Movie poster for 2014 “Exodus: Gods and Kings”
Life Hope & Truth posted “What You Really Need to Know About the Exodus“, and so I once again ponder if yet another Hollywood movie supposedly based upon the Bible is worth seeing or not.
From everything I’ve read about it, it isn’t nearly as bad as the earlier “Noah” movie, which was filled with more pagan and mythological creatures and symbols than anything from the Bible. Still, I have to ponder when I read:
One of the most egregious errors in the new movie is the portrayal of Moses’ relationship with “God” (or God’s messenger). In the movie, “God” is irreverently portrayed by a dirty (literally), petulant, prepubescent boy. …
I’ve heard praise for and critical remarks about Cecil B DeMille’s version of “The Ten Commandments”, but one thing critics cannot say was that he was disrespectful of the biblical account. Sure, he took some poetic license, but in all honesty it was a film for entertainment. Having said that, there was a lot of research that went into the making of the film in order to preserve some accuracy.
I just don’t see this respect for, well, just about anything, in recent films. How many popular myths, comic book characters and such have been portrayed more and more with a dark side and very little respect for their origins? And, in Hollywood, the Bible is just another myth in a sea of myths, so why bother being respectful to a myth?
In an increasingly secular culture, what else can we expect? There will likely come a time when in order to maintain some sense of purity, a real Christian will have to eschew most forms of “entertainment” as they continue to grind out garbage instead of something that will actually nourish the mind and heart.
I think I’ll save my money for something more worthwhile. Does anyone think it is worth it?
I have to agree with those that say films such as this one and Noah are harmful. Since so many today are biblically illiterate their impressions of God and of men of faith like Noah and Moses will be largely formed from these movies. It’s like those who get their knowledge of history from Oliver Stone movies.
You are right that while movies such as the Ten Commandments, and other biblical themed movies of earlier eras, have their problems they did not disrespect their subjects. When you have Christian Bale, the actor playing Moses, running around saying Moses was a psychopath there is little chance the movie is worthwhile.
It seems to me that the Biblical accounts of things like the Exodus or the Flood are so incredible that you don’t need to insult the customer to make the movie. They take potential customers of those movies for fools. One talk show host suggested a movie on Job and thought that would be a great subject. Of course why should anyone expect an industry that creates the trash that Hollywood does to do anything but slaughter movies like these.
For the life of me I can’t figure out why any COG member would spend a dime on this movie.
@buckblog: Yeah, “historical” movies went the way of make believe a long time ago. I once knew someone who said that the quickest way to know that a film is a work of fiction is to look for the phrase “based upon a true story”. In the end, I suppose that this is the sort of thing to expect when truth is no longer valued, even at a basic level. This is a world where what you feel is more important than what you know or can know.
Which is part of the problem I have with most forms of entertainment any longer. Even “reality TV” is a phrase that shows just how much truth and reality are not valued. People make jokes about it, comment about it, but do they really see that it is yet another symptom of a much more serious problem?
For a while, there was a spate of films that were family friendly and still thought provoking, and they weren’t cartoons. Don’t get me wrong, for I like cartoons well enough, but that just isn’t what I want for a steady diet. It seems like Hollywood decided religious and family friendly was the way to go, and they just don’t get it.
It’s just another bunch more interested in filling their pocketbook than in actually contributing something worthwhile to society.