Exodus: God's and Kings

"...the biggest source of evil is of course religion," ~ Ridley Scott

I love Ridley Scott. He is a great director who makes (usually) great movies. He is now the second atheist to release a movie based on a Biblical account this year. I don't think you have to believe in something to make a good movie about it. I do believe you have to at least respect it though. I don't believe in aliens and I think I could make a good movie about aliens though. But I wouldn't disrespect peoples expectations to say, make the aliens weakness water or something.... Or take a Biblical story and add rock monsters/angels, a psychotic 'hero', and theistic evolution...much like that other 'biblical' movie this year. But I love Ridley Scott. (And pretty much every other person involved in this movie.) So I was willing to give Exodus the benefit of the doubt. Oy Vey.

Who doesn't know this story? Oh well, for those who don't (who are you seriously?) the story (according to the movie) goes something like this: Moses is a general and illegitimate member of the royal family, but he doesn't know just how illegitimate he is. He is a Hebrew who was saved as a baby. He eventually discovers his lineage and religious background that he refuses to buy into. He is kicked out of Egypt for killing two soldiers and after years pass, God shows up to slap him in the head (kind of literally) and tells him to help him free the enslaved Hebrews. Guerrilla warfare, supernatural (or maybe natural) plagues, and arguing with God (or maybe delusions) follow.

Ridley Scott tries to please everyone. His own atheistic beliefs and the religious audience that this movie is mainly directed toward. He bends just far enough for each person: So that he doesn't have to completely concede that God is real and that religious people can say he didn't exactly say He doesn't either. It's a typical compromise, everyone walks away shrugging their shoulders in almost happiness, but shaking their heads in semi disappointment. It's far from a perfect movie; I loved the realism and horror of the plagues and Red Sea but completely hated the winy, angry portrayal of a child God. It's not great, but thank God it's not Noah.  C+