacle and the animated wizardry of Dreamworks' "Prince of Egypt" film. It may also disappoint those who want to see an edgier agnostic take on this material, such as Hallmark's dreadful 2006 miniseries "The Ten Commandments" and its guilt-ridden Moses (Dougray Scott) who is a one-dimensional nutjob. One may reasonably expect that Ridley Scott's "Exodus," starring the wooden Christian Bale as Moses, will likewise be a disappointment when it hits theaters in December 2014.Yet the film is sensitive in its emotions, subtle in its themes, and brilliant in its characterizations. Its naturalistic and historical style presents real events with real people struggling and often failing to grow in faith with God's help. The overall narrative is coherent and reasonably close to the Bible, dispensing with the birth and childhood of Moses (which took most of the first half of DeMille's 1956 film!) before the opening credits have finished rolling. Marco Frisina's score and Raffaele Mertes' photography are beautiful. Ultimately, however, the film belongs to Kingsley: He's clearly going for broke in an effort to sell his emotions in every scene, and the effort is mostly successful. Rather than declaiming biblical words in high-handed style, Kingsley uses the speech rhythms of powerful orators like Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela (as he relates in interviews) to create an intimate portrait of Israel's first prophet and lawgiver. Despite its fidelity to the source material and its other merits, this photoplay rises or falls on Sir Ben Kingsley's shoulders, and he manages to elevate the film from a dry religious lesson into a performance of deep insight into the thoughts and emotions of the man "who talked to God face to face." His performance in the burning bush and theophany (Ten Commandments) scenes are particularly memorable, emphasizing the film's gift at presenting the supernatural in a naturalistic way. And the confrontations between Kingsley and Langella as the Pharaoh are electric. If you see this movie, you will feel like you know Moses better than in any other film portrayal, and that is perhaps its greatest achievement.
D**N
Great portrayal of Moses
I really enjoyed this movie. Ben Kingsley does an excellent job with this role. I think this type of movie shows the real side of being human while at the same time loving God. In this portrayal, you see all the "warts" of being human. Being angry. Being disappointed. Failing. Yet at the same time, Kingsley shows such an "awe" and love for God. One of my favorite scenes is where God is speaking to all the people. Moses is standing smiling (even laughing) at the joy of hearing his God speak while the people are terrified. It really shows what it's like to have a real relationship with God. I would recommend this movie to anyone. As has been stated, "The Ten Commandments" is a classic too and sure has the effects galore. As also pointed out, there are some variations from scripture. But I think the thing that always makes me feel so good is seeing the human side of these people we've read about and heard about all our lives. To be able to see they faced the same problems we face, to see that they dealt with all the heartaches and disappointments we do, to see that they just sometimes "blow it" like we do, well.......to my way of thinking, it only brings me closer than ever to God in realizing his love for us all.It's truly a wonderful movie. I would highly recommend it.
A**N
Outstanding!
I am a 7th grade World Cultures teacher in North Carolina. In our state curriculum, the Middle East, it's civilizations, geography, and religions are part of our units of study. I showed this movie to all of my classes after we finished our study on the Hebrews. They loved it!! This movie is outstanding, in my opinion. It shows the humanity of Moses, who the Bible mentions was "slow" in speech, and who at first asked "why me?" when God chose him to go back to Egypt. The Pharaoh and the Egyptian culture are displayed in a very authentic way, and the plagues were done in a very effective way. The scene where the Red Sea parts is way better than that of the Ten Commandments with Charlton Heston in my opinion. This movie also shows the journey through Sinai, the Ark of the Covenant, and many other Biblical details. The only drawback is that they do not make the Hebrews look like an entire nation of people, showing only about 100 or so rather than the many thousands that there were in reality. This is a small drawback considering all that this film truly has to offer. I would highly recommend this movie to anyone wanting to watch this for any reason.
A**N
the journey to the promised land
Though this television production doesn't have the epic grandeur of "The Ten Commandments", it is a marvelous telling of the story of Moses, with some superb acting; there are a few liberties taken to flesh out the script, but the heart of the Biblical account is intact, with a memorable portrayal by Ben Kingsley as the prophet who was "clumsy with words" but led his people to freedom.Other terrific performances come from David Suchet as Aaron, Sonia Braga as Zipporah, and Philip Stone as Jethro, and as the "bad guys", Frank Langella, who with his sonorous voice makes an effective Pharaoh, and Maurice Roeves as Zerack, the man who is a continual kvetch.Filmed in sub-saharan Quarzazate and Agadir, Morocco, it is visually beautiful, with the excellent cinematography by Raffaele Mertes; I like the neutral palette, and the artifacts and costuming that give it an authentic look of ancient times. Added to the atmosphere is the wonderful score by Marco Frisina.The effects are good, from the parting of the sea to the tablets of the law, and other than a short sequence of violence (which includes a swift depiction of sacrificing an animal) after the golden calf incident, it is family friendly. Total running time is 184 minutes.This is a film that stands up to a lot of repeated viewing; it is so full of eternal truths, and content that is applicable to our lives today.
M**L
Éditeur vidéo mediocre
Comme beaucoup de films de la Bible par cet éditeur, il y a plein de défauts sur le DVD et le DVD se lit mal.
P**T
Best movie of Moses ever
This movie is the closest to the real story available. Moses was not Hollywoods earlier depiction of the typical leading man.(see Charlton Heston :) The Bible says that Moses had speech issues which required his brother Aaron to speak for him. He was also a very humble man in spite of his Egyptian upbringing. This movie captures both and follows the Bible very closely. I personally have had a number of moments in my life where God has spoken to me in the wilderness, which he will also do for you if you surrender your all to him and go to the desert and search for him too. My heart goes "pitter patter" when Moses goes out to be alone with God. Unbelievably real portrayal that I would never expect to find in a holywood made movie.God bless you
T**E
Grandiose Bibelverfilmung !!!
Es gibt einige Filme über die Bibelfigur Moses. Doch diese sind meist in der Machart der großen Hollywoodstudios. Denke man z.B. an die pompöse Hollywoodversion "Die zehn Gebote" mit Charlton Heston oder an den Trickfilm "Der Prinz von Ägypten". Doch diese Verfilmung mit Oscarpreisträger Ben Kingsley in der Hauptrolle kommt dem Moses aus der Bibel schon sehr nahe. Ben Kingsley kann wunderbar große Personen der Menschheitsgeschichte darstellen: wie hier den Moses. Für seine Darstellung des Mahatma Gandhi hat er zurecht den Oscar bekommen.Fazit: Wer eine grandiose an der Bibel angelegte Mosesverfilmung sehen will und kein Hollywood - Machwerk der sollte sich diese DVD unbedingt zulegen.
G**R
Nul
Probleme de lecture ,mal copié
D**S
Better Than the Classic "Ten Commandments" Movie!
This version of Moses is much better than the classic "Ten Commandments" movie, although it is just as long! Ben Kingsley does an amazing job in the title role. It is unfortunate that the movie is presented in full-screen format (instead of wide-screen), but at least the movie is available in both English and Spanish with subtitles in English, French and Spanish! A warning to parents: younger children may find the murder and death scenes disturbing!
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