Exodus: Gods and Kings

In the film Exodus: Gods and Kings, directed by Ridley Scott, the ancient narrative of the Hebrews' exodus from Egypt is reimagined as an epic spectacle. The story is told through the lens of Moses (Christian Bale), a former Hebrew prince who was raised by an Egyptian princess, Bithiah (Sophie Howard). Moses' adoptive father, Bithiah's husband, Pharaoh Seti (Joel Edgerton), is a great and powerful ruler of Egypt, loved by his people. However, Moses' life is forever changed when he witnesses the brutal treatment of a group of Hebrew slaves by an Egyptian overseer. In a moment of primal fury, Moses kills the overseer, unaware that his actions have been observed by Ramses (Aaron Paul), the son of Pharaoh Seti. Ramses, fueled by rage and ambition, sees Moses' actions as a betrayal and sets out to punish him. Fearing for his life, Moses is forced to flee Egypt, where he embarks on a perilous journey through the desert. It is there that he encounters his future wife, Tzipporah (Maria Valverde), the daughter of a Midianite priest named Jethro (Ben Mendelsohn). Tzipporah is the sister of a group of misfit nephews who also become Moses' protectors. Moses and Tzipporah form a deep bond, and Moses eventually settles in the desert, living a relatively peaceful life with his new family. Meanwhile, back in Egypt, Pharaoh Seti has fallen ill and soon dies. Ramses, now Pharaoh, is faced with the daunting task of maintaining his father's power and legacy. He is determined to ensure that Moses never returns to Egypt and remains a perpetual threat to his rule. Moses' life of tranquility in the desert is disrupted when he encounters a burning bush, which miraculously survives despite being engulfed by flames. It is there that he is approached by God, or rather, the voice of God, who commands him to return to Egypt and demand that Pharaoh release the Hebrew slaves. At first, Moses is hesitant and unwilling to accept this impossible task, citing his lack of authority and his fear of Ramses' wrath. However, God reiterates his demands, insisting that Moses must lead the Hebrews out of Egypt, at first through the power of his own voice, then with the aid of the miracles that would accompany him. As Moses reluctantly embarks on his divine mission, he begins to confront the trauma of his past, including the murder of the overseer and the guilt that has haunted him for so long. He also must reconcile his Hebrew heritage with the Egyptian upbringing that has shaped him into the person he is today. Upon his return to Egypt, Moses faces immense resistance from Ramses, who sees him as a constant threat to his authority. The Pharaoh, convinced of his own divinity, is unwilling to surrender to Moses' demands and will only stop at using every form of draconian punishment to subdue the Hebrews. Moses, bolstered by the divine authority he has been given, chooses to surrender to God's will, even in the face of impossible odds. Over the course of the next 10 plagues, God unleashes a series of supernatural calamities upon Egypt, each one increasing in severity and horror. Despite the devastating consequences of these plagues, Ramses remains defiant, refusing to submit to Moses' demands. The final plague, in which the firstborn sons of every Egyptian family are struck down by the angel of death, provides the impetus for Moses and the Hebrews to make their fateful escape. The mass migration of 400,000 Hebrew slaves, which had been building for months, becomes a reality on the first night of Passover. Under the light of the stars, with the guidance of Moses and the shadow of death looming over them, the Hebrews make their perilous exodus out of Egypt, en route to a fateful journey that will draw them to the foot of Mount Sinai and the fateful revelation of God's Ten Commandments. In Exodus: Gods and Kings, the seemingly impossible feat of escaping from one of the greatest empires of the ancient world is given a human touch, thanks in large part to Christian Bale's thoughtful and vulnerable portrayal of Moses as a complex leader torn asunder by conflicting identities, desires, and the insistent voice of his faith.