The film is three hours and thirty-nine minutes long, and that's without the intermission. Yes, the film has an actual intermission (plus an introduction by the director and an overture), which was needed for a bathroom break.
The first half of the film, in my opinion, is stronger than the second half. I love the struggle Moses goes through when he discovers his real lineage. He's always been different than those around him, more kind and patient. But as Prince of Egypt he could make real and good change. He immediately identifies with his people, but doesn't immediately believe in their God. When he first finds out he is the son of Hebrew slaves, he decides to live with them, which leads to one of my favorite scenes in the film: Moses working in the mud pits as a slave and witnessing the cruel death of an old man. I really like the contrast of the life he lived and the life he has chosen.
The second half is Moses, finally accepting of his role as "The Deliverer", trying to get his people free. He delivers plagues, until finally having Rameses relent after losing his son. But then he immediately changes his mind once his wife gives him crap for it. Which leads to the awesome scene of Moses parting the Red Sea. For 1956, it's pretty spectacular.
Even when Moses is leading his people out of Egypt, he still wonders how he will do it. He still questions God. That's pretty significant. I think a lot of us feel inadequate, even if we believe in what we're doing. It's a powerful message. The film obviously takes some liberties with the story as found in the Bible, but it still gets the basic message across. And that's pretty miraculous.
0 comments:
Post a Comment